DoT Secy meet telcos on call drops, billing complaints

Telecom operators attributed network issues to delays in installing mobile towers to public protest over radiation and delays in permission from local government authorities

The department of telecommunications (DoT) secretary on Monday met telecom service providers (TSPs) on the quality of services, including frequent call drops and excessive billing.

DoT Secretary Rakesh Garg met executives from telecom players and told them to improve the standard of services or face action.

“The secretary briefed the TSPs about the falling perception in the public with regard to poor quality of telecom services in the country in general and with special emphasis on degrading quality in metros,” the DoT stated.

Data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India show the operators are meeting the benchmarks for call drops.

There is a perception that call drops in a network are a deliberate attempt by service providers for commercial gains and charging a customer multiple times for calls, according to the statement.

The issue of billing systems and frequent changes in the package rates was also raised during the meeting, as contrary to the initially agreed arrangement and without consent of the customer.