Customer feedback platform to assess call drops soon: Minister

Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha today warned operators of action, including penalty, for call drops, and said his ministry will soon set up a platform to enable consumers to offer direct feedback on call failures.
On the interconnection dispute between Reliance Jio and incumbent operators -- where TRAI has recommended a hefty penalty of Rs 3,050 crore on Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea -- he said the ministry will "ensure" that services are provided by those who have been given licences.
"The recommendations (of TRAI) are there... In our purview, if we have given a licence to someone, they should also give service, we will ensure this...In the regulatory framework, ways are found with mutual consultation...And I feel that the path will be found," he said after meeting with the heads of telecom operators.

On the telecom war between operators over points of interconnect, the minister said that consumers will not suffer.
"Consumers will not be effected, we will ensure it. We have advised them to get solution within the regulatory framework and they will do it," he said.
Asked if he was in favour of penalty being imposed for call drops, the minister said, "Call drops should be out of the country, only then I will be satisfied...Not just penalty, if something else is required (to be done), we will do that."

He expressed satisfaction at the progress made by companies in installing base stations for improving connectivity but said that while TRAI report indicates an improvement in the overall situation, its circle-wise criteria of measuring call drops does not cover "black spots" where call failures occur.

"Till consumers say they are free of call drops, I will not accept it...Telecom Ministry is considering making a platform that will take direct feedback from people on call drops...It will be ready in the next one month and that will be the right parameter to gauge the situation," he said.
Earlier this year, telcos had submitted a 100-day action plan on strategy to address call drops issue. They had committed to set up 60,000 base stations as part of this action plan within 100 days, and one lakh base stations over a one year period.
The meeting was attended by Bharti Airtel Managing

Director and Chief Executive Officer (India and South Asia) Gopal Vittal, Vodafone MD and CEO Sunil Sood, Idea Cellular MD and CEO Himanshu Kapania and Telenor CEO Sharad Mehrotra.
Earlier in the day, Vittal told