'Telcos must deliver promised Web speed for 80% usage time'

Telecom operators offering mobile Internet services have to ensure that the minimum download speed specified in their data plans is available to subscribers for not less than 80% of usage time from August 23.

"Every service provider shall, in all its wireless (mobile and dongle) data plans, indicate the minimum download speed available to the consumers," as per latest amendment by TRAI in standards of Quality of Service for Wireless Data Services Regulations.

At the end of May 2014, there were about 5 crore people using wireless Internet service either through mobile phones or dongles.

As per the amendment issued by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, every service provider will have to ensure that minimum download speed published by them in plan or recharge coupons should be delivered to consumers at least for 80 per cent of the "usage time".

The new regulation will come in force from August 23.

Consumers are being wooed by telecom companies in advertisements regarding high speed wireless data services and product packs in which they are promised high speed of up to 7.2 megabit per second or 21 megabit per second.

In general, even at 7.1 mbps speed, a mobile or dongle user should be able to download a video file equivalent to full-length movie in around 12-14 minutes.

Telecom operators have reported to TRAI that minimum download speed delivered on their most high speed 3G service is in the range of 399 kbps (less than minimum broadband speed is 512 kbps) to 2.48 mbps.

The regulator had shared its view earlier that minimum download speed for 3G and CDMA EVDO service should be 1 megabit per second with 95 per cent success rate.

For GSM and CDMA 2G, the minimum speed should be at 56 kilobit per second and for CDMA high speed data it is 512 kbps. The amendment,however, does not mention specific minimum speed.

TRAI has notified that minimum broadband speed should be 512 kilobit per second. 3G is generally considered as wireless broadband service.