Trai seeks call drop mask info
The telecom regulator said on Tuesday that it will seek details from the telecom companies over the alleged use of radio link time- out technology which masks call drops and results in higher bills for subscribers.
“Before setting up any enquiry, we will seek details of radio- link technology ( RLT) from telecom operators around parameters that are applicable globally and parameters that they are following here,” said Trai chairman R. S. Sharma.
Recently, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( Trai) had sought more powers to penalise mobile operators as most of them have failed to meet the quality benchmark.
However, telecom secretary J. S. Deepak said that he is yet to receive a communication from the telecom regulator seeking penal powers.
The secretary has also said that he will discuss the issue of call drops with the CEOs of telecom companies in a meeting on Friday.
In a separate development, the highest decision making body in the telecom department — the Telecom Commission — on Tuesday stood by its decision to levy three per cent spectrum usage charge ( SUC) of adjusted gross revenue on telecom operators.
Weighted average will be calculated between broadband wireless access ( BWA) spectrum, the current SUC rate and the spectrum that will be acquired in future by the company.
“For future auction, the Telecom Commission stood by its recommendation to levy 3 per cent SUC,” said an official. The SUC for Reliance Jio, which has pan- India licence to offer high- speed broadband services, will go down to 2.88 per cent, from five per cent. Also, for Airtel, it will fall from 4.9 per cent to 3.74 per cent. The telecom department will move a Cabinet note on spectrum auction in a week for inter- ministerial consultations and place it before the Cabinet for a final decision after receiving the feedback.