In Short:
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is enforcing new quality of service rules for telecom companies starting October 1, despite their objections. These rules aim to improve 4G and 5G services, reduce call drops, and boost service quality. If providers fail to meet standards, financial penalties have increased significantly, now starting at Rs 1 lakh. Companies must also provide compensation to users after 24-hour service outages. TRAI has set new reporting requirements and a strict timeline for compliance, with a structured penalty system for violations. The overall goal is to enhance telecom services for consumers.
TRAI Moves Forward with New Service Quality Rules, Ignoring Telecom Pushback
Mumbai – In a bold move, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided to implement new quality of service rules despite strong objections from telecom companies. Beginning October 1, these providers must submit compliance reports as mandated by the regulator.
Telecom Companies Voice Concerns
The telecom firms have expressed significant concerns over these stringent service quality regulations, arguing that they would not only ramp up their costs but also intensify the compliance workload. This led to a crucial meeting on August 21, where TRAI discussed key aspects of the new regulations with service providers. The deadline for submitting input was eventually extended to August 27.
TRAI’s Firm Stance
However, TRAI noted in a notification released on Thursday that the service providers failed to meet the extended deadline for input submission. Last month, the regulator had already tightened the quality norms governing 4G and 5G networks, increasing financial penalties for non-compliance, and mandated that telecom companies compensate mobile users with rent rebates and validity extensions for service outages lasting over 24 hours.
New Reporting Guidelines
In a subsequent announcement, TRAI laid out the required format for performance monitoring reports. These guidelines apply to both wireless and wireline access service providers, who must report their metrics to the regulator within 15 days following the conclusion of each quarter.
Objective: Enhancing Service Quality
The new parameters introduced by TRAI are designed to measure the quality of fixed, wireless, and broadband services, all with the goal of curbing instances of call drops and significantly enhancing the overall quality of telecommunications for consumers. The new regulations officially come into effect on October 1.
Escalating Penalties for Non-Compliance
To ensure timely resolution of quality of service (QoS) related issues, TRAI has also ramped up the financial penalties, raising the base fine to Rs 1 lakh from the previous Rs 50,000. Additionally, the regulator has introduced a tiered penalty system, which can reach up to Rs 10 lakh for severe violations of the revised regulations.
