Apparently facing flak for call drops problems across the country, the Union Information and Broadcasting and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad here on Monday conducted drive tests to check telecom network quality and improvement in call drop problem.
Prasad, along with BSNl CMD Anupam Shrivastava, moved in the city for about an hour with laptop and other equipment to check the network quality. “The exercise is designed to convey a message to the entire department that I can do it personally to see it for myself the condition. Even the CMD was there with me, for about an hour, I moved in the main city ... the whole idea is to ensure greater connectivity, professionalism and monitoring. Naturally when the Minister and the CMD are doing, it sends a message down below," Prasad said.
Talking about the network quality in the city, the Minister said in the main city, the network quality was remarkably good. BSNl CMD Anupam Shrivastava said BSNl will put up 200 more mobile towers in Indore city and its outskirts to improve call quality.
"The network in the main city was good but in the outskirts, a need was felt to put up more towers, so we will be adding 200 towers," Shrivastava said.
Prasad earlier on Monday during his interactions with the media persons, had to confront questions from the media persons about recurring call drops problems and the Minister said that initiatives taken by his Ministry had reduced this problems to a large extent, adding that further initiatives in this regard were being taken to further minimise it.
Talking to media persons, the minister last month said a total of 29,000 new telecom towers were installed by private telecom operators across the country after government took strong exception to the problem of call drops. Operators have also said that they have taken steps to rein in call drop, he added.