After getting a rap from Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG), the Department of Telecom (DoT) has decided to reach the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) regarding Quality of Service (QoS) audit of telecom operators.
DoT’s move to seek Trai’s response to the letter may tighten the noose around telecom operators as Trai’s role in regulating the telecom sector is being questioned repeatedly by various sections. Recently, the Supreme Court had issued notices to Trai on a plea seeking its direction to the government to fix cost-based tariff as cap for SMSes in view of “arbitrary charges” being levied by telecom operators.
DoT is of view that since CAG’s letter had raised serious questions about the QoS audit and allocation of additional spectrum to telecom operators to maintain quality of service puts Trai in negative light, the matter should be tackled immediately.
Recently, in a letter CAG had questioned the credibility of QoS audit organised by Trai. CAG said that players like Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance Communications and others had wrongly acquired additional spectrum and there seem to be lapses in QoS audits facilitated by Trai. Not only this, there have been instances of laxity by not taking action against the failing operators.
It had also pointed out that “the existing parameters fixed by Trai for frequency of QoS audit, stipulation of coverage quality manpower involved in the audit and sample size needed thorough revision and relook so that QoS report reflect authenticated and realistic position quality of service of the telecom service provider.” And therefore, interests of cellular consumers have been sacrificed.
Although, Trai outsources the audit work to third party agencies, DoT’s action to seek Trai’s view on the CAG letter may press the pressure buzzer on telecom operators who anyways have been facing the most difficult times of the sector perhaps. One official said that this may also lead to revision in service parameters.