NEW DELHI: In a move to enhance transparency and quality of service, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has mandated broadband service providers to display mobile coverage maps on their websites, categorised by technology (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G), starting from October 1, 2024. This directive follows the release of revised standards of quality of service for access and broadband services.
Service providers must publish performance reports, including quality of service (QoS) metrics against prescribed parameters on their websites. These regulations apply to both access (fixed and mobile) and Broadband services. To ensure timely resolution of network issues, mobile service QoS performance will be monitored monthly instead of quarterly.
Service providers have a six-month transition period from the regulation’s effective date. TRAI will collect data on parameters such as network availability, call drop rate, and voice packet drop rates for uplink and downlink at the cell level to gain insights into performance at a granular level. The new regulations will replace three existing sets of regulations and consolidate QoS benchmarks for all three services in one place.
The purpose to supersede the technology landscape of telecom networks has changed and moved towards converged networks. TRAI is of the view that to account for the quality aspects arising out of large-scale penetration of new and emerging technologies such as 4G and 5G and high-speed broadband services on fiber, the authority decided to carry out an extensive review of the existing regulations and put forward a framework, which encompasses QoS benchmarks for all three services at one place.