DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS
03 March, 2020
2 Min Read
Syllabus subtopic: Statutory, Regulatory and various Quasi-judicial Bodies.
Prelims and Mains focus: about the issue of call drops and its remedy; about TRAI
News: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman has rubbished telecom operators’ claim that free voice calls are to blame for the poor quality of voice calls.
What is a call drop and why does it occur?
Has the problem become worse?
Four years ago, Reliance Jio entered the telecom sector with rock-bottom data tariffs and free voice calls. This exploded consumption on mobile networks, both for voice and data. It also led to a lot of voice traffic originating from Jio, but terminating at rival networks. The drastic cut in tariffs shrunk the revenue streams of operators, thereby reducing their appetite to invest in upgrading networks. Financial stress on the balance sheets of operators is a significant factor for poor quality networks. India has three private operators—Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel. Of these, only Jio is profitable.
Who is responsible for improving call quality?
What do operators say about this menace?
Operators say that in order to offer seamless network coverage without call drops they need to take their network closer to customers. This is possible only if hurdles are not created in the installation of towers, they say. Telcos complain that states and municipalities have not devised bylaws and right-of-way guidelines that could address the problem. They argue that mobile tariffs in India are among the world’s lowest. Lower tariffs imply more consumption per user and also less resources for telcos to invest.
What is the way to resolve this issue?
Installation of in-building solutions can offer customers some relief from the disruption caused by call drops. Last-mile telecom infrastructure needs to be erected to ensure people get faster connectivity in their high-rise complexes. Unlike developed nations, in India there is heavy dependence on wireless networks. India must invest in creating a robust optical fibre network to carry more traffic. A few operators have also launched voice-over-WiFi calling that users can activate on high-end smartphones.
About Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
Source: Livemint
India is now ranked 38th out of 139 nations in the Logistic Performance Index (LPI) 2023 of the World Bank. From its previous rankings of 44th in 2018 and 54th in 2014, this is a notable improvement. Earlier, the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) Report 2022 was published by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. About Logi
Airports discovered more than 63% of this illegal gold. The Department of Revenue Intelligence recently conducted the Golden Dawn Operation across India, seizing 101.7 kg of illegal gold valued at Rs 51 crore. Despite the fact that India receives a legal import of about 800-1,000 tonnes of gold each year, the illicit market is thought to be
Both parties expressed satisfaction with the ongoing bilateral defence cooperation at the 8th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue, which was held in Bangkok, Thailand. Cultural ties and mutual cooperation that have been shaped by thousands of years of lasting historical and cultural ties characterise India and Thailand relations. Highlight
The Kerala government's appeal of the order of the Kerala High Court is rejected by the Supreme Court. The Kerala government's appeal against the Kerala High Court's directive to move Arikomban (Wild Elephant), the "rice tusker" of Munnar, to the Parambikulam tiger reserve was recently dismissed by the Supreme Court.
Global Buddhist Summit In order to improve diplomatic and cultural ties with other nations, the Ministry of Culture recently organised the First Global Buddhist Summit 2023 in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC). About the summit "Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis" is
Our Popular Courses
Module wise Prelims Batches
Mains Batches
Test Series
Copyright© Aspire IAS Academy. All rights reserved. Powered by CLT Technologies & Edu-Publishers Private Limited.