Norms for the quality of telecom services could tighten
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On Wednesday, Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw promised the industry that additional reforms were in the works but also emphasised that the sector would need to contribute by “substantially” raising the level of service quality.
He said that the Telecom Department would contact the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) about considerably raising the service quality parameters.
In remarks made at a gathering hosted by the Digital Infrastructure Providers Association(DIPA), Mr. Vaishnaw said, “I will be requesting the Department [Telecom Department] to send a new consultation paper to TRAI to significantly increase the quality of service parameters, almost making it 3x or 4x of what it is today.”
After a number of reforms were announced and more were planned, the Minister urged the sector, particularly telecom operators and infrastructure suppliers, to advance “full steam ahead” in enhancing the quality of services in the nation.
The Minister stated that projects must be “reciprocal” and cannot be one-sided.
The Minister expressed confidence that the 5G journey would be “exciting” and mentioned that the government had set an industry goal of 80% coverage in a “short period.”
“We are aiming for a pretty aggressive timeframe, whereas many countries needed several years to get 40–50% coverage. In a very short period of time, we should unquestionably cover at least 80%, said Mr. Vaishnaw.
He predicted that the industry would respond “very shortly” with internal calculations on coverage targets and deadlines.
The minister gave his word that the government would approach the industry as a partner. As things stand, the government has acted quickly to resolve business-related problems and streamline procedures. He emphasised impending plans for licencing reforms and legal protection for rights of way.
In addition, he made it abundantly apparent that while the government had previously implemented a wave of significant reforms in the industry, telecom service providers and infrastructure companies now needed to concentrate on and prioritise the quality of service at their end.
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