Call drops: DoT to carry out special audit of telcos

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 31

Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has reiterated that the DoT will undertake special audit of all mobile operators to assess the coverage and quality of service in metro cities to assess the gravity of problem to call drops.

Having already made this announcement earlier this month, Prasad in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha said, "The TERM cells (field unit of DoT) have been asked to take up the special audit to assess the coverage/quality of service in metro/capital cities of all mobile operators network in order to assess the gravity of problem of call drops".

The reply from the minister comes a day after industry body Assocham came out in support of telecom operators on the issue of call drops.

Prasad said the main reasons behind call drops were poor radio coverage, radio interference due to unauthorised use of repeaters or Wi-Max frequencies at international borders, loading of available spectrum, inadequate investment in network and change in pattern of traffic.

Telecom Secretary Rakesh Garg undertook a meeting with mobile operators in April to review the issues related to quality of service in telecom networks across the country.