DoT working on new policy framework to monitor consumer services in 2014

Consumers can look forward to better telecom services next year with the government aiming to firm up new guidelines in 2014 to boost the existing system of monitoring services provided by operators.

"I think to the extent government can create policy framework for effective monitoring of customer services, we will certainly be working on providing that policy framework in 2014," Telecom Secretary MF Farooqui told PTI in an interview.

While the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India monitors the services provided to consumers, users often come across various problems in getting their grievances addressed properly, including those related to false billing.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is working on to implement a new helpline number 1037 which will be an additional option for consumers to register their complaints.

At present, a subscriber needs to call customer care centre of the service provider to register a complaint.

Customers can go to nodal officers and finally to the appellate authority in case they are unsatisfied.

More often than not subscribers fail to get satisfactory resolution of the their grievances, according to experts.

A ruling of the Supreme Court in 2009 had held that section 7B of the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885 barred a consumer from seeking remedy under the consumer act.

The complaint thus remained limited between the subscriber and the telecom company.

The National Telecom Policy 2012 mentions changes in existing rules to "bring disputes between telecom consumers and service providers within the jurisdiction of Consumer Forums established under Consumer Protection Act."

The Telecom Secretary said NTP 2012 is a long term policy and the department is gradually working to implement the objective and the strategies mentioned in the policy.

Telecom regulator TRAI imposed cumulative penalty of Rs. 50 lakhs on nine mobile operators for failing to meet quality of service benchmarks in the second quarter ended June 2013, official sources have said.