Trai to Fix Quality of Service Benchmark for Mobile Internet

In a bid to improve the quality of data services for Indian mobile users, telecom regulator Trai on Tuesday launched an application to help consumers check real-time Internet speed on their handsets and report the same to the regulator.

(Also see: Trai's MySpeed App Is Speedtest Without Ads)

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will use the data collected from subscribers to fix new quality of service (QoS) norms for which the process will start in a month or so.

"We will start the consultation process soon to fix the quality of service benchmark for wireless data. Through the application (Trai Myspeed App), we will get real-time data from customers. This will be put on Trai Analytics Portal. It will show mobile data speed of each operator in a given area on a real-time basis," Trai Chairman R S Sharma said in New Delhi.

In 2014, Trai had issued norms under which it asked telecom operators to indicate minimum download speeds that can be provided to consumers. However, telecom operators have complained to the regulator that as per 'law of physics' they cannot ensure minimum speeds.

"Now we are saying that if you cannot provide minimum speed of data then, at least, average speed can be assured. We will discuss what can be the average criteria," Sharma said.

Pointing towards the specified norms with regard to call drops, he said, "There are no corresponding benchmark in data world which is as important as the voice world."

With the new app, consumers would be able to see data speeds and also share the information, thus bringing about "transparency" and "choice" as well as "healthy competition" in the sector.

"You promise me to take me in cab at 100 kilometres per hour and then you drive at a speed of 10 kilometre," he said.

Earlier, Trai had come down heavily on telecom service providers on the issue of call drops and asked operators to compensate customers for call drops. The Trai order was, however, quashed by the Supreme Court.