Many Telecom Operators Have Executed 100-Day Call Drop Plan, Says COAI

Many telecom service providers have executed the 100-day plan to tackle the call drop menace and achieved positive results, Rajan S. Mathews, Director General, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), said on Monday.

"Many of the operators have executed the 100-day plan. There is substantial reduction in call drop problem now," Mathews told IANS ahead of Communications Minister Manoj Sinha's November 1 meeting with CEOs of telecom companies to take stock of the call drop issue.

"But problems still remain in some areas, like Lutyens' Delhi, South Delhi and some other places," he added.

Earlier, Telecom Secretary J.S. Deepak said the sectoral regulator - Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) - has informed that there has been a substantial improvement in the call drop situation.

"We had a meeting in June, they (telecom service providers) gave us a 100-day plan. There has been, we believe, from TRAI figures lot of improvement in call drops. There were 54 networks which were not performing up to the standard in December 2015, and now it is down to only 19," Deepak added.

The telecom companies had given a 100-day roadmap to the government in June to improve the call drop situation.

"They assured us that the target for the 100-day programme, as committed to the (telecom) secretary, will be met. They indicated that from the beginning of June 10 (when the 100-day programme started), there will be addition of around 60,000 BTS (base transceiver station) in 100 days across the country, out of which 48,000 have been installed in the first 45 days," Manoj Sinha said on July 25.

The service providers have committed an investment of Rs. 12,000 crores for installing 60,000 BTS to address the situation by arresting call drops.