The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is set to crack down on erring private and state-owned basic telecom operators.
The sector regulator has appointed a leading research agency to conduct a survey on quality of services offered by basic operators.
A senior Trai official said, "The regulator has roped in a research agency to assess the quality of services offered by basic operators as it has received complains from consumers."
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The agency will collate information from a number of short-distance charging areas (DCAs) thereby assessing the quality of services offered by basic operators, service obligations and complaints from users.
"A team of people from the agency soon will be visiting telephone users in rural, urban and metro areas to collect information about the service rendered by respective telecom companies. The information includes details on grade of services, delays, defaults and faulty calls," a senior Trai official said.
Trai would also engage the services of a few consumer associations numbering around 10 across the country. The main idea behind the move is to maintain the quality of service from all telecom companies.
Based on the information from the independent agency, Trai would suggest punitive actions against the erring companies.
"This could include penalties and warnings on such companies irrespective of their ownership. As per the Trai guidelines, we have enough powers to regulate basic operators," the official said.
Private basic operators like the Bharti group, Hughes Tele.com, Reliance and state-run firms such as Bharat Sanchar Nigam and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam will come under the scrutiny of Trai.
"However, the benchmark for the survey will vary from companies to companies," said the official. They would approach telephone users in around 10 per cent of the 2,645 DCAs in the first 12 months.
In rural areas, the independent agency will send people directly to collate information, 25 per cent of the survey will be conducted through letter or telephony method, with the balance via direct method.
This is for the first time Trai is taking this kind of action in order to gauge the situation though it has been receiving complaints from telephone users across the country.
"We have already received complaints from retail and corporate users against certain firms. We would like to regulate their services," the official added.