Multiple metrics are needed to determine overall customer experience on a telecom network. Network capacity is only one metric, which, together with other metrics, gives a better picture of the health of the network

Rajan S Mathews

The Indian telecom industry fully supports transparency and the metrics, which are intended to be useful for decision-making by the government and the customer. However, at the moment, it is not clear what this requirement is intended to achieve and whether the existing information that is already being furnished by telecom operators to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is deficient and needs to be augmented.

First of all, there needs to be a clear understanding and a definition of what exactly is meant by the term “network capacity” and how this is to be “measured” and reported by telecom operators. Network capacity, as such, is quite a nebulous term and means different things for a voice-oriented network (circuit switched) and a data-oriented network (packet switched). Further, capacity is determined not at one point on the network but at multiple points—be it the Radio Access Network (RAN), core network or transport network.

Within each of these three segments of the network, there are further points of capacity. In the RAN, for example, capacity is determined at each cell site location, at the microwave backhaul point, based on the particular technology being used (2G, 3G or 4G), spectrum availability and over a defined geography.

This level of granularity is also applicable at the core and the transport levels of the network. Therefore, it is incumbent to have a clear definition of what “network capacity” means and the points and the metrics at which this is to be measured.

In fact, subscriber information—be it circle-wise or between rural and urban subscribers—is already being reported by each operator to Trai on a periodic basis and is also provided by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) to its members on a monthly basis. This information is already in the public domain and may be accessed by both customers and government agencies as desired.

Ideally, multiple metrics are required to determine the overall “customer experience” that a user may expect on a telecom network. Network capacity, howsoever defined, is only one metric, which together with all the other metrics gives a better picture of the health of the network and hence what a customer may expect to experience on a network.
Overall customer satisfaction (of which dropped calls is just one component; data speeds could be another) is the key ingredient and is aggregated over multiple dimensions.

We believe the telecom industry already provides adequate information to its customers, Trai and DoT for ensuring that both customer and government needs are being met.

The industry is happy to work with DoT, the regulator and the government to ensure that the interests of the customer are met and customer satisfaction levels are enhanced, so long as these decisions are made in a collaborative, efficient and cost-benefit-oriented manner.

The author is director general, Cellular Operators Association of India

Private service providers have to be transparent in sharing information with customers without infringing on IPR-related matters. Trai has to ensure it is mandatory for service providers to make all service-related matters public

Bejon Kumar Misra

The Indian telecom revolution started in the 1990s, when it was acknowledged that there was a need to encourage competition and empower consumers to make an informed choice based on information about service providers and services. The government allowed the entry of private service providers and Trai was set up. Its aim was to regulate telecom services, including fixation/revision of tariffs for telecom services. The objective was to create conditions for the growth of the telecom sector. As such, the consumer became king.

The sector has registered exceptional growth in the past few years. The mobile economy is growing rapidly and will contribute approximately $400 billion to India’s GDP, according to report prepared by GSMA in collaboration with BCG.

Telecom growth has been facilitated by liberal policies of the government that provide easy market access for telecom equipment and a regulatory framework for offering services at affordable prices. The deregulation of FDI norms made telecom among the fastest growing sectors and among the top-five employment opportunity generators in the country.

Who is making this happen? Obviously the government—which wants to promote ethical players and expose unethical business practices—and the Indian consumer. It is unfortunate that the vision and mission of private telecom firms got lost in the rush for undue enrichment at the cost of the consumer. Indian telecom industry lost its credibility and customer-centric culture by encouraging cartelisation and unfair trade practices.

In order to sustain growth and empower telecom consumers, DoT has proposed to Trai to get operators disclose details of their network capacity circle-wise and subscribers on the network. This is to enable consumers to understand the operators’ plans on improving quality of services or their plans for expansion to reduce system failures such as high call drops. It is an excellent idea to empower consumers with information to make an informed choice based on credible evidence on existing capacity, consumer density circle-wise and the percentage of call drops and consumer complaints on service dimensions, which are denied to consumers today.

Private service providers have to agree to transparency on sharing information with customers without infringing on IPR-related matters for conducting fair business practices. Trai has to ensure it is mandatory for service providers to make all service-related matters public. Technology allows us to capture data in terms of call drops, poor connectivity and the share of active connections. We cannot allow private telecom providers to undermine our rights as a consumer to access full information on capacity, utilisation of resources, service performance and available infrastructure to service active consumers. Trai must mandate telcos to become more transparent and accountable as per the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, which empowers consumers to seek full information about the service prior to purchase.

The author is founder trustee, Consumer Online Foundation