TRAI to check call drops in Delhi via 'Drive Tests'

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will start testing the service quality of voice and data offerings, including call drops, of all mobile phone operators in the capital from the middle of this month. The Independent Drive Tests (IDTs) will be spread over 18 days and are likely to be completed by mid-March, Trai said in a statement Thursday.

“Trai will start IDTs in Delhi service area including Ghaziabad, Noida, Gurugram and Faridabad cities starting mid of February,” the regulator said. Trai regularly monitors the performance of telcos against service quality norms. The regulator plans to conduct IDTs in 70 cities, mostly those with a population of more than 10 lakh, from July 2017 to June 2018.

“So far IDTs have been conducted in more than 33 cities. IDT reports of 16 of these cities have already been published... reports for the remaining 17 cities will be published shortly,” it added.


The tests will also be conducted in Jaipur, Kota, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Hissar, Ahmedabad, Agra, Meerut, Bhopal, Gwalior, Madurai, Cochin and Nashik, among others. Testing will take place along national highways and railway routes. Call drops and service quality are a burning issue in India’s telecom sector. Trai enforced a new, stricter formula in October to assess the quality of services and is expected to publish the October-December evaluation soon.