One of the ways to address call drop is to seek alternate methods like OTT. Telcos should forgo conventions and come forward to build constructive partnerships with OTT providers.
With over 952 million mobile subscribers and a gargantuan 319 million and above untapped, India has been one of the hottest destinations for telecom investment. Despite the several challenges the industry faces today, we see there is no cutback in the investment in this sector; there is no decline in ARPU among major telcos either. However, contrary to the expectation of the users, there is sharp decline in the Quality of Service (QoS), especially in terms of connectivity and customer experience. Customers continue to bear the brunt as operators and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) continue their blame game over what causes call drops in India.
The real issue for call drops in India is lack of infrastructure, for which both service providers and the government are responsible. While operators cry there is lack of spectrum to deliver the service, government warns them to improve the existing infrastructure, else face dare consequences. Concerns over mobile tower radiation pose another major obstacle for operators who are willing to invest in their infrastructure in order to boost service quality.
While the public eagerly waits for the implementation of TRAI's "service quality benchmarks," operator community has expressed strong contention citing lack of robust telecom policies to address the current mess. The hue and cry over providing infrastructure status for telecom has fallen on deaf years. Operators face several obstacles including objections from individuals and RWAs while setting up cell towers. Lack of a single-window clearance system for erecting a mobile tower causes the delay, they argue.
Telcos should breach norms to address the issue
Is imposing penalty a permanent solution to address this issue? No. Unless the industry takes up the challenge upfront and initiates a massive campaign to create awareness and seek support from both the government and the public to find out alternate ways, the issue is not going to settle anytime soon. Operators, public, government bodies as well as industry associations like COAI should join hands to find a viable alternative to the current methods of service delivery.
A ray of hope for the industry that is grappling with infrastructure challenges comes from mobile technologies. Alternate telecom technologies are redefining the communications, setting new standards of call quality and costs for incumbent telcos. Emergence of Over-The-Top (OTT) services such as WhatsApp and Nimbuzz has, to an extent, helped offload mobile traffic from traditional networks, offering cheap calling, including international calling, to mobile users.
All these years, operator community in India has viewed OTT as a threat to their service. However, the trend is changing globally. Most global operators, after realising that OTT could emerge as a threat to their service, is choosing to partner with OTT providers to gain a share of their service delivered through the operator. In a rapidly evolving telecom markets like India, such partnerships could foster the growth of revolutionary business models beneficial to both parties. Worldwide more such collaborations are taking shape resulting in the merger of traditional communications products and the evolving digital services and content.
While OTT services ensure service quality, they also come with associated challenges. The overdependence of call and messaging apps like WhatsApp could bring in another set of problems including spam calls and security issues. Spammers are increasingly using mobile networks to tap potential victims. This apart, such platforms have become the common playground for telemarketers and call centers engaged in click-to-call campaigns. However, good news is that the industry ecosystem has now evolved to combat this menace. Companies like Facebook and Nimbuzz have come out with apps that help callers stop spam calls instantly. Facebook's Hello and Nimbuzz's Holaa are some of the latest innovations in spam blocking. They both include features like caller identification and caller tracking, offering a proactive approach to spam blocking.
Stop blame game, act now!
It's time the telecom industry in India accept the reality that resources are depleting but demand is soaring. The heated debates and blame games are not going to address either side of the issue. The industry should take a pragmatic approach to support the emerging needs and push it forward successfully for the generations to come. While profitability is a concern for telcos, QoS is the right of the customers. Unless the industry addresses the QoS concerns, its whole existence will be questioned in the near future. Campaigns like #NoCallDrops is a wake-up call for the industry and the government bodies. They cannot ignore that.
(Nigel Eastwood is CEO of New Call Telecom.)
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