Telecom services providers (TSPs) remain committed to engaging constructively with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on quality of service (QoS)-related matters, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said on Sunday.

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TSPs have consistently invested in enhancing QoS through significant improvements in network infrastructure, resulting in greater stability and reliability.

Moreover, said the COAI, major initiatives are underway to fiberise towers across India, which is a crucial step for the efficient deployment of 5G services.

“While TRAI has tightened the QoS benchmarks over the years, the ground realities remain unchanged. TSPs still grapple with Right of Way (RoW) issues when acquiring permissions for infrastructure deployment in public and private land for the installation of cell towers and fiber-optic cables,” said Lt. Gen. Dr S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI.

According to the leading industry body, the situation is further aggravated due to the additional requirement of street furniture for the 5G networks.

Moreover, interference from various sources, such as other wireless devices and electromagnetic interference, degrade signal quality and network performance, the COAI informed.

“Further, illegal boosters and repeaters used by unauthorised agents, as well as the cases of theft of equipment are also external factors which, nevertheless, impact the QoS,” Kochhar noted, adding that TSPs have limited control over these external sources which adversely impact the Quality of Services.

There has been a substantial rise in theft of active telecommunications equipment in the country, which is being sold on various websites.

Despite these challenges, TSPs have consistently met TRAI's QoS benchmarks.

“The industry expresses concern over the proposed regulations, which not only tighten benchmarks but also shift from quarterly to monthly reporting and site to cell level reporting in many cases,” said the COAI.

According to Kochhar, the QoS parameters prescribed in the new regulations have not been introduced by any other regulator in other similar economies.

“Our member organisations will continue to strive for excellence in service quality while advocating for regulations that recognise the practical challenges faced by our industry,” Kochhar added.