TRAI should not be setting stringent Quality of Service (QoS) norms since it is “irrelevant in the Indian scenario”, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), a telecom lobbying group said in a response (pdf) to a recent consultation paper on QoS norms for telecom networks. To support this argument, COAI said that “market forces and consumer empowerment” would lead telcos to maintain “acceptable QoS in order to retain and grow their market share.” QoS parameters are minimum service delivery levels set by TRAI, which it monitors to ensure that customers get a particular experience desired by the regulator. Examples of QoS parameters include call drop rates, network availability, response time to customer for assistance, etc. More here. The COAI added that hyper-competitiveness in the telecom sector, impending entry of Virtual Network Operators, freedom of consumers to move between networks via Mobile Number Portability (MNP) makes it “irrelevant” for defining stringent QoS norms in the country. Interestingly, it also makes a reference to VoIP calling apps stating that TRAI has only sought comments from telcos regarding QoS “whereas no QoS parameters have been set so far for OTT voice communication services (VoIP)”. “Since over the last few years, the OTT voice services are being used extensively, any rule applied on cellular network should be equally applicable to the OTT services as well for a level playing field and in the spirit of ‘Same service, same Rules'," COAI added. Telecom operators oppose penalties for not meeting quality of service norms The regulator proposed fining…
