Direction on Timely Submission of Data for Quality of Service Audit

Dated: 24th October 2024

DIRECTION

Subject: Direction under section 13, read with sub-clauses (i) and (v) of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 11, of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 (24 of 1997) and the Standards of Quality of Service of Access (Wireline and Wireless) and Broadband (Wireline and Wireless) Service Regulations, 2024 (06 of 2024) dated 02nd August 2024, regarding timely submission of data for audit.

F. No. AU-4/2/7(2)/2024-QoS ---- Whereas the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (hereinafter referred to as “the Authority”), established under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 (24 of 1997) (hereinafter referred to as “TRAI Act”), has been entrusted with discharge of certain functions, inter alia, to regulate the telecommunication services; ensure compliance of terms and conditions of license; ensure technical compatibility and effective inter-connection between different service providers; lay-down the standards of quality of service to be provided by the service providers and ensure the quality of service and conduct the periodical survey of such services provided by the service providers so as to protect the interest of the consumers of telecommunication service;

2. And whereas the Authority, in exercise of the powers conferred upon it under section 36, read with sub-clauses (i) and (v) of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 11, of the TRAI Act, made the Standards of Quality of Service of Access (Wireline and Wireless) and Broadband (Wireline and Wireless) Service Regulations, 2024 (06 of 2024) dated the 2nd August 2024 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the regulations’), which have come into force with effect from 1st October 2024;

3. And whereas regulation 12 of the regulations provides for record keeping by the service providers and sub-regulation (2) of the said regulation reads as under: -

“(2) Every service provider shall maintain complete and accurate records of raw or primary and processed data relating to the compliance of benchmark of each QoS parameters specified in regulations 4, regulation 6, regulation 7, regulation 9 and regulation 10, as applicable, in electronic form in such manner, period and format as may be directed by the Authority, from time to time.”;

4. And whereas regulation 13 of the regulations provides for reporting by the service providers and the said regulation reads as under: -

“13. Reporting.─ (1) Every service provider shall create or upgrade their system within six months of notification of these regulations for collection of primary data, its storage, processing, performance report generation and their online submission to the Authority, in respect of each QoS parameters specified under regulation 4, regulation 6, regulation 7, regulation 9 and regulation 10 in such manner and format, at such intervals and within such time limit as may be specified by the Authority, from time to time, by an order or direction.

(2) Every service provider shall establish a system for live monitoring of network availability and report to the Authority in such manner, format and frequency as may be specified by the Authority by an order or direction.

(3) The benchmark of each QoS parameters specified in sub-regulation (1) shall be measured, reported, and complied at license or authorised Service Area level, as may be specified by the Authority, from time to time, by an order or direction:

Provided that the Authority may, from time to time, by an order or direction, specify certain QoS parameters to be measured and reported to the Authority for specific States or Union Territories or districts for a specific purpose and period.”;

5. And whereas regulation 14 of the regulations provides for audit to verify the performance reported by the service providers to the Authority under regulation 13 and the said regulation reads as under: -

“14. Audit. – (1) The Authority may, from time to time, through audit conducted either by its own officers or employees or through an agency appointed by it, verify the performance against the Quality of Service parameters, specified in regulation 4, regulation 6, regulation 7, regulation 9 and regulation 10, as reported to the Authority under regulation 13 by the service provider.”;

6. And whereas the Authority has been conducting the audit of QoS performance, as reported by the service providers, through its own officers or employees or through an agency appointed by the Authority.

7. And whereas it has come to the notice of the Authority that some service providers have either delayed provision of data or provided partial data to the audit agency during the past quarters;

8. Now, therefore, the Authority, in exercise of the powers conferred upon it under section 13, read with sub-clauses (i) and (v) of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 11, of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 (24 of 1997), hereby directs all service providers providing access service (wireless) under a license or Authorisation under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, to -

(i) submit to the Authority or the officers or employees of the Authority or the audit agency appointed by the Authority, the required data for the purpose of audit, as per the format specified at Annexure-I to this Direction, on monthly basis, within a period of ten (10) days of the end of each month.

(ii) facilitate and provide access for downloading of the live QoS performance data from relevant counters or alarm etc., against the specified QoS parameters, by the audit agency or the officers or employees of the Authority, for three consecutive days in a month, or quarter, as required; and

(iii) strictly follow the guidelines as specified at Annexure-II to this Direction while providing the data for the purpose of audit under the provisions of regulation 14 of the regulations.

9. This Direction shall come into force with immediate effect.

Signed by Tejpal Singh Date: 24-10-2024 12:14:53

Advisor (QoS-I)

Enclosures: As above

To, All Service Providers having:

1. Unified Access Service License and providing Access Service (Wireless);
2. Unified License with authorization for Access Service (Wireless);
3. Authorization under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 for providing Access Service (Wireless).

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Annexure-I

Data for audit of Performance Monitoring Report (PMR) of Access (wireless) service

Basic Details

Network summary at the end of the reporting month

Cell Master

Cell Wise Downtime