The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper proposing major amendments to the Standards of Quality of Service (QoS) Regulations, 2024, introducing stricter quality benchmarks for telecom and broadband operators. The draft focuses on improving 5G network performance, broadband quality, outage reporting, customer compensation, transparency, and regulatory compliance. Stakeholders can submit comments by August 26, 2026, with counter-comments due by September 7, 2026.
1. Mandatory Accuracy for Telecom Coverage Maps
TRAI has proposed that telecom operators maintain at least 98 percent accuracy in service-wise geospatial coverage maps published on their websites. Operators will be required to validate these maps through physical or virtual drive tests, particularly in areas where consumers have reported poor coverage.
2. New Rules for Significant Network Outages
The regulator has expanded the definition of a significant network outage. Any outage lasting more than four hours in a district or affecting more than 10 percent of subscribers in a licensed service area must be reported to TRAI within 24 hours.
3. Subscriber Compensation for Long Network Disruptions
If a significant outage continues beyond 24 hours, operators must compensate customers. Postpaid users will receive proportional rental rebates in their next bill, while prepaid users will receive an extension of their plan validity equivalent to the outage duration. Similar provisions have been proposed for broadband subscribers.
4. Tougher Broadband Speed Compliance Standards
Telecom companies will have to ensure that 100 percent of tariff plans meet declared download and upload speeds. For mobile services, the 80th percentile measured speed must equal or exceed the advertised speed for 4G and 5G plans, while broadband services will be evaluated using the 90th percentile benchmark.
5. New 5G Network Slicing and PRB Utilisation Norms
TRAI has introduced Quality of Service parameters for 5G network slicing. Operators must ensure that cells with daily Physical Resource Block (PRB) utilisation above 80 percent remain below 1 percent of the network. Service providers must also notify TRAI at least 21 days before launching new 5G network slices.
6. Silence Call Rate Added as New Voice Quality Metric
The regulator has proposed a new Silence Call Rate benchmark of 1 percent or less. Calls experiencing continuous RTP gaps of four seconds or longer will be classified as silence calls, strengthening monitoring of real-world voice quality.
7. New Broadband Reliability Metrics
For broadband providers, TRAI proposes introducing a Mean Time-To-Repair (MTTR) benchmark of 10 hours or less, along with mandatory reporting of significant broadband outages and material service degradation exceeding 20 percent below declared speeds.
8. Faster Resolution of Billing Complaints
The draft regulations reduce the timeline for resolving billing and charging complaints to one week, requiring operators to resolve 100 percent of such complaints within the specified period.
9. Introduction of Quality of Experience (QoES) Scores
TRAI plans to publish service-wise Quality of Experience Scores (QoES) for telecom operators. These scores will combine network performance, customer service quality, and consumer feedback, providing subscribers with greater transparency when comparing service providers.
10. Stronger Financial Penalties for False Reporting and Non-Compliance
The draft significantly strengthens enforcement by introducing higher financial disincentives. False compliance reports can attract penalties of up to ₹2 lakh per benchmark per compliance report for the first violation, increasing to ₹5 lakh for repeated violations and up to ₹10 lakh for subsequent offences. Additional penalties of up to ₹10 lakh have also been proposed for repeated regulatory non-compliance and delayed submission of compliance reports.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
