Telcos has been fooling customers by dropping calls, a disease that has been plaguing the telecom industry for quite some time now. As the number of customers increase compared to the connection points, the number of calls dropped increases.
To raise this issue with the telcos, the Government is planning to launch a single number to complain about call drops. The number ‘1955’ will be instilled specifically for customers to lodge complaints related to call drops on their network.
“Short code 1955 has been allotted for IVRS system on call drop,” a source said. All the telcos will have to abide by this and the number should be accessible on both local and STD. One would be able to dial 1955 soon and register a complaint against such regular call drops.
A report said, “State-run telecom firm MTNL has been directed to configure this short code. Telecom operators have been directed not to charge any integration, maintenance, operational fee from MTNL.” Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha will be launching this service soon.
At the time being, TRAI’s analytics portal ‘Myspeed’ can help you track call drops in a particular area and help you decide what network you want to opt for. This new number will allow you to report call drops and help TRAI’s portal become more accurate.
Because this will be a toll-free number, the Government is still working on the implementation part of it. Things like routing of the line, tariffs and accountability has still to be figured out and both the Government as well as Cellular Operators Association of India(COAI) are working towards it.
Rajan S Mathews, COAI Director General, commented, ”The response is awaited. The industry remains committed towards addressing the issue of call drops and is continuously working shoulder to shoulder with the government, enhancing both investment and infrastructure.”
Can this Single Number help?
As soon as the number goes live, it will receive a lot of calls. It is also quite possible that the line is not able to handle so many requests and it defeats the purpose. If the Government sets a body to actually look at all complaints and work on them, then it will require a lot more effort than just claiming a number for this purpose.
Above this, there is no guarantee that your issue will be resolved. If only the Government receives a lot of complaints on let say Reliance Jio, then it will take action against the Telco to provide better services. But it is not clear how the Government plans to take action on that.
The Government will be announcing the launch of this number soon, and we’re waiting eagerly for a proper implementation of this service. It has the potential to solve a large problem being faced by Indians if it is taken with seriousness.
