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With the aim of ensuring quality data services to consumers, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released its draft regulations on the ?Standards of Quality of Service for Mobile Data Services Regulations, 2012.?

These are aimed at creating conditions for customer satisfaction by making known the quality of service (QoS) which the service provider is required to provide and the user has a right to expect. Also, the idea is to measure the quality of service provided by the operator and to compare them with existing norms so as to assess the level of performance; and to protect the interests of consumers.

Prior to this, the regulator had framed the ?Quality of Services of Broadband Service Regulations, 2000? in October, 2006. These regulations set benchmarks for the various QoS parameters for broadband services provided through wireline connections.

Now, with 3G and BWA services being rapidly rolled out across the country, the mobile user base is set to witness tremendous growth, compared to the wireline internet space.

Currently, though, no QoS parameters exist or this space. In this context, therefore, TRAI has framed these guidelines with an eye on protecting consumer interests.

Stakeholders are expected to furnish their written comments on the draft regulations by July 25, 2012.

The QoS parameters include:

Service activation/ provisioning:

This refers to the process of activation of these services and involves programming various network databases with the customer’s information.  

Successful data download attempts:

?Successful data download attempts? is defined as the ratio of successful data downloads to the total number of data download attempts in a specified time period. A data transmission is successful if a test file is downloaded completely and with no errors. 

Successful data upload attempts:

The term ?successful data upload attempts is defined as the ratio of successful data uploads to the total number of data upload attempts in a specified time period. A data upload is successful if a test file is uploaded completely and with no errors.

Minimum download speed:

The download speed is defined as the data transmission rate that is achieved separately for downloading a specified test file from a test server to a user’s device. This parameter is to be measured and reported to TRAI for all mobile data services or technologies.

Average Throughput for Packet data:

It is defined as the average rate at which packets are transmitted in a network. The service providers need to constantly upgrade their network to meet the average throughput benchmark. The service provider will advertise the throughput being offered to its customers as per their category or plan.

Percentage of Node B/ BTS carrying less than 80 per cent of the average throughput in a license service area:

The throughput available to a customer will depend on the number of users served by a BTS/Node B. In case the number of users is more, the throughput may be less. In many cases the throughput is affected due to limitations in the backhaul. The operators may have to augment this to maintain a certain level of throughput.

It is necessary to measure the average throughput during the ?time consistent busy hour? for Node B/ BTS in the licensed service area. The average throughput for Node B/ BTS can be averaged over a period of one month and subsequently average throughput per Node B for the licensed service area for a month period may be calculated.

Latency:

Latency is the amount of time taken by a packet to reach its destination after being transmitted. This time period is termed the “end-to-end delay” occurring along the transmission path.

Packet Data Protocol (PDP) Context Activation Success Rate:

A PDP context specifies access to an external packet-switching network. The successful PDP context activation is defined as the ratio of successful PDP context activation to the total number of PDP context activation attempts in a specified time period.

Drop Rate:

It measures the inability of the network to maintain a connection and is defined as the ratio of unusual disconnects with respect to all disconnects (both normal and otherwise). An unusual disconnect may take place owing to failures in the radio link, downlink or uplink interference, patchy coverage, unsuccessful handovers, etc.

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