Telecom players Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea recently raised their tariffs by 10–25% with promises of improved connectivity. However, 89% of subscribers polled in a survey by LocalCircles reported call connection and drop difficulties, with 38% experiencing this in over 20% of their calls.
The report also found that one in every three people made Wi-Fi calls over platforms such as WhatsApp on a regular basis.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said in a statement in August 2023 that complaints regarding dropped calls and other network-related problems had increased since the introduction of 5G services, LocalCircles reported.
TRAI reportedly expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of expected increases in customer experience quality, despite technological advancements in performance management tools and mobile telecommunications.
Survey Demographics
The survey received over 32,000 responses from citizens located in 362 districts of India.
64% respondents were men while 36% respondents were women.
44% respondents were from Tier 1 cities.
33% respondents were from Tier 2 cities.
23% respondents were from Tier 3, 4 and rural districts.
Mobile Subscribers Question Higher Tariffs As Call Issues Persist
According to reports on various social media platforms, call drop and mobile connection problems are prevalent not only in rural areas but also in major metropolitan cities.
The survey posed the question, "In the last three months, approximately what percent of your mobile phone calls have had connection or call drop issues?"
17% answered "over 50% of the calls"
21% answered "20-50% of the calls"
34% answered "10-20% of the calls"
17% answered "0-10% of the calls"
The data shows that 89% of subscribers face call connection and drop issues, with 38% experiencing these issues in over 20% of their calls.
Despite a slight decrease from 9% in September 2022 to 7% this year in those reporting no issues, the overall data suggests a small improvement in call connection and call drop situations over the past two years.
One In Three Are Turning To Wi-Fi Calls
The report also found that one in three citizens are regularly making Wi-Fi calls through platforms like WhatsApp, Apple's FaceTime, and Skype due to call connectivity and drop issues.
The survey found -
14% make calls using cellular data or Wi-Fi connections over 50% of the time.
18% use them 20-50% of the time.
18% use them 10-20% of the time.
41% use them less than 10% of the time.
The recent survey found that as compared to 2022, there is an overall increase in the percentage of those forced to use Wi-Fi or data to make calls.
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