Telcos paid Rs 6-crore penalty to TRAI in a year

New Delhi: Telecom operators paid a total penalty of around Rs 6 crore during July 2014-June 2015 to regulator Trai for violation of service quality norms.

"Approximately a total amount of Rs 4,14,75,000 has been received so far. For the show-cause notices issued relating to Unsolicited Commercial Communications, Rs 1,78,35,500 received," Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said in its annual report today.

Trai received a maximum penalty from mobile services providers who paid Rs 3.48 crore. Fixed line service providers paid Rs 44.5 lakh, while broadband service provider paid Rs 21.75 lakh.

The regulator said it has further received 1,18,841 against show-cause notices issued on metering and billing matters.

"Around 114 show-cause notices have been issued to basic, cellular and broadband service providers and 82 orders have been issued to basic, cellular and broadband service providers for the quarter ending September 2014, December 2014, March 2015 and June 2015," Trai said.

As per penalty norms prevailing during this period for breaching service quality parameters, there was a provision of up to Rs 50,000 fine for the first violation and Rs 1 lakh for subsequent failures in case of network related quality parameters.

However, with regard to consumer-related issues the penalty was capped at Rs 50,000 for each violation.

In October 2015, Trai had amended penalty provision and made it Rs 1 lakh for the first time violation of service quality benchmark.

If telecom operators fail to meet the service quality benchmark on the same parameter, then a further penalty of up to Rs 1.5 lakh for the second violation and Rs 2 lakh thereafter.