Trai moves to ensure broadband speed

The regulator has fixed a minimum ‘contention ratio number’ of users who can share the same bandwidth.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) today issued guidelines to ensure that internet service providers and telecom operators provide the minimum required broadband speed to their customers.

However, many fear that the move will increase the broadband tariffs as operators will have to buy more bandwidth to maintain the new norms.
The regulator has fixed a minimum ‘contention ratio number’ of users who can share the same bandwidth to ensure that customers get better and higher broadband speeds. Earlier, there was no such restriction on operators and they were offering service at a contention ratio of 1:80 to 1:100 (which means the same bandwidth would be used by 80 to 100 customers). Under the new guidelines, the contention ratio for broadband at home has been fixed at 1:50 and for business at 1:30.

A senior executive of a leading ISP said: “It will be good for customers, but operators may have to buy more bandwidth and therefore the tariffs for broadband will go up. Also, even at the existing ratio consumers will not get more than 64 kbps speeds.”

In pursuance of its regulation on ‘Quality of Service of Broadband Services’ in October 2006, the regulator had issued a consultation paper on the bandwidth required for ISPs for better connectivity and improved quality of service.

In its guidelines, Trai said, “There have been complaints from the subscribers regarding inadequate broadband speed being provided by the ISPs. Most of the complaints allege that the available broadband speed is lower than the subscribed speed.”

Trai further said that though the existing regulations stipulated parameters for speed of connection and bandwidth utilisation, monitoring these was difficult. In such a scenario, it was important to enhance subscriber education and awareness for better understanding of internet services, it added.

BSNL already provide contention ratio of 1:50 on its 2 Mbps lines for home users... Good that other ISPs will have to follow suit...

But price shouldn't increase... Thats not welcome!

TRAI issues guidelines for better Internet/ broadband service

The salient features of the guidelines are:

• Provide adequate information to subscribers regarding Internet/broadband services being offered and marketed as a good business practice.
  
• Provide information regarding contention ratios adopted for different services by service providers in their tariff plans submitted to TRAI, manual of practice, call centers and on their websites.
  
• Publish contention ratio for different Internet/broadband services on their website quarterly to facilitate subscribers to take informed decision.
  
• Ensure availability of minimum required bandwidth in their network according to maximum contention ratio suggested by TRAI for different services based on number of subscribers.

Guidelines for service providers providing Internet/broadband services for ensuring better quality of service.

1. All service providers, as a good business practice shall provide adequate information to subscribers regarding Internet/broadband services being offered and marketed by them. Enhanced emphasis shall be laid to transparent subscriber communication, education and awareness to facilitate better understanding.
   
2. All the service providers shall provide information regarding contention ratios† adopted by them to provide Internet/broadband service in their tariff plans submitted to TRAI, manual of practice, call centers and on their websites.
   
3. All the service providers (ISPs, UASLs, CMSPs, BSOs) shall quarterly publish contention ratio for different Internet/broadband services on their website to facilitate subscribers to take informed decision.
   
4. In order to ensure sufficient bandwidth for provisioning of good quality of service to their subscribers, all service providers (ISPs, UASLs, CMSPs, BSOs) providing Internet/broadband services are advised to use contention ratios better than listed below for different services:-
   
   Sr. No.------Service----------Max Contention Ratio for Home Users
   1------------Dailup---------------------------1:70
   2----------Broadband-------------------------1:50
   3------High Broadband Service-----------1--:1 to 1:4
   4----------Leased Line-------------------------N/A
   
   
5. 5. All service providers (ISPs, UASLs, CMSPs, BSOs) shall ensure availability of minimum bandwidth in their network according to maximum contention ratio suggested in para 4 for different services based on number of subscribers.

Source: TRAI