Despite having access to advanced 4G and 5G networks provided by telecom service providers, Indian consumers continue to experience quality issues in their mobile communication. According to the latest survey by LocalCircles, a whopping 89% of mobile subscribers in India have faced call connection or drop issues in the last three months.
What’s surprising is that poor network connectivity or call drop issues are not just an occasional annoyance; they occur quite frequently. Out of 10,925 people surveyed, 38% experienced these problems in over 20% of their phone calls. This figure appears to be quite concerning for mobile users, considering Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea have recently increased tariffs by 12%-25%.
Amidst the ongoing concerns raised by mobile subscribers in India, LocalCircles conducted a survey between March and June 2024 to examine how often users have needed to rely on data services for making calls. The survey collected responses from over 32,000 individuals across 362 districts in the country. A notable 44% of respondents were from tier 1, 33% from tier 2, and 23% from tier 3, 4, and rural districts.
Increasing Reliance on Mobile Data/Wi-Fi for Calls
Facing unreliable traditional mobile networks, a significant percentage of surveyed Indians have turned to their mobile data/Wi-Fi to make calls. These calls were primarily made through Over-the-Top (OTT) communication applications like WhatsApp, Facetime, and Skype.
Out of 10,764 responses, one in three citizens reported regularly resorting to Wi-Fi calls via OTT communication apps due to endless issues with call connectivity and drops. Additionally, 14% of respondents rely on data/Wi-Fi connections for more than 50% of their calls, while 18% do so between 20% and 50% of the time.
However, using mobile data or Wi-Fi to make calls doesn’t appear to be a big concern for Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, given that these three are not just India’s top telephone service providers but also broadband service providers. With approximately 77.7% of India’s telephone subscribers now having broadband access, these providers are primarily focused on delivering high-speed internet access to a vast user base of 935.13 million subscribers nationwide. A majority of these subscribers use their mobile or Wi-Fi connections not only for voice calls but also for streaming content, downloading files, and gaming and video conferencing.
Frequency of Call Drops
The survey also delves into the frequency of call drops during bad connections. When asked 10,670 individuals, “While talking on mobile when you have a bad connection, how long does it generally take before the call drops?”:
- 41% responded, “It drops after 0-30 seconds of bad connection”.
- 27% experienced drops after struggling with a bad connection for 30-60 seconds.
- 23% reported call drops after a bad connection for a minute or more.
A Growing Concern for Jio, Airtel
India has over 1.2 billion telephone subscribers, according to TRAI’s May 2024 report. Despite slight improvements over the past two years, the overall quality of call connections remains a pressing concern for telecom service providers in India.
This prompts the question: why haven’t technological advancements translated into a better mobile network experience?
Even though the rollout of 5G infrastructure is progressing in India, essential infrastructure upgrades like cell tower enhancements and network densification may not be keeping pace. This gap could result in congestion and dropped calls, even in areas with advanced technology. Additionally, the allocation of radio frequency spectrum, vital for efficient mobile network operations, may be uneven or limited, further limiting network capacity and potentially contributing to call drops.
According to OpenSignal, 5G download speed dropped from 304 Mbps in Q1 2023 to 280.7 Mbps in Q4 2023. This is mainly due to India’s increased 5G data consumption during the period.
The LocalCircles survey underscores the urgent need for greater accountability from telecom operators, particularly after the recent tariff increases. Consumers rightfully expect improved service quality, especially given the higher costs they now bear. Investing in network infrastructure improvements to ensure reliable call service is the need of the hour.