National
Call drops due to telecos’ lack of investment in network infrastructure: TRAI
New Delhi:The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that call drops are a likely result of “lack of investment” by telecom companies in network infrastructure like mobile towers.
A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath was told that the petitioners (telecom firms) “have failed to keep the investments commensurate with the pace of increase in usage and the growth in number of subscribers being added by them”
The court was hearing a plea of telecom operators for a stay on TRAI’s compensation policy for call drops, under which a rupee will be credited to the mobile users’ account for every call drop (restricted to three per day) starting January 1, 2016.
Companies had termed TRAI’s October 16 order as contradictory and destructive and sought its quashing.
TRAI refuted the claim of the telecom firms that they would incur huge losses if the compensation rule was implemented
“The total financial implication on service providers was likely to be not more than Rs.800 crore per annum” which would be 0.75 per cent of their Adjusted Gross Revenue of Rs.1,38,566 crores for the year 2014-15, it said.
“The investment made in the infrastructure (other than radio spectrum) in wireless access service segment rose by only 4.6 percent from Rs.2,02,399 crore in the financial year 2012-2013 to Rs.2,11,691 crore in the financial y ear 2013-2014,” the affidavit said.
“During this period the minutes of usage (MOU) grew by 6.8 percent and the data usage grew by more than 100 percent. Clearly, the investment has not kept pace with the usage,” it added.
TRAI said it cannot permit telecom firms to “ignore the quality of service of voice calls, which continues to be the primary service for the telecom consumers”.
It also said in its affidavit that the telcos have to compensate a consumer only when the call originates from its network and is dropped within its network.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.