Prime Minister Narendra Modi has voiced serious concern over call drops and directed officials to resolve the problem urgently as it affects the common man. Reviewing the progress of digital infrastructure, rural infrastructure and connectivity sectors, the Prime Minister asked the officials to ensure that call drop should not extend to data connectivity. <br/><br/>During the meeting, the Prime Minister pushed for ensuring the implementation of a proposal to electrify all villages of the country within 1,000 days. He had made this announcement in his Independence Day address this year. He also directed concerned departments to monitor the progress on real-time basis. <br/><br/>Narendra Modi also directed officials to explore the possibility of leveraging existing resources, including railway and other communication infrastructure, to provide mobile connectivity in remote areas. The Prime Minister said that adequate funds are now being provided for infrastructure creation and it is on concerned Ministries to ensure optimum results form the outlays.<br/><br/>Communications and Information Technology Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad today asked telecom operators to optimise their networks to curb call drops. Addressing South Asian Telecom Regulation Council conference at Greater Noida, Mr Prasad said the government will take all necessary steps on policy front but at the same time the telecoms operators cannot run away from their accountability. The problem of frequent call drops has worsened in the recent months. Telecom operators have cited shutting down of mobile towers and lack of spectrum as the major reasons for call drops. <br/><br/>Speaking at the same event, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, TRAI Chairman R S Sharma said a consultation paper on call drops will be issued in a fortnight for comments by all stakeholders . Regarding a disincentive mechanism for call drops, Sharma said the regulator is looking at it and it is also examining various tariff plans of the operators.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has voiced serious concern over call drops and directed officials to resolve the problem urgently as it affects the common man. Reviewing the progress of digital infrastructure, rural infrastructure and connectivity sectors, the Prime Minister asked the officials to ensure that call drop should not extend to data connectivity. <br/><br/>During the meeting, the Prime Minister pushed for ensuring the implementation of a proposal to electrify all villages of the country within 1,000 days. He had made this announcement in his Independence Day address this year. He also directed concerned departments to monitor the progress on real-time basis. <br/><br/>Narendra Modi also directed officials to explore the possibility of leveraging existing resources, including railway and other communication infrastructure, to provide mobile connectivity in remote areas. The Prime Minister said that adequate funds are now being provided for infrastructure creation and it is on concerned Ministries to ensure optimum results form the outlays.