Virgin mobile tops user satisfaction in 2008: TRAI

New Delhi, Jan 16: Only 5 out of 11 telecom operators have achieved 90 per cent of quality service benchmark set by telecom watchdog, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) a survey release said on Friday, Jan 16.

Country's largest private operator Airtel has failed to meet the benchmark of 90 per cent that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has set for quality of service.

"Virgin Mobile topped user satisfaction in 2008 while players like Airtel, BPL, Idea, state-run Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) and Spice fell short of the benchmark set by telecom watchdog TRAI," said the survey conducted by CyberMedia group's flagship communications industry monthly Voice&Data in association with JuxtConsult, an online research firm.

State-owned operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Vodafone jostled for the second spot with scores of 91.96 percent and 91.97 percent respectively, the survey said.

The two other players to cross the TRAI benchmark of 90 percent are Reliance Communications and Tata Indicom.

Last year's top scorer Aircel slipped from 92.23 percent to 85.44 percent, according to the results released in Voice&Data's January issue.

"A side-effect of the scorching pace of growth of the mobile phones in India is the rapid drop in quality of service. Five major players - Airtel, BPL, Idea, MTNL and Spice - have yet to touch their previous best score achieved in 2005. This is a cause for major concern," CyberMedia's chief editor Prasanto K Roy said.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)