PETALING JAYA: Four local telecommunications companies (telcos) have been fined a total of RM1.2mil over an unsatisfactory number of dropped calls experienced by customers.
According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), 28 compounds totalling RM1.2mil have been served on Maxis Mobile Services Sdn Bhd, Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi Telecommunications and U-Mobile Sdn Bhd following tests conducted between July and September last year.
Celcom was fined RM310,000 through seven compounds, DiGi RM480,000 through 11 compounds, Maxis RM360,000 through nine compounds, and U Mobile RM50,000 through a single compound.
“We stepped up the Extensive End-Point Service Availability Testing (Eesat) in 2013 due to the numerous complaints and from the public regarding dropped calls early last year,” said MCMC chairman Datuk Mohamed Shahril Tarmizi yesterday.
He said MCMC met with the respective telcos’ chief executives and told them to improve their quality of service or risk stern action if they did not comply.
A total of 120 compliance measurements were conducted across the country, with compounds served to telcos that show dropped call rates greater than 3%.
Testing during the third quarter of 2013 revealed that Maxis had the highest dropped call rate, recording 8.6% in Pendang, Kedah.
DiGi came in second and third with 8% and 7.78% in Laluan Jalan Utama from Tuaran to Kudat, and Laluan Jalan Utama from Membakut to Keningau, both in Sabah, respectively. Shahril said there were 24 complaints over dropped calls in that period last year, compared to 16 complaints recorded in the first quarter this year.