(1) In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) “Act” means the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997(24 of 1997);
(b) “Authority” means the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India established under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Act;
(c) “Cell” means the radio frequency coverage area of a site in radio access network which is part of a cellular mobile telephone network and-
(i) in case it is an omni-site, it is synonymous with the site; and
(ii) at a sectored site, it is synonymous with the sector;
(d) “Cellular Mobile Telephone Service”- (i) means telecommunication service provided by means of a telecommunication system for the conveyance of messages through the agency of wireless telegraphy where every message that is conveyed thereby has been, or is to be, conveyed by means of a telecommunication system which is designed or adapted to be capable of being used while in motion;
(ii) refers to transmission of voice or non-voice messages over Licensee’s Network in real time only but service does not cover broadcasting of any messages, voice or non-voice, however, Cell Broadcast is permitted only to the subscribers of the service;
(iii) in respect of which the subscriber (all types, pre-paid as well as post-paid) has to be registered and authenticated at the network point of registration and approved numbering plan shall be applicable;
(iv) includes access service provided through Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technologies and any other technologies permitted under the licence agreements for the Cellular Mobile Telephone Service and the Unified Access Service;
(e) “consumer” means a consumer of a service provider falling in subregulation (3) of regulation 1 and includes its customer and subscriber;
(f) “latency” means the time taken by a packet to reach the receiving endpoint after being transmitted from the sending point;
(g) “licence” means a licence granted or having effect as if granted under section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (13 of 1885) or the provisions of the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933 (17 of 1933);
(h) “licensee” means any person licensed under sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (13 of 1885) for providing specified public telecommunication services;
(i) “message” shall have the same meaning assigned to it in clause (3) of section 3 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (13 of 1885);
(j) “Packet Data Protocol context” or “PDP context” means access to an external packet-switching network which contains information such as the type of packet-switching network, the Mobile Station PDP address (IP address), the reference of Gateway GPRS Support Node and the requested quality of service;
(k) “Quality of Service” is the main indicator of the performance of a telecommunication network and of the degree to which such network conforms to the standards of such quality of service as specified in these regulations for specified parameters;
(l) “Radio Access Bearer” or “RAB” means a service provided by the Access Stratum to the Non-Access Stratum for the transfer of user data between the user equipment and the Core Network;
(m) “Radio interface” means the interface between user equipment and the Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network access point which encompasses all the functionality required to maintain such interfaces;
(n) “Radio Resource Control” or “RRC” means a sub layer of radio interface Layer 3 existing in the control plane which provides information transfer service to the Non-Access Stratum and is responsible for controlling the configuration of radio interface Layers 1 and 2;
(o) “regulations” means the Standards of Quality of Service for Wireless Data Services Regulations, 2012;
(p) “service provider” means any service provider to which these regulations apply;
(q) “telecommunication services” means service of any description (including electronic mail, voice mail, data services, audio-tex services, video-tex services, radio paging and cellular mobile telephone services) which is made available to users by means of any transmission or reception of signs, signals, writing images, and sounds or intelligence of any nature, by wire, radio, visual or other electro- magnetic means but shall not include broadcasting services;
(r) “throughput” means an amount of user information transferred in a network within a defined time period;
(s) “Time Consistent Busy Hour” or “TCBH” means the one hour period starting at the same time each day for which the average traffic of the resource group concerned is greatest over the days under consideration and such Time Consistent Busy Hour shall be established on the basis of analysis of traffic data for a period of ninety days;
(t) “Unified Access Services”-
(i) means telecommunication service provided by means of a telecommunication system for the conveyance of messages through the agency of wired or wireless telegraphy;
(ii) refers to transmission of voice or non-voice messages over Licensee’s Network in real time only but service does not cover broadcasting of any messages, voice or non-voice, except, Cell Broadcast which is permitted only to the subscribers of the service;
(iii) in respect of which the subscriber (all types, pre-paid as well as post-paid) has to be registered and authenticated at the network point of registration and approved numbering plan shall be applicable;
(2) all other words and expressions used in these regulations but not defined, and defined in the Act and the rules and other regulations made thereunder, shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Act or the rules or the regulations, as the case may be.
SECTION II QUALITY OF SERVICE PARAMETERS FOR WIRELESS DATA SERVICES