Quality Management Practices in Telecom Infrastructure

AMITY INSTITUTE OF TELECOM ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT
A DISSERTATION REPORT
ON
“QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES USED BY TELECOM
INFRASTRUCTURE ORGANIZATIONS”
[IS SUBMITTED FOR PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF
DEGREE OF MBA-TELECOM AT AMITY UNIVERSITY]
SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:
Mr. RAJEEV PATHAK PRAGY A RATAN
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR A1603713005
MBA TELECOM, AITEM MBA-TELECOM,AITEM
AMITY UNIVERSITY AMITY UNIVERSITY

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DECLARATION
I, the undersigned solemnly declare that the report of the dissertation work entitled
“Quality Management Practices Used By Telecom Infrastructure Organizations”
is based on my work carried out during the course of my study under the supervision
of Prof Mr. Rajeev Pathak my project guide. I assert that the statements made and the
conclusions drawn are the outcome of the project work. I further declare that the
report does not contain any part of any work which has been submitted here or
anywhere else.
PRAGYA RATAN
MBA TELECOM MANAGEMENT
AITEM (A1603713005)

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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the dissertation entitled ‘Quality Management Practices Used
By Telecom Infrastructure Organizations’ carried out by Pragya Ratan was under
my guidance and supervision.
To the best of my knowledge, the report embodies the work of the candidate himself,
has been duly completed and is up to the desired standard for the purpose of
submission.
The dissertation work as mentioned above is hereby recommended and forwarded for
assessment and evaluation.
Mr. RAJEEV PATHAK
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
MBA TELECOM, AITEM
AMITY UNIVERSITY

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The success of any project depends largely on the encouragement and guidelines of
many other parts from the personal efforts. I take this opportunity to express my
gratitude to the people who have been instrumental in the successful completion of
this project. I would like to show my greatest appreciation to Col. O.P Aurora, HOD ,
MBA Telecom Management. His valuable guidance has always been crucial
throughout this project.
I am also thankful to my faculty guide Mr. Rajeev Pathak who has been a constant
support throughout my project

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
i. Cover---------------------------------------------------------------------------------1
ii. Declaration--------------------------------------------------------------------------2
iii. Certificate---------------------------------------------------------------------------3
iv. Acknowledgement-----------------------------------------------------------------4
v. Table of contents-------------------------------------------------------------------5
vi. List of tables-----------------------------------------------------------------------6
vii. List of abbreviations---------------------------------------------------------------6
viii. Executive summary----------------------------------------------------------------8
1. Introduction
1.1 Background of Telecom Passive Infrastructure in India........... 9
1.2 Growth of Telecom Tower Industry…………………………...9
1.3 The Players of this Industry…………………………………..10
1.4 Functions of a Tower Infrastructure Company……………….11
1.5 What is Quality …………………………………………….....14
1.6 Quality and its role in Business……………………………….14
2. Literature Review & Research Gaps
3. Research Methodology
3.1 Research Objectives..................................................................22
3.2 Research Design........................................................................22
3.3 Research Adopted.....................................................................23
3.4 Data Collection Methods..........................................................23
3.5 Sampling Size............................................................................23
3.6 Respondent................................................................................23
4. Data Analysis and Findings
4.1 Various issues faced by passive infrastructure organizations which
affects the quality management practices..................................24
4.2 Quality management practices followed by passive infrastructure
organizations..............................................................................27
4.3 Role of TOC in quality management.........................................63
4.4 Quality management Tools used...............................................66
5. Suggestions and Recommendations.................................................71
6. Conclusion.........................................................................................73
APPENDIX-I.....................................................................................................74
APPENDIX-II.....................................................................................................76

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LIST OF TABLES
S. no. Name Page no.
1. Players of the Industry 10
2. Passive Infrastructure site equipments 27
3. Alarms check 39
4. Output Voltage 41
5. AC temperature Parameters 42
6. DG capacity Load 45
7. Do’s and Don’ts at the site 57
8. TOC working 65
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
S.NO ABBREVIATION MEANING
1 IT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
2 EB ELECTRICITY BOARD SUPPLY
3 PMU POWER MANAGEMENT UNIT
4 PIU POWER INTERFACE UNIT
5 SMPS SWITCH MODE POWER SUPPLY
6 AC AIR CONDITIONER
7 BB BATTERY BANK
8 DG DIESEL GENERATOR SET
9 TOC TOWER OPERATION CENTER
10 P PROCESS
11 MCCB MOULDED CASE CIRCUIT BREAKER
12 SEB SUPPLY ELECTRICITY BOARD
13 HRC HIGH RUPTURING CAPACITY FUSE
14 O/P OUTPUT
15 I/P INPUT
16 MCB MINIATURE CIRCUIT BREAKER
17 DB DISTRIBUTION BOX
18 OD OUTDOOR
19 ID INDOOR
20 AMF AUTO MAINS FAILURE
21 HRT HIGH ROOM TEMPERATURE
22 DC DIRECT CURRENT
23 V VOLT
24 AUSPI ASSOCIATION OF UNIFIED TELECOM
SERVICE PROVIDERS OF INDIA

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25 BTS BASE TRANSRECIEVER STATION
26 COAI CELLULAR OPERATORS ASSOCIATON OF
INDIA
27 DOT DEPARTMENT OF
TELECMOMMUNICATIONS
28 ICA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
ASSOCIATION
29 TAIPA TOWER AND INFRASTRUCTURE
PROVIDERS ASSOCIATION
30 TCOE TELECOM CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
31 TETSCL TELECOM EQUIPMENT TESTING AND
SECURITY CERTIFICATION LAB
32 TSDSI TELECOMMUNICATIONS STANDARDS
DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY, INDIA
33 ODM ORIGINAL DESIGN MANUFACTURER
34 EMS ELECTRONIC MNAUFACTURING SERVICES
35 JV JOINT VENTURES

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Quality can be a confusing concept, partly because people view quality in relation to
differing criteria based on their individual roles in operation –marketing value chain
.In addition the meaning of quality management continues to evolve as the quality
profession grows and matures. Neither consultants nor business professionals agree
on a universal definition. Quality management’s practices include. Perfection,
consistency, Eliminating waste, speed of delivery, compliance with policies and
procedures, providing good and usable products and service, doing it right the first
time ,Total customer service and satisfaction. Thus it is important to understand the
various perspectives from which quality is viewed in order to fully appreciate the role
it plays in many parts of passive telecom infrastructure organizations
Quality Management has made significant inroads in to Telecom infrastructure
industry worldwide. Initiatives like TL 9000 Telecom Quality Management System
aim to provide “a consistent set of quality expectations to drive efficiency and
performance” in telecom industry worldwide. Companies are adopting various
quality tools in this sector and even the latest Quality Management initiatives like Six
Sigma are also being used.
Telecom infrastructure industry can be basically divided into three main parts Active,
Passive and Backhaul network infrastructure however telecom infrastructure is in
growing stage but they are adopting various Quality Management practices in this
industry. This dissertation will cover passive infrastructure parts only. An exploratory
research will be carried out to explore the various issues faced by Passive
infrastructure organizations with respect to Quality management and Quality
management practices followed by these organizations. The primary and expected
outcomes of current and planned Quality Management practices and initiatives will
also.explored.

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CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Of Telecom Passive Infrastructure Industry In India
Apart from competitive pressures, the increase in subscriber base has made the
augmentation of network coverage, which in turn has driven the Telco’s to make big
investments in active and passive infrastructure. This has increased to the strain on
their profits, coming on top of profitability pressures and a bigger debt burden. In this
given situation, the Telco’s, to trim costs and focus on their core operations, have
been trading off their tower assets into separate organizations. This has assisted the
Telco’s improve their capital structure and smaller operating cost. Moreover, the
separation of tower assets into segregate companies has incremented the likelihood of
sharing of passive infrastructure and hence of having an subsidiary revenue stream,
thereby incrementing the potential of value-unlocking for the Telco’s. It is against this
backdrop that “telecom towers” has transpired as a different industry during the last
few years. Government’s endeavors on increasing the sharing of passive infrastructure
have also embolden the growth of telecom towers as a separate industry in itself.
1.2 Growth of Telecom Tower Industry
The last few years saw the telecom infrastructure sector undergoing a
phenomenal change.
Ever since the concept of infrastructure sharing came in the nation, the market is
becoming more and more competitive. Looking at the tremendous growth of the
Indian mobile base, the industry is certain to witness a huge leap in the coming years.

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Today there are approximately 353,813 towers in India with the annual growth rate of
about 19% per annum and a total investment of about `100,000 crore. Industry
foresights are that an additional 150,000 towers will be needed to meet growth needs
of 2G/3G/wireless broadband. This will necessitate additional investment of
approximately `30,000 crore.
Developments, such as new technologies like 3G and BWA creeping in and rural
penetration taking the front seat, have been boosting the morale of the tower industry.
Future estimates the industry has seen an upsurge in the number of tower erection
with 57,248 additions in FY 2010-11. The industry is seeing a lot of advancement
with each player ramping up its cell site. In fact, the point of change and growth has
been so fast that the industry is witnessing a wave of tower erections. The expansion
in the sector is majorly driven by increasing rural penetration and deployment
of 3Gservices. The current market trends are also propelling the tower cores to shift
their focus from building new assets to tenancy. This in turn, is likely to cut the costs
and make every player build a strategic decision based on requirements from tenants.
1.3 The Players of this Industry
As far as the market of tower companies is concerned,
Indus (a joint venture between Bharti, Vodafone and Idea) holds the market leader
position with 11,3008 towers, followed by Reliance Infratel with 58,000 towers,
BSNL with 45,000 towers, Viom Networks with 40,000 towers, GTL Infra with
33,681, Bharti Infratel with 33,042, American Towers with 8,000 and MTNL with
2,017. Other players contributing to the tower market were MTS, Videocon, Stel,
Idea, Aircel, Etisalat DB, Uninor, and Loop Telecom.
Tower Company Tenancy Ratio No. of Towers
Indus Towers 2.07 113008
BhartiInfratel 1.62 33042
WTTIL Quippo 1.84 25000
Reliance Infratel 1.74 58000
Bsnl/Mtnl 1.07 45000
GTL Infra 1.17 33681

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Others 1.47 50000
PLAYERS OF THE INDUSTRY
1.4 Functions of a Tower Infrastructure Company
A tower infrastructure organization makes passive infrastructure on the sharing basis
to the telecom operator companies. The major work of a tower infrastructure company
may be categorized as follows:
 Site acquisition, including the process of entering into a long-term contracts
with land owning people
 Obtaining of mandatory regulatory approvals
 Erection and installation of tower and allied equipment’s
 Provision of backup services which are power back-up, air-conditioning, and
security for the towers
 Provision of turnkey solutions to telecom operators such as sourcing of gear ,

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testing, and preservation
Types of Towers: Telecom towers are broadly categorized on the basis of their
positioning as Ground-based and Roof-top.
 Ground-Based Tower (GBT): Constructed on the ground, ground-based
towers (GBTs) are bigger (approximately 200 - 400 feet) and are majorly
erected in countryside and semi-urban places because of the comparatively
easier availability of real-estate space and land. GBTs involve a capital
expense in the range of Rs. 24 to 28 lakh, depending on the fact that how tall
is the tower.
 Roof-Top Tower (RTT): Roof-top towers (RTTs), which are generally put
on the roofs of high-rise buildings and homes, are smaller (than GBTs) and
more widely used in urban and highly populated areas, where there is
scarcity of real-estate space. Typically, these involve a capital expenditure
of Rs. 15 to 20 lakh.
A Typical Site:-
It comprises the following:
 Active Infrastructure
 Passive Infrastructure
 Backhaul

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Tower Loadings: GBT

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Roof -Top Tower
1.5 What is Quality ?
Quality , in general terms ,relates to the ‘features’ or ‘character’ or some attributes of
a product or services or similar offerings .The attributes or features or character of the
product or services should be such that they meet and fulfill the needs of users i.e.
customers. In other words ,quality can be referred to as conformance to specifications
,where the specification has been developed from the expressed needs of the
customer.
1.6 Quality and its role in Business: The Need for Quality Management
International organization for standardization (ISO) defines quality as “the totality of
features and characteristics of product and service that bear on its ability to satisfy
given needs.” This definition is the source of the conventional approach to quality

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management , such as inspection , Quality control (QC) and Quality Assurance
(QA).These methods are principally used for ensuring the quality of outgoing
products and services . These conventional quality control methods had long been
prevalent in industries inspection in the pre world war 2 era ,Quality control in the
immediate post war years , and later ‘Quality Assurance which is still largely
practiced in various forms of industry . Many of these methods were highly
inadequate in terms of depth of techniques to address all quality –related issues from
the customer’s point of attendant competition, Quality became a major driver for
business success , with its new orientation towards customer satisfaction and customer
loyalty . Industries started looking for different strategies and systems for quality
management , to meet these new paradigms.
The significance of quality as a successful business driver was first realized in Japan
during the reconstruction of its war shattered industries in the nineteen fifties .
Pioneering quality leaders like W.E. Deming and Joseph M. Juran led this new quality
movement across the pacific i.e. Japan and USA for evolving a comprehensive
approach to quality management .As a consequence to their pioneering work , Total
Quality Control system emerged as a new tool for quality management with focus on
consumer satisfaction . The total quality system advocated maintenance of quality in
all spheres and activities of a company , right from the quality of inputs to processes
,people ,products, services and the management itself ,as opposed to conventional
quality management system where the focus is primarily on products and services.
Following adoption of the customer centric approach ,quality became the primary
driver for success in the market place. Companies the world over started adopting
total quality approach as a means to be winning customer loyalty and customer
satisfaction.
Customer satisfaction by Total quality approach is achieved not only by providing
quality goods and services , but also by providing cost-effective value added products
, which are designed by anticipating the needs of customers and their future
expectations e.g. Akio Morita’s Sony Walkman and then designing the business
processes to fulfill those needs and expectations .In the ultimate analysis, commitment
to continuously enhanced quality and value addition draws customers closer to the
business, making them an integral part of business strategy .Anticipation of customer
needs , a proactive approach and building processes around the customer expectation
for meeting their present and future needs emerged as the keys to business success.
The ‘Total Quality approach finally emerged in 1980s as the total quality management
with the aim of ensuring superior performance in the chosen field of business. The
purpose of this quality business model is to build competitive advantages by

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improving the capability of performance by strategically optimizing operations in
order to satisfy the new consumer focused orientation and meet competition squarely.
In 1987 the newly instituted in USA for encouraging the resurgent American
industries to adopt total quality practice for business excellence –further popularized
TQM globally as a business model for performance excellence, especially since it
meshed well with the latest management and improvement tools.

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CHAPTER-2
LITERATURE REVIEW
While conducting this research, a lot of study was done over previous research papers.
A number of reports were compiled on the passive Telecom infrastructure
organizations across the India. One such report was prepared by the Department of
Telecommunication at Delhi in 2012 titled “Mobile Base Station Towers”. Another
such report was Green Power for Mobile “Best practices operations guide”, published
in 2013. Many unpublished papers too are available on this topic. Indus Towers,
BhartiInfratel, Reliance Infratel, BSNL/MTNL and the GTL infra being key players
in the domain of passive telecom infrastructure are mentioned in all of these reports.
Quality control in Passive Telecom infrastructure organizations in India has gained a
lot of importance in the recent years and it has now become a gold mine in the vision
of researchers. This report contains some extracts from Department of
telecommunication report passive infrastructure,(2012), Telecommunication
Infrastructure Policy by TRAI (2001), Market Research Report etc .This study has
been carried out by examining the information contributed by these reports and
formulating new conclusions by taking the help of latest statistics.
A thorough study was done to find critical quality issues, barriers and enablers in
order to bring best quality practices in passive Telecom infrastructure. Various
researches has been researched upon passive telecom infrastructure before. In various
papers, various issues and factors affecting the passive telecom ecosystem have been
studied in detail.
 Dr.Sushma Kulkarni in her journal (2005) focuses upon infrastructure, top
management support, strategic planning, employee empowerment and
customer satisfaction for total quality management support. She focuses on the
contribution by government, funding agency, industry and society for TQM.
The paper mainly focuses on Indian industries.
 Chapter 2 Management Of Quality vs Total Quality of book [Total Quality
Management-SK Mandal] 2005. Focus of conventional quality management is
the quality of products or services, but the focus of total quality is the quality
of the whole business process. Total quality management concept evolved
through the pioneering works of Deming, Juran and Crosby. Deming’s
emphasis on quality variability and need for improvement through P-D-C-A
cycle, and Juran’s equally influential quality trilogy have led to the realization
that customers are critical for quality goals and people are an integral part of
the consumer satisfaction. In this chapter author tried to provide understand
between quality and total quality etc.
 Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India Recommendations on
“Telecommunications Infrastructure Policy” April 12, 2011.The
recommendations covers the Infrastructure elements, IP infrastructure

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,infrastructure management. It also contained important issues such as right of
way, tower design and standardisation, distributed antenna systems and indoor
outdoor building solutions.
 Ankur Lal, CEO, Infozech Software - 10 August 2014 - “Infozech’s footprint
in India and Myanmar” Paper. Infozech at present serve the Indian and
Myanmar tower industry by game changing solution to enable its customers to
keep an eye on their assets and professionally manage their sites. In this paper
, Infozech’s CEO, Mr Ankur Lal, offer his perspective on how telecom players
can fruitfully handle their assets, reduce their operational expenditures and
attain operational excellence. Its varied collection of products, Infozech has
become a top supplier to the main tower companies in India and MNCs and
tower companies in Myanmar.
 NCN-EG-14 Tonse Telecom, Passive infrastructure report (2014) This report
tries to covered the program which is specially designed for telecom
professionals to understand a impact of passive infrastructure in telecom
market. It covers Telecommunication fundamentals ,Network Architecture and
Telecom Site Diagram and Layout .
 Green Power for Mobile “Best practices operations guide”, published in 2013-
This document focuses on best operation practices, to assist the MNOs/Tower
Companies in adopting the most adequate approach to operations and
maintenance of telecom power infrastructure in order to improve service
availability and OPEX effectiveness.
 Report of Department of Telecommunication ,Delhi in 2012 titled “Mobile
Base Station” discussed the various guidelines and clearance required before
setting any tower in any area.
 Paper by KPMG ”Passive Infrastructure Sharing in Telecommunications”
published in 2011. This paper highlights’ the passive infrastructure layout and
the components which comes under passive telecom infrastructure. Telecom
operators’ aggressive pursuit of lean business model has led to an evolution,
with many now turning to tower sharing as a viable option. Tower sharing has
been a feature in the Americas and Europe over the past decade. Furthermore,
with several multi-billion dollar deals in India, the tower sharing business
model has asserted its value proposition in the delivery chain of
telecommunications even in the emerging markets.
 White Paper by Prashant Veer Singh CIO, Bharti Infratel on “Changing The
Landscope Of Telecom Infrastructure” 2012, discussed about therole of Tower
operation center and the need of TOC. It also explores how Infratel maximize
site uptime, optimize fuel consumption and minimize operational costs.

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 The thesis (Manufacturing and Erection of Telecommunication Towers 2012)
by Burpo, MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH CAMBRIDGE discusses
about sequence from manufacturing to erection and the step by step
manufacturing processes of telecommunication towers. Material used for it,
different machine processes, corrosion protecting techniques logistics and
supply.
 Critical Success Factors: Telecommunication Network equipment
Procurement projects. A case study of MTN Nigeria by Kingsley Kejuo
(2012). This research examined the critical factors that a project manager need
to look out for when undertaking a telecommunication network equipment
procurement project in Nigeria, using MTN Nigeria as case study.
 Report on Telecom Infrastructure industry in India by ICRA (2012) ,describe
the current scenario of telecom industry and the also evaluate the various
changes which effects the telecom industry.
 Chapter 10 Strategic tools for Radical performance Improvement of book
[Total Quality Management-SK Mandal] 2005. Gives the ideas of
Benchmarking process and principles ,benefits.
 Report on “Environment Management and Total quality Management” by
Heikki Salkinoja (2013) discussed about the importance of environment
management ,ISO-14000 and its scope and various divisions.
 BSNL, “Total Quality Management ”Module (2011) explores the various
methods of total quality management which can be used by employees of the
organization.
On the basis of these studies I was able to identify various issues faced by Passive
infrastructure organizations with respect to Quality management and also find out
Quality management practices followed by Passive infrastructure organizations.
RESEARCH GAPS
The major objectives of this research were drawn from the research gaps of the
previously conducted research. All the previous reports possess certain drawbacks and
shortcomings, which I have tried to cover through my report. They are mentioned
below:
 The statistics collected in the report by Deloitte are based on the net output of
all the manufacturing processes in India and not purely based on the Telecom
equipments manufacturing sector of the country. This could be understood in a
better way with this example- Germany has a well-developed automobile
manufacturing sector, which contributes greatly to its manufacturing GDP.
Yet, its contribution to the telecom sector is very less. A high manufacturing
GDP may not mean a deep-rooted Telecom infrastructure economy.

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 In chapter management of quality vs. Total quality authors tried to focus on
conventional quality management approach focuses on ensuring that the
customers get a defect free product or service .Based on the product
specifications based on customer needs ,the approach now becomes product
oriented ,an alignment taken care of by management through quality control
and quality assurance activities. Thus approach to conventional quality
management is product or service oriented whereas approach to total quality
management is product, process, people and customer oriented.
 Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India Recommendations on
“Telecommunications Infrastructure Policy” April 12, 2011, Only covers the
basic outlines of Infrastructure elements, IP infrastructure and infrastructure
management. But there is no defined guidelines for quality control practices
and quality management.
 In his paper Ankur Lal, CEO, Infozech Software only tried to explore the
opportunities of i-tower software which helps tower infrastructure companies
to manage their people ,process, Energy and assets, but if we look the ground
level scenario then it is not possible to complete quality management by using
i-tower software .so I tried to explore more ground level operations which is
used by telecom infrastructure organization to control quality.
 Also, no role of Tower operation centre has been explored in passive telecom
ecosystem. As a result, it is not possible to come to any particular conclusion
on basis of just studying this article.
 MNOs and Tower Companies in the region have faced with many operational
challenges in the context of poor grid power supply, operational leakages
(such as diesel pilferage), equipment vandalism, and lack of credible
operational partners for sustaining their operations and performance.
 At present there is no uniform policy guidelines for location of towers. This
has resulted in unregulated telecom BTS cellular infrastructure in country.
IMC desired that there is a need to Identify/ earmark some areas in the master
plan in the new cities for cellular towers. This will, however, not be the
ultimate solution as the siting of tower shall be as per the WPC clearance and
radio frequency coverage requirements.
 Although, tower sharing enables new entrants to scale-up faster, it exposes
established players to the risk of market share loss. Furthermore, the
challenges of monitoring network performance and quality will increase as
control over network roll out and equipment maintenance decreases.
 Some key challenges will be in this case are Tough logistics supply chain for
remote areas, Difficulty in tracking and managing SLAs for customers, Lack
of operational visibility affecting long-term planning and strategic
improvements.

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 While going through previous researches in order to find enablers, barriers and
critical quality factors it was found that there was a lack of objectivity in the
data. Also, previous researches analysis sought to study the various factors by
using only manufacturing portion of towers.
 Network and site operations are critical operational elements of managing and
running telecom networks and energy provision is a major element of these
operations. Energy is certainly the most crucial part of network and site
operations in the telecom industry, highly impacting the availability of mobile
network and services to end-users.
 In the past, domestic telecom operators competed largely on the pricing plank.
However, as mobile tariffs in India are currently one of the lowest in the
world, the scope for further tariff reduction is low. Given this fact, going
forward, quality of service (QoS) would become the prime distinguishing
factor among the competing companies. Moreover, a rapidly increasing
subscriber base and spectrum crunch would further add to the problem of
telecom operators having to maintain the minimum level of QoS. Besides,
with the likely introduction of mobile number portability, QoS will become
more important as customers will then have a broader range of options
available with limited switching costs. Thus to retain existing subscribers by
preventing subscriber churn, operators will require additional infrastructure in
their existing areas of operation to be able to offer better QOS.
 The explosion in the popularity of benchmarking and frequent use of the term
may create an illusion that benchmarking is a quick fix for performance gap in
this competitive environment. No, it is not Benchmarking can not work unless
there is an environment of environment of creativity commitment and
involvement of people.
 To ensure that the environment management efforts of the company are
producing right kind of results, audit of the system and the process outcomes
are strictly followed. Audit is a specialized job and it needs planning with
focus on the objectives.
 Performance in business is not an end by itself it is a means to accomplish
higher objectives of TQM, which is growth and competitive positioning in a
dynamic marketplace.
This report aims at covering all these research gaps.

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CHAPTER-3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
On the basis of various gaps shown above a research project was formed which aims
at addressing the following objectives:
 To identify various issues faced by Passive infrastructure organizations with
respect to Quality management.
 To find out Quality management practices followed by Passive infrastructure
organizations.
3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN
In Research Design a step by step procedure has been followed where the
problem has been identified through research gaps from the previous research
papers. Exploratory study was done to find out the issue, which involves
IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEM
LITERATURE REVIEW: STUDY
OF VARIOUS JOURNALS AND
RESEARCH PAPERS
TYPE OF RESEARCH ADOPTED:
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH AND
QUESTIONNAIRE METHOD
DATA COLLECTION METHOD:
PRIMARY METHIOD AND
SECONDARY METHOD
DATA ANALYSIS
CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
THROUGH ANALYSIS

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secondary data and primary data. After the data collection the analysis part is
done . Then at the end conclusion and recommendations is given from the
research to resolve the project objective.
3.3 RESEARCH ADOPTED
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH: This type of research is conducted for a problem that
has not been clearly defined. It often occurs before we know enough to make
conceptual distinctions or posit an explanatory relationship. Exploratory research
often relies on secondary research such as reviewing available literature and/or data,
or qualitative approaches such as informal discussions with consumers, employees,
management or competitors, and more formal approaches through in-depth
interviews, focus groups, projective methods, case studies or pilot studies.
3.4 DATA COLLECTION METHODS
 Secondary data will be collected from Research papers, White papers, Case
studies, companies’ website and other relevant sources.
 Primary data will be collected from personal interview, mail survey/questionnaire
and telephone interviews.
3.5 SAMPLING SIZE.
Sample size = 40
3.6 RESPONDENT
Employees of various telecom infrastructure organizations i.e. Bharti Infratel, Indus
towers Ltd., BSNL Telecom Infrastructure, GTL Infrastructure etc.

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CHAPTER-4
DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
4.1various issues faced by Passive infrastructure organizations which
affects the Quality management practises
Regulatory issues and declining operator margins have slowed down investments in
the telecom infrastructure industry. Though the industry has matured over the past
decade, infrastructure providers are still grappling with issues related to low
tenancies, high energy costs, right-of-way (Row) challenges and new radiation
emission norms, among others. Considering this, the government has taken initiatives
such as promoting renewable energy solutions and providing infrastructure status to
the telecom infrastructure industry. I tried to take look at some of the key issues and
challenges faced by the segment.Which affects the quality management practices of
the telecom infrastructure organizations are following:-
Visually unappealing towers
Telecom tower sites face issues of non-availability/ non extension of land lease in
urban areas as communities see towers as visually unappealing.
Towers radiation myth
“Towers radiate!” – a myth that creates negative public perception, mostly in urban
and semi-urban areas. This has created the following challenges:
1. Non-availability of lands for new tower sites
2. Opposition to addition of new BTS at exiting sites, directly impacting profitability
3. Sites getting locked-out/ having to relocate
Waste generation
Waste generation and management presents a significant challenge and the problem
may aggravate as the telecom industry expands.
Diesel guzzlers
“Telecom towers are diesel guzzlers!” - While diesel operated DG sets are used to
power tower sites that do not have reliable grid power supply, this is yet another
misconception. Being viewed as a diesel guzzler causes belief that the industry is not
environment friendly – this has also impacted public policy. The Government of India
has mandated telecom operators to reduce dependence on diesel and shift to
renewable energy and grid power.

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Scarcity of skilled resources
The tower industry needs skilled labour with an understanding of electrical,
mechanical, civil and telecom technologies.The telecom tower industry in India is less
than a decade old. There are no university programs/ other courses which offer
comprehensive training in skills needed in our industry.
Compliance Across India
Each state has a different procedure for acquisition of sites for tower operations.
Depending on the state, clearances/permits may be required from bodies like
municipal corporations, panchayats, district administration, police department, fire
department etc.
Low grid power availability in rural and semi-urban areas
This is a key concern for telecom infrastructure providers. Due to inadequate and
unstable electricity supply, telecom tower companies use diesel generators to power
their towers. This is despite the fact that high diesel costs, which constitute about 50
per cent of the opex for a tower, continue to impact operators’ bottom lines. The
recent partial deregulation of diesel prices, which has led to price hikes, has further
impacted the profitability of tower companies and operators. As per industry
estimates, such price hikes are expected to result in a financial burden of about Rs 210
billion for tower companies over the next year. Diesel pilferage at different stages of
the production value chain will add to this burden. Meanwhile, securing RoW is a key
challenge in telecom infrastructure development. Companies setting up towers are
required to seek multiple approvals from the regulatory authorities, which delays
development. Further, each state has its own rules and regulations for granting
permission for erecting towers, which results in cost escalations.
Decline tenancy ratio
Decline in the tenancy ratio of telecom towers following the cancellation of 2G
licences. Several operators have either shut down their business or are scaling down
operations following the apex court’s verdict. This has impacted tower operators who
aggressively developed infrastructure in anticipation of telecom service growth. As a
result, the annual revenues of tower companies from rental income are set to take a hit
of Rs 25 billion. Also, overcapacity of towers would reduce rentals, further affecting
revenues. Moreover, the new electromagnetic radiation emission norms, which
require companies to limit 1 / 5 Towering Hurdles: Challenges in the telecom
infrastructure space Tele Focus, March 21, 2013 radiations from towers to one-tenth
of the previous levels, means that these players will now have to compromise on
signal strength in order to reduce tower radiations while new towers will have to be
erected to maintain the quality of service. The cost associated with building new
towers will also have financial implications for companies that already have a huge

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debt burden. In addition, the government has disallowed companies from installing
towers in lanes that are narrower than 5 metres, and rooftop towers with multiple
antennas. The Telecom Enforcement, Resource and Monitoring cell of the
Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will conduct random audits of towers
across the country and impose a penalty of Rs 500,000 per tower for violating norms.
TRAI recommendations
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) recommendation to bring all
infrastructure providers under the unified licence regime is un favourable for the
industry. As per the recommendation, infrastructure providers will have to pay 8 per
cent of their annual gross revenue as licence fee. Currently, they do not have to pay
any licence fee. Meanwhile, operators pay an annual licence fee for providing telecom
services, which means that the implementation of TRAI’s recommendation could lead
to double taxation as infrastructure providers will pass some of the cost to the
operators. This would discourage operators to share towers, thereby affecting the
tenancy ratio.

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4.2 Quality management practices followed by Passive infrastructure
organizations
A Telecom passive infrastructure site consist the following equipments:-
S.no EQUIPMENT
1. ELECTRICITY BOARD SUPPLY
2. SITE ELECTRICALS
3. POWER MANAGEMENT UNIT/PIU
4. SWITCH MODE POWER SUPPLY
5. AIR CONDITIONER
6. BATTERY BANK
7. DIESEL GENERATOR SET
8. EARTHING
9. ENERGY
10. FIRE AND SAFETY
11. HOUSE KEEPING
12. GENERAL
13. SITE ACCESS
14. SHELTER
15. TOWER
SITE EQUIPMENTS
Quality definition with respect to passive telecom infrastructure can be defined as
“totality of features and characteristics of products or service that bears on ability to
satisfy the given needs”. The quality delivered by passive Telecom infrastructure
companies to Active Infrastructure companies is directly related or depended upon the
performance of all these equipments. So to deliver best quality to their customers
passive infrastructure organisations used different quality management practices
,specifications, quality norms and also defined Acceptable and Not acceptable levels.
which will be explored step by step in below sections.

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1. QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND PARAMETERS FOR
ELECTRICITY BOARD SUPPLY
Quality check of SEB Meter
DIGITAL TYPE –ACCEPTED ANALOGUE TYPE-ACCEPTED
 In Digital meter, a red light is blinking as shown in above figure while it is
working. If red light is blinking in digital meter then it means meter is in
working condition and functioning properly.
 In Analogue meter, a meter wheel is rotating as shown in above figure while it
is working. If meter wheel is rotating in Analog meter then it means meter is in
working condition and functioning properly.

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Quality Check of MCCB.
NOT ACCEPTED ACCEPTED
 MCCB must be installed on sites like in first figure MCCB is missing that’s why
it is not accepted ,in second proper MCCB is installed so it is accepted on the
basis of quality norms. Standard rating of MCCB is defined as 3-125 Amp HRC
fuse in Meter Box or ¾ pole 100/125 Amp MCCB.
Quality check of HRC Fuses
 High rupture capacity Fuse acts as secondary protecting devices. HRC fuse is
used where some delay is acceptable for protecting the system. HRC fuse should
not be missing i.e. in first figure that’s why it is not accepted. It should be like
second figure.

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Quality check of Kit Kat Fuse
Kit Kat fuse or cut outs fuse basically consist of metal wire or strip which melts down
when too much current flows and results in breaking down the circuit and protects the
circuit from damaging. Figure first is not accepted because kit kat fuse are missing.
Second figure is the ideal situation and according to defined quality parameters.
Quality check of Electricity Board mains
Electricity board mains should be sealed and kept enclosed to protect unauthorized
and accidental contact.

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No multiple adapters with multiple connections to be used and blackened
plugs must be replaced as shown in figures.
Cable routes and MCB DB should be free from loose wiring and no by pass
,cable cuts or damage should not be there. Cables must not be pass across
sharp edges and no temporary joints without insulation taping should not be
there.

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MCCB/HRC/Kit Kat should be water proof or placed in an enclosure so that
the water does not damage the circuit and fuses.
2. QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND PARAMETERS FOR SITE
ELECTRICALS
Is the Electrical installation line diagram displayed at the site ?
3 PHASE- SINGLE LINE DIAGRAM

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2 PHASE- SINGLE LINE DIAGRAM
1 PHASE – SINGLE LINE DIAGRAM

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Exposed un-armoured cable from DG to shelter should be covered by using
GI conduit or covered with perforated cable tray.
NOT ACCEPTABLE ACCEPTABLE
Adequate earthing should be provided to 3 pin, 5 Amps / 15 Amps, plug and
sockets. If we look the first figure then there is no earthing provided which is
very dangerous and unacceptable on the quality norms and guidelines.
Second figure circuit is acceptable.

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For outdoor sites, all switches and sockets must be waterproof and rain
protected like shown in figures.
Plugs should not be overload with multiple adapters and the pins should not
blackened. If we look the first figure then there is the burning sign in power
plug terminals and power plug is overloaded with multiple adapters which is
not acceptable on the quality norms.

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MCB DB ,ACDB should be free from loose connections ,holes ,gaps and
properly fitted with lugs. If we look the figure number first then dummy caps
is missing which is not acceptable .
Cable glands should be correctly fitted and sealed as shown in figure second.
First case is not acceptable because gland is not properly fitted.

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Horizontal cable tray should be with pendulum-support grouted in PCC
blocks. In first picture cable tray support is not groted and cable tray is not
fixed properly so it is unacceptable. second case is up to the mark with
quality norms.

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POWER INTERFACE UNIT
Power interface unit , where power interface unit does not exists AMF panels are used
to automatically changeover from mains electricity supply to stand by generator on
failure of the mains supply. EB and DG cable for PIU must be entered in shelter by
using gland.
Automation Quality check
PIU always in auto mode so that switching between EB-DG taking place
smoothly without any failure.
Switching between EB-DG

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Switching of site between EB –DG takes place as following:-
 IF the site is running on EB or Mains and EB fails then the site will
automatically shifted to battery bank mode. If battery bank voltage is less than
47volt or HRT is greater then 35 deg. Comes before EB restored then in this
condition if POWER INTERFACE UNIT is in automation mode then it will
automatically switch the site to diesel generator otherwise site goes down.
 If EB restored before low battery /HRT then site will switch to EB mode.
Alarms Check
ALARMS
Critical Alarms Major Alarms Minor Alarms
DG major fault HRT Mains fail
DG fuel level low Site on low voltage DG on load
Rectifier fail Door open
DC fuse fail
Fire and Smoke
Alarms

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DG Automation Quality check
Diesel generator start command and Diesel generator stop pulse Duration mechanism
to prevent site from goes down.
If site is running on Battery Bank and battery bank voltage goes down below 47volt
or home room temperature increase above 35 degree Celsius then after 2 second later
power interface unit send first pulse to start diesel generator, if diesel generator starts
then site will run on diesel generator .If diesel generator fail to start after 3 seconds
PIU will send second pulse to start Diesel generator. If Diesel generator again fails to
start then after 4 seconds later power interface unit will send third pulse to start diesel
generator set. If diesel generator start then site will be shifted on DG set, and if diesel
generator fails to start then it means there is some fault and Diesel generator Major
Fault Alarm will triggered, and BTS will goes down below 44Volt and link will goes
down if battery bank voltage goes down below 42 volt.
Quality Check for voltage between neutral and Earth with multimeter :-
Voltage check between power interface unit neutral and earth must be less than 5v
and it should be checked by multimeter as shown in figure.

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SWITCH MODE POWER SUPPLY
Switch Mode power supply
Switch mode power supply are of two types :-
1-+24v
2- -48 v
Types of Switch mode power supply depends on BTS power configuration
a) If BTS requires 24v supply , switch mode power supply with 24 v(+ is feed to
BTS and – is grounded with bus bar available in SMPS) is required.
b) If BTS requires 48v supply , switch mode power supply with 48 v(- is feed to
BTS and + is grounded with bus bar available in SMPS) is required.
Switch mode power supply
Check output voltage and set battery charging current as per requirement
Output Voltage :- -42 to -
55.6v
Low voltage 47V
10% of total battery bank
AH capacity
LVD 1 44V
LVD 2 42V

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Check float and boost voltage setting.
FLOAT VOLTAGE BOOST VOLTAGE
5. QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND PARAMETERS FOR AIR
CONDITIONERS
Check the health of AC by measuring grill temperature, as shown in figure. Grill
temperature measuring through clamp meter or temperature sensor. Temperature
should be 17 to 20 degree.
AC Temperature Parameters
Type of AC Temp.C
1.75 Tr 26
4 Tr 28

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Site must be free from unwanted inflammable material so that proper cooling
must be maintained inside shelter. No object to be placed in front of AC grill
and all unwanted inflammable object has to removed from shelter.
BATTERY BANK
Check for proper termination with lugs and no oxide formation on terminals.
As shown below in first picture multiple cable joint and rusted and there is
no vent cap so this is not acceptable on the quality parameters.

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Per cell voltage should be greater than 1.95V. Readings must be taken by
using calibrated clamp on meters and proper protection is required while
taking reading on individual cells. Load based guidelines to be check for
equivalent loads.
Battery bank should be maintained in good condition .There shall be no
bulging and leakage from the battery bank , battery bank terminals must be
tightened ,vent caps mounted and tightened and battery terminal cover
provided. Battery bank should be upgrade and replaced on required time.

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DIESEL GENERATOR
Check DG capacity with respect to load
Pure Indoor Up to 3.5
KW
>3.5 Up to
6 KW
6+ to 9 KW 9+ to 12
KW
DG
capacity in
KVA
15 25 40 62.5
ID Active
+OD
Passive
Up to 3.5
KW
>3.5 Up to
6 KW
6+ to 9 KW 9+ to 11
KW
11+ to 16
KW
DG
capacity in
KVA
15 15/25 40 40 62.5
Pure OD
site
Up to 6
KW
6+ to 9 KW 9+ to 12
KW
12+ to 14
KW
14+ to 18
KW
DG
capacity in
KVA
15 25 40 40 62.5
Check the Quality of DG exhaust fan and stop solenoid with the help of site
technician or supervisior.Also check the availability and termination of
alarm cable at DG and PIU alarm connectors and check the alarm continuity
with the help of OME technician and supervisior.

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Check is there visible leakage of diesel around DG set and is the DG battery
in good condition. There shall be no leakage from DG, if it is there separate
container shall be kept to collect the leaking diesel and the DG fuel inlet
closed and secured.
Quality of Battery condition to be checked as following.
Battery specifications: 12 V - 120AH
Instrument required: Multimeter with Positive and Negative probes
Keep multimeter in DC volts mode after that multi meter positive and negative
probes connect with battery positive and negative terminals the voltage of
battery will appear on multimeter display as shown in photograph. Record the
voltage on check list.

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Quality Check for DG emergency stop
Checking procedure for DG emergency stop working condition are following:-
 Check availability of DG emergency push button on DG canopy as shown
in photograph (Red color Button)
 Switch off the main EB input MCB in PIU and wait for DG start
command (auto mode),after DG start ,press the EPB(Emergency Push
Button) to check turn off of the DG .If DG is turn off than EPB is in
working condition.
DG fuel inlet must be closed and secured.

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DG Foundation should be free from cracks. First condition is unacceptable
because DG bed foundation is in collapsed condition. second case is
acceptable because DG bed is constructed as per the specifications and MS
angle fitted on all corners with neat plastering and painting.
DG set should be located in a proper and vantillated area. In first picture DG
set is located in a congested area and no proper access for maintenance is
there so this not acceptable according to the quality norms.

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DG canopy door lock system should be working properly.

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EARTHING
General practices followed for Earthing scheme
All the equipments inside and outside the shelter must be grounded. The acceptable
limits of neutral to earth voltage are 0-5 volts. There should be minimum 2 earth pits
and should be maintained properly .Masonry work should not be damaged ,hinged
covers provided over earth pits, unwanted materials must not be lying inside earth
pits. In kerala 5 earth pits are required as per state govt. rule. According to general
practices there should be proper body earthing for pole, tower legs, all electrical
equipment, panels, distribution boards, shelter frame and metal support frames e.g.
cable tray, battery metal racks. Etc. Check for proper fixing of all earthing wires to
equipment ,visible earthing wires must not be damaged or broken.

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Check for LA and Earthing connection of LA.
ACCEPTABLE
Ensure at every 90 degree joint ,a cross strip is welded and colored with
aluminium paint.
ACCEPTABLE

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FIRE AND SAFETY
According to quality norms at site a2.5 kg ABC or CO2 type fire extinguisher
should be kept and maintained in working condition .Also check the refill
date and expiry date. In case of BSC sites , a gas based fire suppression
system must be in working condition .Fire extinguisher should be easily
accessible for ABC units –the needle on gauge shall be in the green zone, for
CO2 units check by the weight more than 10%of net weights needs
replacement.
Fire and smoke detectors should be in working condition and a battery back
up must be provided. The fire and smoke sensor LED must blink at regular
interval, in case of AC supply failure; this can be tested by switching off the
main supply to the fire alarm panel. Battery back is applicable in case on
Non-PIU sites.
FIRE SMOKE SENSOR

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Emergency contact numbers should be provided at the site and should be
updated. List of emergency contact numbers should be provided in English
,Hindi ,Local language and the date provided when last updated is within 6
months. Numbers should be written in proper format according to quality
guidelines.
HOUSE KEEPING
Site should be free from unwanted materials and garbage .Leftover materials
during deployment and operation and maintenance should not be left at the
site.

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Vegetation should not impact on the safe operation of the site. Unwanted
vegetation should be removed from the site.
GENERAL
At the site there should be 3 standard signs at shelter entrance ,site entrance
and Tower entrance . Danger notice should be displayed in English ,Hindi,
local languages at the site and maintained in good condition.
AT SITE ENTRANCE AT SHELTER DOOR

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AT TOWER
According to quality management practices use of safety harness, helmet and
shoes should be compulsory while working at height. Standard safety signs
like use safety helmet, safety belts, safety shoes should be displayed at the site
and should be easily visible.

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Tobacco chewing on the site, smoking Alcohol and drugs while working on
the site are prohibited.
Tower should be maintained free from bee-hives and bird nests. Inspection is
needed by the technician and supervisor to identify the location of bee hives
and birds’ nests.

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In case of RTT and RTP Parapet wall or safety railing should be on the site.
As shown in figure.
Do’s and Don’ts at the site.
Do’s Don’ts
Ensure proper illumination at site Do not enter shelter in wet condition .
Keep site clear and free from vegetations
and other waste materials.
Do not connect open wires without plugs
in the sockets.
Use safety gloves and insulated tools
while working on equipments.
Do not overload any power plants and
units.
Ensure proper earthing available for all
equipments.
Do not store inflammable excess material
inside shelter and in diesel generator
Wear safety belts ,safety gloves, safety
harness while working at height.
Site keys should not be kept in the site.
Check connectivity of all units and
wires.
Do not wear loose clothing
Do enter shelter with safety shoes. Do not use mobile phone while working
on the equipments.
Check for polarity before connecting
electrical equipments.
Do sign ,maintain log books carry
identification cards while entering and
working in site.
Ensure all doors are locked and all lights
are switched off and all alarms are in
working condition while leaving the site.

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12. QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND QUALITY PARAMETERS
FOR SITE ACCESS.
There should be safe access to the site location. Site should be locked and
secure to avoid unauthorised access.BTS, tower , pole access path lighting
,working and should be provide adequate illumination. No access to the site
because of dangerous animals is not lawful excuse. This kind of obstacles
must be removed. Site should be proper locked and secure to avoid
unauthorized access. The compound and shelter must be locked and
perimeter fence designed to discourage access from children.

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Compound wall ,barbed wire, railing should be maintained in good condition
.compound wall and railing must not be damaged ,barbed wire shall be fixed
properly and should not be hanging.

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SHELTER.
Standard layout should be used for shelter. All electrical equipment’s should
be placed in one side and active equipment’s should be placed in the other
side. Equipment spacing should be maintained as per the layout.
Acees stair to the shelter should be maintained in good condition. Acess stair
should be grouted and fixed to the shelters.

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Shelter should be free of combustible, inflammable materials. No storage of
diesel, paint, boxes, bedding and other combustible items in the shelter.
There should be no open holes in the floor ,wall, roof of the shelter .open
holes can cause unwanted access for rats, snakes, water etc. Ensure that all
cable passes are sealed ,check for the marks from water leaks.
14. QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND QUALITY PARAMETERS
FOR TOWERS
All nuts and bolts should be in place properly and should be tightened at the
base of the tower.

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Base plate should be grouted where not encased in concrete.
Check for lock nut for the foundation bolts or chiselling, welding on thread.
In first case base plate locknut is missing so it is not acceptable. In second
case base plate locknuts are welded or thread are chiselled. so it is according
to quality norms.

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Aviation lamp should be fixed on the top of the tower and should be
functional.
4.3 Role Of Tower Operation Center In Quality Management
While deploying and operating the Towers is one half of the business, efficiently
managing them and quality control on a day-to-day basis is the other half, which is
more critical. Delays in handling repairs or breakdowns can result in downtime, and
seriously affect the operator’s performance in that cluster. In order to minimize such
incidents and bring about efficiencies in the day-to-day Operations, Telecom tower
companies evolved the concept of a 'Tower Operations Center'. This is a centralized
Control Room that functions as a single point of contact for flashing and reporting all
site-downtime alerts, which are routed to the concerned service technician, and “feet
on street” who manage the Towers. The Center also maintains a whole lot of data on
the status of the companies towers across the country. Right from the health of the
equipment, down to the last service alert, every single piece of information is stored
and monitored by a large team of qualified personnel, with the help of sophisticated
Software and equipment.
For efficient operations, the Towers need to be maintained, serviced, repaired,
overhauled and upgraded from time to time. In order to streamline and simplify the
process, all this is managed from a single centralized location that operates 24x7,
Called the (TOC) Tower Operations center. All Trouble Tickets (TTs) pertaining to
the Towers are received at the TOC. Subsequently, based on the location, nature of
the problem, and availability of personnel, the Tickets are forwarded to the concerned
technician on his mobile phone. The Technician attends to the problem, and once
completed successfully, sends a “status complete” message from his mobile to the
TOC. The TOC maintains all historical data pertaining to the TTs, at one central
server.

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This information is then sliced and diced to understand the nature of the problems,
and undertake preventive maintenance and quality improvement. Further, the client is
updated from time to time about the Tickets, using advanced Reports. The Field
Technicians also receive training from time to time, using material culled from such
information.
How TOC helps Telecom infrastructure organizations to achieve their
Quality goals
 Reduced reaction times: All alarm and tickets raised are handled in the shortest
possible time, and in a highly skilled manner.
 Minimized Downtime: As a direct result of the above, Telecom Towers have
the best and highest local uptime which enhances the service and operations of
the telecom service provider.
 Tight control over SLAs: This helps the operator achieve much higher Return
on Investment on the operating costs.
 Optimum utilization of infrastructure and Lower energy cost
Tower operation center
TOC working

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The solution follows a ‘3IM Methodology’ where Instrumentation, Interconnect and
Intelligence come together to achieve better Quality Management practices.
1. Sensors placed at site in the NMS (Network Management System) box sense
minute changes in the normal functioning of a tower site - like changes in
temperature, door to the DG room being open/close etc. The NMS then polls the data
from these sensors and communicates the same instantly, in realtime, to the TOC,
using GPRS. In case the GPRS server is not able to establish connectivity with the
TOC due to any glitches, it’s programmed to make two more attempts, failing which
an SMS can be sent from the NMS. These events are continuously generated
throughout the day, from as many as 35000 sites, continuously reporting site
conditions, status updates and energy readings.
2. A homegrown application converts the SMS and GPRS feeds from the NMS and
OSS systems received from all circles that are in a binary format, into a text format.
3. All the event data is fed continuously in real-time to a Centralized Monitoring
system. Here, a ‘Rule Engine’ (the brain of this solution) analyses the data using
business rules that pertain to management of the passive infrastructure and converts
the data into ‘actionable intelligence’ that is then used to drive process workflows,
and relayed to the on-site workforce for issue closure.
4. Based on this data, an analytics layer processes all the infrastructure and process
data and provides insights on process performance, asset performance and energy
analytics. This helps Infratel identify opportunities for energy optimization, detect
irregularities, and proactively prevent service outages. This helps in better Incident
Management, Asset Management and Energy Management.
 Incident Management and Alarm Management
Proactive reporting of incidents before a site goes down, and reactive reporting on a
site when it’s down.
 Asset Management and Outage Management
Real-time/frequency based preventive maintenance as well as breakdown
maintenance of on-site assets.
 Energy Management

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Identify opportunities for Energy Optimization
 Fraud Detection
Detect incidents of willful sabotage, manipulation or ineffective handling of an asset
or issue – by the onsite workforce or 3rd party vendors
TOC Architecture
4.4 VARIOUS QUALITY TOOLS USED BY TELECOM INFRASTRUCTURE
ORGANIZATIONS:-
The objective of the quality control tools and technique is to solve problems and
effect improvements .The chosen tool should fit the particular problem or situation;
though many a time there may not be only one right way for a problem analysis. A
variety of analytical tools may be needed in conjunction with each other for some
problems, depending upon the situation, complexity of the problem and interactive
behaviour skill of the team members under a quality improvement setup. common
tools which is used for these purposes by telecom tower companies are:-
 Flow Diagram:- Flow diagrams also known as flow charts are graphic
representations that display and define the processes through the sequential
flow of operations. The primary purpose of a flow diagram is to provide
understanding as top what to measure and control at what point of the process.

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Flow diagrams is generally used with other statistical tools and techniques such
as process capability study. Flow chart can be constructed to indicate the
followings. A map of the system ,showing sequential flow of process activities
what goes into the process and when to measure. Inputs and outputs products or
services like what inputs are needed for certain outputs. Responsibility
locations and customer supplier relationship involved in the process. Flow
chart can range from macro level to micro level. Like by this flow diagram
Telecom infrastructure companies tries to improve the quality of their diesel
filling process so that they can stop the diesel pilferage. By the flow chart we
can easily find out the regions or point where diesel pilferage and diesel
wastage can possible and can eliminate or solve.
1
FLOW DIAGRAM OF DIESEL FILLING OPERATION
 CHECK SHEETS:- Check sheets are used to track the frequency of
occurrence of a specific event in the study or in the problem . check sheets are
used at sites to record the data in the form off a matrix chart. Check sheets
helps telecom infrastructure organizations by compiling data to prove or
disprove opinion ,to provide an easily understandable picture of a process and
its problem, to facilate comparison in various categories of data relating to
different time and cost etc. Some of the check sheets which are used by telecom
infrastructure organizations to control quality are 3*2 check sheets, site check
list, SHE Critical items checklist, IOCL outlet check list, Energy log check
sheet etc.

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Check Sheet
 CHARTS:- Charts are graphic displays of data for easy understanding of
relative positions that is not always possible with descriptive words or
numbers. Types of charts commonly used in business data presentation are :
Bar ,Pie and Run chart.

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 PIE-DIAGRAM:- Pie charts are circle graphs that displays 100% of data as circle
.The circle is divided into proportionate slices that represents categories whose
size is defined by the percentage of a category in the total .pie diagram is very
suitable for presenting various business result and quality issues. The below pie
chart shows the number of sites under the mentioned category in terms of
deviation in diesel consumption. The very high category shows the site where the
deviation between actual and standard is highest and the negative shows the sites
where the actual consumption is lower than the standard consumption. After
analyzing these sites separately can give a proper outcome about the
commonalities in them in terms of consumption and then only the action for
improvement can take place.
4.17 3.75 3.33
4.17 3.75 3.57 3.133.5
4 4
4.67 5
4 4
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
day 1 day 2 day 3 day 4 day 5 day 6 day 7
CPH 40KVA(2.8Kw+4TR
A/C) vs 25KVA(3Kw+3TR
A/C)
40 KVA 25 KVA

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 HISTOGRAM:- Histogram is a special bar chart that displays the frequency of
occurrence of a measure or characteristics of data from a process.In histogram
vertical axis represents the frequency and horizontal axis represents the
measurement or characteristic data,either in continuous or in discrete scale.
In this chart category of site which are named as high deviation are represented.
These sites have deviation between 300-500 ltrs from the standard. Though they are
not as danger as the very high ones but when it comes to cumulative deviation they
form a large part of it. The total deviation from these sites is around 3800 ltrs which in
monetary terms is ₹ 2.30 lakhs. So These sites when comes to individual level are
also causing big effect but they are not coming into eyes because of number of sites
they have. It is important to have a close watch on them for a few month to check the
areas from where the deviation is coming. These sites are critical in terms that if not
corrected now then with time they can move towards the very high level and cause a
major problem later on.
Page 70 of 77
Page 70 of 77
Average
Negative
Very High
520
430
BL 2206

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CHAPTER-5
SUGGESTIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
 To remove Visual unattractiveness of towers, towers companies should work on
enhancing the artistic appeal of their towers. They should tried to develop
camouflaged towers that merge with the backdrop. They should installed
aesthetically designed lightweight hybrid poles on the rooftops of buildings .This
has not only eliminate the need for large telecom towers but has also ensured
noise and vibration free operating sites with zero emissions.
 Towers radiate high radiation is a myth . Lack of knowledge is the root cause of
this issue. Towers companies only provides passive telecom infrastructure, the
active components, which use radiation for communication, are maintained by the
OPCOs (operating companies). It is also to be noted that the level of radiation
used in India is one-tenth of the strength used in many developed countries.
Towers companies should work on this issues and tries to remove this myth from
the mind of peoples. They should try to take help from telecom bodies like COAI,
and also start initiatives focused on educating the public.
 To tackle the problem of waste companies should tries to develop a waste
management system ,and tries to ensure compliance to regulations relating to
hazardous waste management.
 Telecom tower companies should try to adopt diesel free and renewable energy
solutions. So that carbon dioxide emission from diesel generators can be reduced.
 For creating skilled human resources companies can start their skills development
training program and can also partnered with technical trainings schools and
colleges.
 Implement a central monitoring and control system for site access providing
multilevel access based on operational requirements .
 Plan a regular maintenance schedule based on performance and operating
conditions of the equipment .
 Implement site performance monitoring framework and system and integrate the
monitoring system with the central monitoring systems such as NOC.
 The MNO needs to set strict monitoring and control practices to regularly monitor
the performance of the site and to assist in preventive and corrective maintenance
of the site operations .
 Monitor equipment level performance information to identify and address any
discrepancies and mitigate operational risks
 Set clear performance benchmarks and penalty clauses. An SLA for individual
components (PV, Battery, DG, Controller, rectifier etc.) should be agreed upon. If
any of these components are down or malfunctioning, the O&M partner or
supplier should be responsible for that and penalised .
 Site security is a major issue as there have been several cases of damage to tower
assets across the region. This risk has hindered MNOs/Tower Cos in rural areas

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from investing in green power alternatives for powering the network. Thefts of
equipment and fuel pilferage have affected the OPEX of telecom sites.
 Monitor fuel refilling supported by strict processes and guidelines to avoid
leakages in the fuel supply chain and logistics operations.

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CONCLUSION
In this competitive business scenario, the quality of processes for operating the
Telecom infrastructure business is very important .People of the organization and its
customers must be drawn in to the process of conducting the business to make them a
willing partner of the business process. It is a crucial factor for gaining an edge over
the competitors. Significance and importance of ‘quality’ approach in all processes
and activities of the Telecom infrastructure have been highlighted. In this report .I
tried to find out various issues faced by Passive infrastructure organizations which
affects the Quality.I also find out what are the various Quality management practices
followed by Passive infrastructure organizations. Use of Different quality tools i.e.
Histogram, check sheets, Pie diagram, Bar chart and Role of Tower operation center
in quality control has also been explored during this research. Data is collected from
relevant and reliable primary and secondary resources and analyzed carefully .I also
proposed some suggestion and recommendations.

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APPENDIX-I
REFERENCES
1. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, B. R. (n.d.). Powering celluler base station : A
quantitative analysis of energy options. Telecom Center of Excellence
(RiTCOE), Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
2. Chattaraj, V. G. (2012). Enabling Clean Talking. Greenpeace, India.
3. IBEF. (2013). Telecommunication. India brand equity foundation.
4. Indus Towers : About Us. (2014). Retrieved from Indus Towers : About Us:
www.Industowers.com/aboutus
5. Indus Towers: Footprint. (2014). Retrieved from Indus Towers:
www.industowers.com/footprint
6. Intelligent Energy. (2012). The True Cost of providing Energy to Telecom
Towers in India. Intelligent Energy.
7. Global Peers Management Group, (2012), “Telecom Sector Skill Council of
India”
8. Department of Telecommunication, New Delhi (2007), “Committee Report
for Setting up Telecom Centres of Excellence”
9. Chapter 2 Management Of Quality vs Total Quality of book [Total Quality
Management-SK Mandal] 2005.
10. Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India Recommendations on
“Telecommunications Infrastructure Policy” April 12, 2011.
11. Ankur Lal, CEO, Infozech Software - 10 August 2014 - “Infozech’s footprint
in India and Myanmar” Paper
12. NCN-EG-14 Tonse Telecom, Passive infrastructure report (2014)
13. Green Power for Mobile “Best practices operations guide”, published in 2013
14. Report of Department of Telecommunication ,Delhi in 2012 titled “Mobile
Base Station”
15. Paper by KPMG ”Passive Infrastructure Sharing in Telecommunications”
published in 2011
16. White Paper by Prashant Veer Singh CIO, Bharti Infratel on “Changing The
Landscope Of Telecom Infrastructure” 2012,
17. The thesis (Manufacturing and Erection of Telecommunication Towers 2012)
by Burpo, MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH CAMBRIDGE
18. Report on Telecom Infrastructure industry in India by ICRA (2012)
19. Chapter 10 Strategic tools for Radical performance Improvement of book
[Total Quality Management-SK Mandal] 2005
20. Report on “Environment Management and Total quality Management” by
Heikki Salkinoja (2013)
21. BSNL, “Total Quality Management ”Module (2011)

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22. http://www.tsscindia.com
23. http://www.tcoe.in
24. http://www.tsdsi.org/
25. “TSDSI Proposal”, (2010)
26. http://www.engineersgarage.com/articles/wireless_communication
27. http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/wireless/f/whatiswireless.htm
28. http://wireless.sys-con.com/node/3025065
29. http://www.rcrwireless.com/article/20140113/wireless/2014-predictions-six-
trends-the-telecom-industry-should-look-out-for-in-2014/
30. http://www.icra.in/
31. http://www.nasdaq.com/article/celltower-firms-stand-tall-in-infrastructure-
field-cm192574#ixzz35jafINmb
32. http://www.livemint.com/Industry/vgJwmveJPFUhy52WV8BWoN/The-rise-
of-Indian-telecom-tower-companies.html?utm_source=copy
33. http://www.bharti-infratel.com/cps-portal/web/overview.html
34. http://www.americantower.com/corporateus
35. http://www.industowers.com/footprint.php
36. http://www.viomnetworks.com/aboutus
37. http://www.gtlinfra.com/faqs.asp

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APPENDIX-II
QUESTIONNAIRE
On Dissertation Project
“Quality Management Practices Used By Telecom Infrastructure Organizations”
Section I: Organisational Profile
1. Name of the Organisation
2. Your area of work in the organisation
(A) Management [ ]
(B) Operations [ ]
(C) Marketing [ ]
(D) Quality control [ ]
(E) Any other (Please specify)
3. How would you currently rate the Passive Telecom Infrastructure in India?
(A)Poor [ ] (B) Average [ ] (C) Good [ ] (D) Very Good [ ] (E) Excellent [ ]
4. Quality management plays an important role in effective working of site.
(A)Yes [ ] (B) No [ ]
5. Please Name some Quality control tools used for quality management practices.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Respondent,
As a part of my dissertation at Amity University- MBA Telecom Management, I am conducting
this survey to find out various issues faced by Passive infrastructure organizations with
respect to Quality management and also to explore Quality management practices followed
by Passive infrastructure organizations. Your feedback in this regard will form a significant
input to this study. We request you to spare some of your valuable time in responding to this
questionnaire. The objective of this survey is purely research and academic, therefore, all
responses will be kept completely confidential.

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7. What is the visual appearance of cell Towers in your cluster.
(A)Conventional [ ] (B) Innovative [ ]
8. Are the peoples who lives surrounding the tower sites area are aware the
fact that Passive telecom towers does not radiates radiations?
(A)Conventional [ ] (B) Innovative [ ]
8. Tower Operation Center plays an important role in quality management?
(A)Agree [ ] (B) Disagree [ ]
9. Explain some Acceptable and Not Acceptable Quality Parameters for the
Following:-
S.no EQUIPMENT ACCEPTABLE NOT
ACCEPTABLE
1. ELECTRICITY BOARD
SUPPLY
2. SITE ELECTRICALS
3. POWER MANAGEMENT
UNIT/PIU
4. SWITCH MODE POWER
SUPPLY
5. AIR CONDITIONER
6. BATTERY BANK
7. DIESEL GENERATOR
SET
8. EARTHING
9. ENERGY
10. FIRE AND SAFETY
11. HOUSE KEEPING
12. GENERAL
13. SITE ACCESS
14. SHELTER
15. TOWER

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