In its recommendations, TRAI has permitted ISPs (Internet service providers) to provide unrestricted Internet telephony. Making long distance calls (STDs) will be cheaper now as the recommendations say that national long distance (NLD) operators shall be permitted to connect to ISPs through public Internet (Internet cloud) for unrestricted Internet telephony. To accomplish the same, ISPs and NLD operators shall have mutual agreement for unrestricted Internet telephony. NLD operators are required to make suitable commercial and technical arrangements with access providers for unrestricted Internet telephony.
As per recommendations, Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), under Department of Telecommunications (DoT), is required to identify distinct number resources for Internet telephony subscribers. Telephone numbers from identified blocks shall be allocated to ISPs, UASPs (unified access service providers), BSOs (basic service operators) and CMSPs (cellular mobile service provider) for Internet telephony. However, unlike telecom services, under the new recommended regime, emergency number dialling is not mandated to ISPs. But it also calls for all ISPs interested to provide unrestricted Internet telephony to install lawful interception equipment.
While the recommendations have received praise from the Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI) and NASSCOM, the cellphone operators are a bit unhappy with the developments. They have been lobbying for a long time to keep restrictions on Internet telephony on the basis of level playing ground and growth of the telecom sector. But, eventually, it seems that TRAI has finally gone for end-users.
According to Economic Times, "The GSM operators lobby COAI Director General T V Ramachandran demanded that there should be level playing field and that telecom regulator TRAI's recommendations are against the very basic principle of level-playing field since they allow unrestricted Internet telephony to ISPs at no additional cost."
TRAI seems to have touched on that point in its press statement. The statement says, "Level playing field issues were being advocated against permitting these services under various licenses. Globally, telecommunications are being shaped by steep growth of broadband and wireless subscribers. The regulatory environment should be dynamic, enabling, efficient and encourage competition. Hence regulatory framework for Internet telephony has to be considered in view of convergence and other similar developments taking place across the globe."
On the other hand, NASSCOM has welcomed the TRAI recommendations on issues related to Internet telephony. The NASSOM statement says, "Once approved, this move will effectively remove the last barrier to Internet telephony, and act as a natural corollary. This has also been on NASSCOM agenda, and we have been working towards this. Voice transmission over Internet was permitted 'from PC to PC' and 'from PC to a phone' internationally. As a direct implication, this move will now allow voice transmission over internet for a 'PC to phone in India', which will benefit the BPO industry to a large extent."
Internet service providers are also rejoicing the development. "We congratulate the TRAI and expect that the government will implement these recommendations in its entirety, forthwith. Internet telephony in India could become the ‘killer app’ for broadband penetration – which has sadly lagged far behind the very successful mobile telephony in India," says Rajesh Chharia, president, ISPAI.
According to TRAI, these recommendations are a step forward towards developing supportive regulatory environment, encouraging technological advancements, enabling convergence, making unrestricted Internet telephony available and boosting of broadband penetration. These enabling recommendations will put Indian telecom sector in tune with global trends. The grey market tendencies shall be curtailed.
It is envisaged that while the customers will ultimately benefit from cost-effective and innovative Internet telephony service, the business model of ISPs will improve without impacting access providers due to increase in the telephony call volumes.
In the end, it is the end user who is going to reap the benefits of TRAI's recommendations. What does all this mean to an ordinary caller? Making a long distance call is going to be much more cheaper! |
