Consultation Paper on Internet Telephony- (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) (22 Jun 2016)

Media and Communication

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India released a paper discussing developments in use of the internet as a means of spontaneous communication, and inherent cannibalisation of “traditional circuit switched telephone networks”.

Not to be confused with ‘Internet Telephony’ - voice transmitted over public internet, Voice over IP involves transmission over managed IP networks. TRAI notes the fundamental distinction between the two to be sound quality.

It adds that VoIP uses network resources much more efficiently than conventional (landline) telephone services, reducing the costs of providing a call.

However, more radical is its observation that network and voice services need not be owned and operated by the same firm. Though unlikely in the near term, TRAI may be opening the door for ‘telecom’ service providers that provide similar services to today’s telecom companies, but solely through internet-based services. Moreover, despite the preponderance of mobile phone connections across the country, numbering over a billion connections, there are only about 150 million users availing broadband internet services.

TRAI has raised several questions for consultation prime among which are: a regulatory and licensing framework before internet service providers are allowed to provide unrestricted internet telephony; framework for interaction between internet and traditional networks; quality of service parameters for providers, and; betterment of emergency services.

TRAI is receiving feedback and comments on the consultation till 27 July 2016.

Tags : TRAI VOICE OVER IP INTERNET TELEPHONY