The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recommended on Monday that restrictions be lifted on internet telephony in the country.
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recommended on Monday that restrictions be lifted on internet telephony in the country. If the government accepts the proposal, STD call rates could come down by as much as 50% and hefty cell phone bills while on roaming could be history.
At present, it is possible to make calls over the internet but only from one computer to another. Trai’s proposal is to allow long-distance calls over the internet from computers to landline and mobile phones.
While this is good news for internet service providers (ISPs), telecom companies aren’t amused as the move will lead to further slashing of the already low STD rates.
Also, some experts say there may not be enough takers immediately. That is because it must either have a geographical coverage matching cellular networks or be rolled out over 3G networks — both distant possibilities in India.
The proposal had been on hold for years, India being among the few countries with restrictions on internet telephony. “It is envisaged that customers will ultimately benefit from cost-effective and innovative internet telephony service,” Trai said in a statement.
Trai hopes its recommendations would lead to increased broadband penetration.
Currently, there are only 4.38 million broadband subscribers despite the lofty target of a user base of 9 million by 2007-end.
“ISPs are not permitted to provide unrestricted internet telephony though they have IP (internet protocol)-based infrastructure,” Trai said. “Such regulatory restrictions discourage technological advancements and result in grey market activities to provide these services to common masses.”
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