The Department of Telecom (DoT) has reached out to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for its opinion on developing a framework to regulate internet calling and messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and others. To recall, TRAI’s older recommendation on Internet telephony from 2008 has already been returned by the DoT for review, noting changes in the industry and the advent of new technology.
In a recent report by PTI, a government official stated, “the Internet Telephony recommendation of TRAI was not accepted by the DoT. The Department has now sought a comprehensive reference from TRAI for internet telephony and over-the-top players.”
Meanwhile, the telecom companies are also requesting the government to level the playing field in the industry on the basis of “same service, same rules”. They are urging the government to charge the same license fee and follow the same regulatory interception and quality of service requirements for the service.
Notably, earlier TRAI argued against the necessity for regulation of the apps and services that offer internet telephony and internet messaging. However, the DoT rejected the suggestions and asked for more clarification.
The DoT requested additional suggestions from TRAI last week in light of the emergence of new technology. According to the report, TRAI suggested that internet service providers (ISPs) could offer internet telephony for placing calls on phone networks in exchange for payment of interconnection fees, which have since been eliminated for telecom operators. They could also offer the service if they installed equipment for lawful interception and paid the interconnection fees.
Notably, the government’s proposals to regulate internet telephony and messaging service providers like WhatsApp, Google Meet, and Signal have not yet been announced officially.
The question remains, why are telecom operators demanding to regulate internet calling and messaging? Well, with the availability of high-speed internet, people are opting for instant messaging online and prefer video and voice via the internet. Due to this, the telecom sector is going through a financial loss. In order to provide the calling and SMS service, these companies pay licensing fees too. As a workaround, these companies are asking the government to mandate the license fee for apps that offer online calling and messaging benefits.
