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Tag: Net Neutrality TSP Internet Broadband TRAI Telecommunication National Security Customer Privacy

  • TRAI recommends liberalised internet telephony and emergency services

    TRAI recommends liberalised internet telephony and emergency services

    NEW DELHI: Internet telephony services can be provided by access service providers to its subscribers who may be using Internet of other access service providers as Internet Telephony service is un-tethered from the underlying access network.

    In its final recommendations on internet telephony, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has said that the Department of Telecom (DoT) should issue a clarification to the effect since this is the authority’s understanding of present access service licences.

    However, if the DoT has a different understanding, the authority recommends that the DoT may issue an amendment to access service licences so that Internet telephony service is un-tethered from the underlying access Network.

    TRAI had issued a consultation paper on the Regulatory Framework on Internet Telephony on 22 June 2016 issued after noting that unified IP based backbone and the benefits associated with the converged telecom access has enabled service providers to launch several converged services such as internet telephony, IPTV, mobile TV etc.

    In the consultation paper, TRAI had also pointed out that the use of internet protocol (IP)-based networks, including the internet, continues to grow around the world due to the multitude of applications it supports and particularly due to Voice Over IP (VoIP). IP-based networks are capable of providing real-time services such as voice and video telephony as well as non real-time services such as email and are driven by faster internet connections, widespread take-up in broadband and the emergence of new technologies.

    The final recommendations also say that the UL (VNO) licensee with access service authorisation should also be allowed to provide un-tethered  Internet Telephony in the designated service area.

    Internet Telephony calls originated by International out roamers from international locations should be handed over at the international gateway of licensed ILDOs and international termination charges should be paid to the terminating access service provider. In case the access provider is not able to ensure that internet telephony call originated outside the country is coming through ILDO gateway, international out-roaming to internet telephony subscribers of the access provider should not be allowed.

    A service provider should use the mobile numbering series for providing internet telephony. TSPs should be allowed to allocate same number to the subscriber for both cellular mobile service and internet telephony service.

    A service provider may also use the SDCA linked numbering series for providing internet   telephony. However, in this case, mobility should be limited to consumer premises.

    The access service providers providing Internet Telephony service  may be encouraged to facilitate access to emergency number calls using location  services; however, they may not  be mandated to provide  such services at present. The subscribers may be informed about the limitations of providing access to emergency services to internet telephony subscribers in unambiguous terms.

    Full recommendations can be seen on www.trai.gov.in

     

  • TRAI studies Net Neutrality to ensure National Security and Customer Privacy

    TRAI studies Net Neutrality to ensure National Security and Customer Privacy

    NEW DELHI: With mounting pressure from different quarters for and against net neutrality with some wanting greater freedom and others opposing this, the Telecom Regulatory Authority wants to know what India’s policy should be and/or regulatory approach in dealing with issues relating to net neutrality

    The regulator has also asked what should be regarded as the core principles of net neutrality in the Indian context and what key issues are required to be considered so that the principles of net neutrality are ensured.

    These queries have been asked in a pre-Consultation Paper on Net Neutrality and stakeholders have been asked to respond by 21 June.

    The regulator has also asked what the reasonable traffic management practices that may need to be followed by telecom service providers should be while providing Internet access services and whether there any other current or potential practices in India that may give rise to concerns about net neutrality or its misuse.

    Stakeholders have been asked about the precautions with respect to the activities of TSPs and content providers to ensure that national security interests are preserved, and customer privacy is maintained.

    TRAI also wants to know what further issues should be considered for a comprehensive policy framework for defining the relationship between TSPs and Over-The-Top content providers.

    The regulator says it had issued a paper on 27 March last year and after much discussion among stakeholders and the government, the Department of Telecom had asked TRAI certain questions leading to the present paper.

    At the outset, TRAI says that during the last decade, the telecom industry in India has grown tremendously, both in terms of penetration as well as connectivity. Today,
    India is one of the fastest growing information and communication technologies markets in the world, fuelled largely by the cellular mobile revolution. Starting from a few million connections in 1997, there are more than a billion connections, with 97.5 percent of them being wireless subscribers. With this, the overall teledensity in India at the end of 2015 stood at 81.83 percent.

    India has also witnessed tremendous growth in terms of the total number of Internet users. At the end of December 2015, there were over 331 million  (33.1 crore) Internet subscribers in the country, of which about 94 percent (over 311 million or 31.1 crore) were wireless Internet users.

    The current nature of telecommunications and internet access services in India is therefore largely wireless. The number of broadband users has also been increasing steadily over the years. At present, India has approximately 136.5 million (13.65 crore) broadband subscribers, a figure that is expected to rise significantly in the coming years, particularly in light of the Government’s ‘Digital India’ initiative.

    This initiative emphasizes the electronic delivery of services to all citizens as an urgent national priority, with ‘Broadband for All’ as one of its fundamental pillars. Providing broadband to all will require a significant expansion of service providers’ networks, with substantial investments in infrastructure development

    Referring to Net Neutrality, TRAI says the term generally refers to the principle that TSPs must treat all Internet traffic on an equal basis, without regard to the type, origin, or destination of the content or the means of its transmission. It therefore implies that all points in a network should be able to seamlessly connect to all other points, without any discrimination by the TSP on aspects of speed, access or price. Adherence to this principle of net neutrality is arguably necessary for maintaining the open and non-discriminatory character of the Internet, features that are responsible for the phenomenal growth of the Internet in the past decades.

    The proliferation of a vast variety of applications, websites, and other forms of content on the Internet, has enhanced user choice and paved the way for greater innovation and competition. The diverse range of services available on the Internet has varying characteristics, uses and bandwidth requirements. Increasing Internet usage, particularly of services that consume high bandwidth, may require TSPs to adopt certain reasonable measures to protect the integrity of the network and provide appropriate quality of services to their users, while working within the ‘best efforts’ design of the Internet.

    The regulator therefore says this merits a deeper enquiry into the various issues relevant to the subject of net neutrality, including determining the reasonableness of traffic management tools that may be adopted by TSPs; understanding the importance of unrestricted access to the Internet; transparency and informed choice by users; customer privacy and national security. 

  • TRAI studies Net Neutrality to ensure National Security and Customer Privacy

    TRAI studies Net Neutrality to ensure National Security and Customer Privacy

    NEW DELHI: With mounting pressure from different quarters for and against net neutrality with some wanting greater freedom and others opposing this, the Telecom Regulatory Authority wants to know what India’s policy should be and/or regulatory approach in dealing with issues relating to net neutrality

    The regulator has also asked what should be regarded as the core principles of net neutrality in the Indian context and what key issues are required to be considered so that the principles of net neutrality are ensured.

    These queries have been asked in a pre-Consultation Paper on Net Neutrality and stakeholders have been asked to respond by 21 June.

    The regulator has also asked what the reasonable traffic management practices that may need to be followed by telecom service providers should be while providing Internet access services and whether there any other current or potential practices in India that may give rise to concerns about net neutrality or its misuse.

    Stakeholders have been asked about the precautions with respect to the activities of TSPs and content providers to ensure that national security interests are preserved, and customer privacy is maintained.

    TRAI also wants to know what further issues should be considered for a comprehensive policy framework for defining the relationship between TSPs and Over-The-Top content providers.

    The regulator says it had issued a paper on 27 March last year and after much discussion among stakeholders and the government, the Department of Telecom had asked TRAI certain questions leading to the present paper.

    At the outset, TRAI says that during the last decade, the telecom industry in India has grown tremendously, both in terms of penetration as well as connectivity. Today,
    India is one of the fastest growing information and communication technologies markets in the world, fuelled largely by the cellular mobile revolution. Starting from a few million connections in 1997, there are more than a billion connections, with 97.5 percent of them being wireless subscribers. With this, the overall teledensity in India at the end of 2015 stood at 81.83 percent.

    India has also witnessed tremendous growth in terms of the total number of Internet users. At the end of December 2015, there were over 331 million  (33.1 crore) Internet subscribers in the country, of which about 94 percent (over 311 million or 31.1 crore) were wireless Internet users.

    The current nature of telecommunications and internet access services in India is therefore largely wireless. The number of broadband users has also been increasing steadily over the years. At present, India has approximately 136.5 million (13.65 crore) broadband subscribers, a figure that is expected to rise significantly in the coming years, particularly in light of the Government’s ‘Digital India’ initiative.

    This initiative emphasizes the electronic delivery of services to all citizens as an urgent national priority, with ‘Broadband for All’ as one of its fundamental pillars. Providing broadband to all will require a significant expansion of service providers’ networks, with substantial investments in infrastructure development

    Referring to Net Neutrality, TRAI says the term generally refers to the principle that TSPs must treat all Internet traffic on an equal basis, without regard to the type, origin, or destination of the content or the means of its transmission. It therefore implies that all points in a network should be able to seamlessly connect to all other points, without any discrimination by the TSP on aspects of speed, access or price. Adherence to this principle of net neutrality is arguably necessary for maintaining the open and non-discriminatory character of the Internet, features that are responsible for the phenomenal growth of the Internet in the past decades.

    The proliferation of a vast variety of applications, websites, and other forms of content on the Internet, has enhanced user choice and paved the way for greater innovation and competition. The diverse range of services available on the Internet has varying characteristics, uses and bandwidth requirements. Increasing Internet usage, particularly of services that consume high bandwidth, may require TSPs to adopt certain reasonable measures to protect the integrity of the network and provide appropriate quality of services to their users, while working within the ‘best efforts’ design of the Internet.

    The regulator therefore says this merits a deeper enquiry into the various issues relevant to the subject of net neutrality, including determining the reasonableness of traffic management tools that may be adopted by TSPs; understanding the importance of unrestricted access to the Internet; transparency and informed choice by users; customer privacy and national security.