The telecom regulator, Trai’s consultation paper on issues pertaining to internet telephony saw the operators opposing the move to allow internet service providers to offer internet telephony calls.

Presently Indian subscribers are allowed to make PC-to-phone calls to any number abroad. But the same facility is not allowed to make calls to domestic numbers. Trai had floated a consultation paper on allowing even domestic calls to be made through internet telephony.

GSM lobby COAI said that the ISPs should be subject to same entry fee, licence fee, revenue share and other terms and conditions as applicable to existing licensees of UASL. COAI also sought the ambiguities pertaining to definition and scope of the service to be cleared out along with other issues like numbering plan and interconnection so that even existing operators could offer internet telephony services.

AUSPI too agreed with COAI as it said that only UASL operators should be allowed to offer internet telephony services.

According to ISPAI (Internet Service Providers Association of India) the situation works out to be a win-win situation for access providers as well since they will also get termination charges.