Govt gives conditional nod for video calls

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Telecom service providers have been given conditional nod to run video calls on their network which was barred by the government due to security reasons.

The government has asked operators to develop and demonstrate interception capability of video calls on their network by July 31, 2011 for continuous carriage of video calls facility on their network.

After examination of various options, it has now been decided to permit carriage of calls on mobile networks subject to an undertaking being provided by the concerned service providers that they shall demonstrate the required capability by July 31, 2011, said a statement issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

It said the operators have to develop the required technical capabilities and offer the same for testing sufficiently in advance so that the testing process is completed and communication regarding satisfactory testing can be issued by the DoT to the service providers by July 31, 2011.

If the demonstration is not up to the satisfaction of the government, the service providers stand committed as per the undertaking unconditionally and unequivocally to withdraw the video call service from their network immediately, it added.

The matter regarding the carriage of video calls in the network of mobile service providers was under consideration of the government. It was noted that the intercepted video calls were not being delivered to the security agencies in the desired manner.

According to industry sources an Israeli vendor that has majority of market share in interception solution deployed in Indian telecom network has sought six months' time for developing a solution that can provide live monitoring of video calls.

However, an Indian company claimed that it has solution ready for live monitoring of video calls but telecom players expressed their discomfort in going with the new vendor.

CIOL, in an interaction with Zohar Zisapel, chairman, RAD Data Communications, has also learnt that solutions for live monitoring of video calls are available.

The decision taken by the government can be seen in the commercial interest of Indian telecom service providers to continue with their existing vendor and develop solution by the end of the second half of this year.