ISPAI sees Internet telephony as a win-win for all

NEW DELHI: Welcoming the imminent opening up of the Internet telephony from April 1, 2002, ISPAI, the apex body representing ISPs, says that TRAI has after a transparent consultative process come up with a very balanced set of recommendations for permitting Internet telephony in India. ISPAI says that Internet telephony will not only help in spreading the Internet culture throughout the nation but will also provide a welcome boost to the fortunes of basic operators, ISPs, cyber cafes and ultimately, even PCOs.

ISPAI also feels that by restricting Internet telephony to PC to PC (within and outside India) and PC to Phone (outside India only) the regulator has proposed measures that will allow all stakeholders to benefit without hurting the interests of any particular category. Moreover, in order to ensure a level-playing field for all, TRAI has kept PC to Phone (in India) as well as Phone to Phone out of the purview of Internet telephony. This will also ensure that considerable foreign exchange earnings that accrue to India from accounting rate settlement, is not disturbed.

Elaborating on the benefits of Internet telephony, Amitabh Singhal, Secretary, ISPAI said, "Allowing Internet telephony will bring a widespread, albeit currently illegal practice, into the legal domain, thereby substantially increasing revenues for the government as well."

The association further states that Internet telephony increases the overall utilisation of basic service operators' and national long distance operators' networks, allowing more conversation per link than otherwise possible from the traditional TDM telephony.

In a very short span of time Internet telephony will allow lakhs of Public Booth Operators in the country to become Public Tele Info kiosks offering PC-PC and PC-to-phone calls for its customers at much cheaper rates. This will be an enormous benefit for those living in non-metro towns and in rural areas, especially those who cannot afford computer or telephone.