ISPs asked to discontinue VPN services

NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked the ISPs to discontinue their VPN services by February 17, 2005, unless otherwise permitted by the competent authority.

According to a DoT notification, some ISPs are providing VPN services in contravention to the terms and conditions as stipulated in Clause 1.12.1 of Schedule C part II of the license agreement, which says that the licensee shall not engage provision of any other telecom service unless so licensed.






Licenses for provision of Internet services have been issued under the provisions of Section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act 1885. The license agreement stipulates under its terms and conditions that the services or service means Internet access and or content services except telephony on Internet. Provisioning of VPN services is not covered under the terms and conditions of the license.