Now WhatsApp and Skype calls for Landline

When was the last time you dialed a number from a fixed line? Think…continue…will be a while before you can answer that one, right? With landlines all set to go the way of the Dodo, online messaging and calls apps like Whatsapp, Skype and Viber announced that they will allow users to make calls to landline numbers. The calling rates will be decided by the ISPs and telcos, which is another way of saying it won’t be free, but it is expected to be lower than the existing call rates. Subscribers will be able to make calls on the landline or mobile networks across different service provider networks.

"The move has been cleared by the inter-ministerial telecom commission and groundwork to get it going will start soon," an official source was quoted as saying.

Sector regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had already recommended the measure to allow interconnect for Voice over Internet Protocol (or VoIP) services, and this had been pending with the telecom ministry for a while now. Changes will be made to licence conditions to allow interconnection of internet protocol networks.

Hemant Joshi, the telecom analyst at Deloitte, said, "The government has removed a major policy hurdle to allow interplay between the internet and non-internet networks". Prashant Singhal, the telecom sector lead at Ernst & Young, "This is big and can have a substantial impact on operator revenues. Data calls are always cheaper than voice calls."

However, the move while being beneficial for consumers may pose a challenge for security agencies. TRAI will have to address the issue of termination charges that internet companies will need to pay to mobile operators for transferring their calls on their networks.

TRAI officials have indicated that they will set inter-connection charges for internet calls after the government allows amendments to the Unified License framework. "Work on this will start soon and TRAI will look into the matter," the official source said.

Significantly, internet calling has gained traffic as data speeds get better and smartphone sales increase. While internet calling is still at an early stage in domestic calling, it is very popular for people who travel internationally.