(a) Whether the Telephone Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has lifted curbs on Internet Telephony services in the
country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether this move to TRAI will lead to cheaper STD rates in the country; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI A. RAJA)
(a)& (b) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has submitted its recommendations on “Issues related to
Internet Telephony†on 18th August, 2008 to the Government, inter-alia, recommending that Internet Telephony may be
permitted to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with permission to provide Internet Telephony calls to Public Switched
Telephone Network (PSTN)/Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) and vice-versa within country. As on date, no decision has been
taken by the Government on these recommendations.
(c) & (d) STD tariff are under forbearance. However, TRAI in its above recommendations has viewed that there would be
cost saving by transmitting the call-over Internet Protocol (IP) based network (i.e. Internet Telephony) that may be passed
on to the user in the form of lower tariff by service providers.