The Department of Telecom (DoT) has reportedly approached the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), in search of its views on the preparation of a framework for the regulation of web messaging and voice calling purposes. The regulation could possibly be directed at over-the-top (OTT) service suppliers like Meta-owned WhatsApp, Signal, Google Meet, and different apps and providers, in response to a report. Telecom operators in India for years requested TRAI to make sure the its guidelines for telcos are additionally relevant to those providers that present related calling and messaging performance.   

TRAI’s earlier suggestions on web telephony weren’t accepted by the DoT, after which the latter sought complete reference on web telephony and OTT service suppliers that permit customers to make calls and ship messages over the web, in response to a report by PTI citing an unnamed authorities official.  

TRAI had beforehand said that there was no want to manage OTT providers, and the DoT final week requested TRAI for brand spanking new suggestions, in mild of the altering surroundings with new applied sciences. At the time, TRAI had really helpful that web service suppliers (ISPs) may present web telephony for making calls on cellphone networks, in the event that they paid interconnection prices (which have since been scrapped for telecom operators) and put in lawful interception tools, as per the report. 

The authorities is but to formally announce plans to manage OTT service suppliers. 

It is value noting that TRAI has been going through strain from telecom operators for years, over the regulation of OTT gamers within the nation. The telcos have argued that these providers ought to pay licensing charges and be topic to the identical guidelines associated to lawful interception, and high quality of service.