DoT clears internet telephony

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New Delhi: The telecom department has come out with guideline that will allow 4G players to offer mobile telephony.
This move will allow Mukesh Ambani firm Reliance Jio Infocomm, which holds pan-India 4G licences to offer voice telephony besides high speed data services. The other companies which will benefit from it are Augere and Tikona Digital.
This could be good news for the consumers as due to the cancellation of telecom licences there was a fear that voice tariffs could go up due to decrease in competition.
Already many telecom players are indicating that they will be hiking mobile tariffs in the coming days by atleast 10 paise per minute.
If 4G players like Mukesh Ambani’s cash rich Reliance decides to enter the voice segment also it could again flare up competition in the telecom sector to the advantage of the consumers.
“For migration of ISP with BWA spectrum to Unified License (UL) regime with authorisation of providing access services, which enables it to provide mobile voice services also using BWA spectrum, an additional fee equal to the difference between the entry fee for UASL and entry fee paid for ISP license shall be payable in addition to the entry fee as applicable for new UL,” said the guidelines issued by the telecommunication department.
The additional fee payable by companies, that own wireless broadband spectrum (BWA) being used for 4G services but have ISP licence, comes out to be Rs 1,658.57 crore excluding fees payable for unified licences for pan India, according to the guidelines.
Airtel and Aircel which too had won 4G spectrum already offer mobile services. Reliance is expected to start 4G services by the end of the current year. The company is in the process of signing various logistic deals including those with RComm and Bharti Airtel.