Question on legality of 3pcc VoIP call in India
Posted by tggokul on July 22, 2007
I have a question which hopefully somebody can answer.
Terminating a VoIP call in TDM is illegal in India ( if you don’t have the license to do it). Question is does this hold good for a 3pcc? ( Third party call control) as well. I will discuss sometime later this day ( when I write the summary for Proto Day 2) the reason why this cropped up.
Basically, let’s say that I have a Soft PBX making calls to two mobile endpoints and then connecting them ( A typical 3pcc call). Is this legal in India? The reasoning behind banning the VoIP termination on TDM was that the existing licensed vendors were loosing out which would make sense in this case as well. So is there a legal section that bans this as well?
Anybody with views on this?
Vijay said
Interesting..
I don’t know the answer to your question but I was under the impression that the license was for the wireless spectrum and not for telephony connectivity. Even if I were to use 3pcc to connect two mobile users, both will incur air time minutes (at least in the US) so I don’t see how it should be illegal.
A company like say TCS could leverage their large data bandwidth and connect the Madras and Calcutta offices via the Internet. Does BSNL cry foul ?
tggokul said
Vijay,
As you have said, it probably would have been true had the service providers charge for incoming ( like US). But in India where incoming is free, air time utilized in 3pcc would be absolutely free.
And VoIP across enterprise is not illegal. You are using the backbone you are paying for anyway ( the WAN link for example). That is the reason why the service providers don’t cry foul for that.
Gokul
anonymous said
From what I know off…
India’s telecom policy prevents the following
- You cannot have International VoIP switching, interconnected with domestic VoIP switching.
That is…
Say you have a VoIP phone that is connected to a SoftPBX or IP PBX . Assume this phone has a multi-line capability and also presents an extension from a domestic IPPBX (one that is connected via WAN links to offices across India).
In such a scenario one could easily conference in a International VoIP call with a domestic VoIP call or dial a MTNL number in India and connect that to a International number.
In such a case you are by-passing the telecom Gods in India – Which deems it illegal.
————-
If you were to use softPBX or a SIP B2BUA or other to connect two wireless or wireline users – you should be fine. Since you are still going via the carriers network.
Check the policy and dont quote me on it
Gokul’s question on the legality of 3pcc VoIP calls in India said
[...] Question on legality of 3pcc VoIP call in India « Gokul Blog — A conversation on VoIP, IMS, Cisco… Basically, let’s say that I have a Soft PBX making calls to two mobile endpoints and then connecting them ( A typical 3pcc call). Is this legal in India? The reasoning behind banning the VoIP termination on TDM was that the existing licensed vendors were loosing out which would make sense in this case as well. So is there a legal section that bans this as well? [...]
Keshav said
HI,
Is connecting a traditional phone line to a voip box legal in India i.e allow calling a voip box using a normal phone line.
Thank you for your time
Pali said
Can someone give me a list of TDM providers (legal) in India?