The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is planning a convergence of voice data services.
It is expected to send a proposal to the government for allowing cable operators in rural areas to offer basic telephony and Internet services.
Trai is also to suggest a reduction in the licence fee and spectrum charges for rural cellular services. It is also proposed that Internet protocol-based telephony is permitted and the licensing structure amended, allowing broadband providers to offer voice services in rural India.
At present, cable operators like Hathway provide television channels and Internet browsing facilities in bigger cities. Unified licence holders like Bharti and Reliance can offer Internet, phone and cable services.
While service providers have not offered these three services together to landline subscribers, the services come packaged on high-end mobile phones.
The department of telecommunications is simultaneously initiating amendments to the Telegraph Act to let cellular operators have access to the universal service obligation fund. At present, the USO fund is available only to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd for its fixed-line services in rural areas.
"The government has invested heavily in rural telephony and it subsidises the cost of the telephone instrument, but these have not produced the requisite results. We are working out models to force the rural market to proliferate".
Raja
OSP India Information Security Prvate Limited (OSP Global, LLC)
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