WhatsApp calls to be regulated? Centre mulls new policy

Voice call services of popular apps like WhatsApp, Signal, Google Meet, Skype, Facetime, Viber, among others, are likely to come under government regulation. Messaging may be left untouched as it is already being regulated under the intermediary rules, which came into force from May 26, 2021.

Last week, the Department of Telecom (DoT) sought the views of sector regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to prepare a framework for regulating internet calling and messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, Google Meet, etc.

TRAI recommendation sent back

The DoT had in August last week sent back a recommendation of TRAI on internet telephony issued in 2008, for review, and has asked the sector regulator to come up with a comprehensive reference due to the change in technical environment amid the emergence of new technologies.

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“The Internet Telephony recommendation of TRAI was not accepted by the DoT. The Department has now sought comprehensive reference from TRAI for internet telephony and over-the-top players,” an official said.

If brought under a licensing framework, such firms would need to provide legal interception of calls, which currently applies to telecom operators, to security agencies. They would also need to pay an annual licence fee to the government.

Telecom operators have been asking the government to apply the principle of “same service same rules” to the industry. They have frequently asked that internet calling and messaging apps should pay the same level of licence fee, comply with regulation of legal interception, quality of service etc, as applicable to telecom operators and internet service providers (ISPs).

A longstanding issue

In 2008, Trai had recommended that ISPs be allowed to provide internet telephony, including calls on normal telephone networks, but they will have to pay interconnection charges, install lawful interception equipment as per the requirement of security agencies etc.

The issue was raised by telecom operators in 2016-17 as well, when the issue of net neutrality was being discussed by the regulator and the government. However, the government did not impose any restrictions on call and messaging service being provided by apps.

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The regulator, however, eased the cost burden on telecom operators by removing interconnect usage charges (IUC) to bring their calling cost at par with that of calling apps. IUC is a charge that is paid by a telco to another operator when its customers make voice calls to subscribers of the rival network.

However, calling and messaging apps never had to pay any such charge.