TRAI's step to provide backdoor entry to ISPs

New Delhi, May 16 (UNI) Disagreeing with TRAI's recommendation permitting Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to offer internet telephony, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) today said it will give them a backdoor entry to offer voice telephony.

''The step will help ISPs compete directly with the access providers, whilst paying only a fraction of their license fees, thus creating serious issues of non level playing field,'' COAI Director General T V Ramachandran said in a statement today.

He said that in response to the consultation paper submitted by TRAI, it should ensure that the scope of the ISP license is not enlarged at the cost of UASL/CMTS operators.

Mr Ramachandran said that UASL/CMTS operators had paid high entry fees for the right to offer access/mobile services.

In order to ensure level playing field it was imperative that any ISPs desiring of providing internet telephony should be required to migrate to a UASL license and be subject to the same revenue share, license fee and other conditional ties applicable to existing UASL licensees, he added.

UNI