The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued licensing details for offering audio conferencing / audiotex / voice mail services.
The entry free for offering audio conferencing / audiotex / voice mail services should be Rs 0.100 crore.
PBG will be Rs 0.100 crore, while FBG will be Rs 0.010 crore and application processing fee of Rs 0.0015 crore.
After one year, the amount of FBG shall be equivalent to the estimated sum payable equivalent to Licence fee for two quarters and other dues not otherwise securitized. The amount of FBG shall be subject to periodic review on six monthly basis by the Licensor and shall be renewed from time to time.
The annual licence fee for the Audio Conferencing / Audiotex / Voice Mail Service authorisation should be made same as that in other licence authorisations in the Unified Licence (which is 39 presently 8 percent of Adjusted Gross Revenue; inclusive of USO levy which is presently 5 percent of AGR).
TRAI said the definition of AGR for the recommended Audio Conferencing / Audiotex / Voicemail service authorisation under Unified Licence should be made similar to that for access service authorisation under Unified Licence.
The duration of the recommended Audio Conferencing / Audiotex / Voice Mail authorisation should be made twenty years similar to other authorisations under UL.
Standalone Voice Mail / Audiotex / Unified Messaging Services licence should be discontinued. No, further renewal of these licences should be done.
The existing Voice Mail / Audiotex / Unified Messaging Services licensees may be given the option to migrate to the recommended Audio Conferencing / Audiotex / Voice Mail authorisation under UL.
There should not be any mandatory migration. On migration, licence should be for a period of 20 years irrespective of the validity period of the licence already held. iii. The annual licence fee for existing standalone Voice Mail / Audiotex / UMS licensees who do not migrate to UL should also be made equal to 8 percent of Adjusted Gross Revenue. The definition of AGR should be made similar to that for Access service authorisation under UL.
The existing standalone Voice Mail / Audiotex / UMS licensees may be allowed to acquire customers only in the SDCA for which the licence has been granted; as per the clause 2.1 of the existing licence agreement document.
There will be a new chapter for authorisation titled “Audio Conferencing / Audiotex / Voice Mail services’’ should be added in the Unified Licence.
However, licensees with Access Services licence authorisation should also be allowed to provide these services.
The latest TEC specifications on Audio Conferencing/ Audiotex/Voice Mail should be specified in the technical conditions of the recommended chapter in UL subject to modifications or updations from time to time. Licence terms and conditions should override anything mentioned in the technical specifications.
Dial out facility using resources of more than one access service provider may be allowed with the condition that STD / ISD traffic should not be bypassed. The terms and conditions for providing these services under access service authorisation as well as under Audio Conferencing / Audiotex / Voice Mail services authorisation recommended by TRAI, should be same.
Calls originating from PSTN / PLMN / GMPCS / Internet Telephony networks should not be interconnected with those from Private / CUG networks.
There should not be any standalone licence for Unified Messaging Service. The UMS service may be provided with access service authorisation or Internet Service authorisation under Unified Licence.
Audio Conferencing / Audiotex / Voice Mail services authorisation under UL the service area should be National Area only.
TRAI said that the services should not be used for illegal by pass of STD / ISD traffic of any licensed access service provider.