The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper on the definition of international traffic.
The load carried on a telecommunication network is called traffic, or more specifically “telecommunication traffic”. Telecommunication traffic comprises several types of traffic such as voice call, SMS, etc. Further, telecommunication traffic comprises domestic traffic and international traffic. In the Indian context, domestic traffic comprises intra-circle traffic and inter-circle traffic which have been specifically defined in the unified licence. As intra-circle traffic and inter-circle traffic are the only two components of domestic traffic, the term “domestic traffic” has been defined implicitly in the unified licence.
TRAI noted that the term “international traffic” has not been defined in the unified licence and that international SMS is a type of international traffic. Therefore, the regulator is of the view that instead of defining international SMS in the unified licence agreement, it would be appropriate to define the term international traffic instead.
In this regard, TRAI has issued a consultation paper on the definition of international traffic, seeking inputs from stakeholders. In the consultation paper, the regulator has proposed a definition of international traffic as “the international long-distance traffic originating in one country and terminating in another country, where one of the countries is India.”
Written comments on the issues raised in the consultation paper are invited from the stakeholders by May 30, 2023 and counter-comments by June 13, 2023.
