The telecom regulatory authority of India (TRAI) has pushed for improvements in the Unified Licence (UL) and sent recommendations to the Government in order to facilitate interconnection at the level of Internet Protocol (IP) network.
TRAI has recommended to the government a series of changes in the Clause 27.3 in the Unified Licence (UL) and stated that the changes will aid in widening interconnection between licensed operators.
As voice traffic is being carried over IP and traditional `CS’ networks are gradually being phased out, there exists a need to facilitate interconnection at the IP level. The Authority recommends the amendment to Clause 27.3 (Annexure) in the Unified Licence for this to happen,
said TRAI.
In its recommendations titled `Interconnection over IP Interface’ TRAI has suggested that the “Interconnection between networks of different licensees for carrying CS traffic shall be as per national standards, and for carrying IP-based traffic as per Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) standards.”
TRAI added that its recommendations come in the wake of non-existence of an explicit clause relating to interconnection at the IP level in existing licences.
Although TRAI has asked for rework in the Unified Licence, it wants a portion of the Clause 27.3 to remain untouched. The Clause in question allows for the installation of a media gateway switch in order to interconnect CS and IP networks.
This will enable users of Reliance Jio’s upcoming 4G network to call telecom carriers of traditional CS based networks that includes Airtel, Vodafone and Idea networks in India. If the recommendations from TRAI are to be accepted by the government then users on Reliance Jio will be able to receive and terminate calls from traditional CS networks simply by installing a media gateway switch.
Reliance Jio slated for a launch in April offers VoLTE (Voice over LTE), on a 4G LTE network will allow voice calls to a CS based network such as 2G or 3G possible only through a media gateway switch. The Reliance Jio’s mobile broadband network is currently in its beta testing stage and is speculated to hit the markets in April this year by offering the Long term evolution (LTE) 4G network.
