Regulate all messaging, voice call apps: Assocham

Net neutrality gained national attention after Internet activists and experts flagged telecom giant Bharti Airtel’s ‘Airtel Zero’ platform to be in violation of the principle.

Welcoming the proposal to regulate domestic Internet call services provided by apps like WhatsApp and Viber, industry body Assocham said the government should expand the scope of regulation to all kind of communication services offered by over-the-top (OTT) players.

“While ruling that domestic calls by OTT CS (communication service) players would be regulated, they have most illogically exempted both international VoIP calling by OTT CSPs as also all messaging by these players. This is rather bizarre,” Assocham telecom council chairman T.V. Ramachanrdan told PTI .

IT sector body Nasscom has said that monitoring compliance of such recommendation would lead to breach of privacy.

Nasscom president and former Telecom Secretary R. Chandrashekhar said that whole exercise has come about how to protect revenues of telcos which should not be the objective.

Demanding that internet based messaging applications should be regulated, Mr. Ramachandran said OTT messaging has virtually destroyed the telcos’ SMS business and providing a level playing field is the highest priority.

“All voice and messaging are strictly governed by The Telegraph Act and have to be covered by regulation and licence,” he said.