– An article by Lavanya Goinka
The concept of Internet Telephony dates back to the early days of the Internet, when a few computer users began conversing through it. The rise of Internet Telephony poses a threat to the Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) or traditional telephony. Before the introduction of Internet Service Providers, or ISPs, for supplying telephony services in India, there was much controversy and discussion, and finally, in 2002, the Government of India prepared the way for ISPs to use telephone services. The quality of services provided via Internet Telephony will not be as good as traditional telephony services, but the cost savings will undoubtedly appeal to users. However, there are numerous regulatory and quality-of-service issues to be resolved.
Internet Protocol Telephony is a type of Internet Telephony. The phrase “Internet Protocol Telephony” can be used to refer to a variety of methods for sending voice messages, faxes, and other services over packet-switched IP-based networks. The conversion of analogue voice signals to digital format (binary data) at the subscriber’s premises and then the translation of the available data into specific IP packets for transmission over the Internet are the basic steps involved in initiating an Internet Protocol telephone (IP Telephone) call. However, in the end, the entire procedure is reversed. However, all of the communication takes place in real time. To distinguish between traditional telephony and Internet telephony, it might be claimed that the former use circuit-switching technology, whereas the latter employs packet switching technology. Internet telephony can be done in a variety of ways:
· Personal computer to personal computer (PC to PC)
Both sides in this sort of communication should have the necessary technology, such as computers, to initiate and conduct the required call. The second criteria is that they must have access to the internet. The Internet Service Provider (ISP) is in charge of providing the necessary internet connection for the call, but it does not guarantee smooth service. Smartphones and tablets now offer the same level of service as computers.
· Phone to phone
Both parties should have the necessary telephonic devices, whether fixed or mobile, in this situation. A network connection should have been required for these devices. The telecommunications companies have developed gateways that allow voice to be sent over an IP network. This guarantees a high-quality network for both users. These gateways convert audio to data for transmission over the Internet Protocol Network, then transform the incoming data back to analogue signals.
· PC to phone
The methods of connecting a computer to a phone or a computer to a fax machine are the same. The conversion of voice into packets takes performed on the originating user’s computer in this approach. This procedure is flipped at an Internet Telephone Service Providers (ITSP) gateway server, which dials the called party’s phone number and, once connected, begins carrying the caller’s speech and transmits the called party’s speech in the opposite direction. PC to Phone Voice and PC to Call Centre services are included in the PC to Phone or PC to Fax category.
Difference between Internet Telephony to voice over IP
Because of the enormous variety of applications that may be supported and because of Voice over Internet Protocol, the use of Internet Protocol-based networks is growing all over the world. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows users to make real-time voice calls utilising the Internet Protocol over a packet-switched network. It assists the consumer in significantly lowering the cost of a telephone call and in cost savings.
The distinction between Internet Telephony and Voice over IP is determined by the transmission channel, which is an IP Network. For any type of communication, internet telephony must rely on the availability of the internet. They are not, however, reliant on the Public Switched Telephone Network for the transmission of real-time audio from one computer to another. On the other hand, instead of using the public Internet, VoIP uses a private network.
The quality of the transmission is another area of distinction between Internet Telephony and Voice over IP. Because VoIP uses a private network, there are less technical issues because the transmission quality is more reliable than Internet Telephony.
Issues related to Internet Telephony
· Regulatory Issues
There are no restrictions on PC-to-PC telephony via the internet under the current licencing requirements. Devices like the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)/PLMN, which are used to make international internet telephony calls, are not allowed in India. Internet service providers are requesting that PSTN/PLMN devices be allowed in India as well. If this licence is obtained, it will aid in the reduction of call charges in the country. Because of the new ISP licencing conditions given by the government in 2007, Internet Service Providers were also allowed to use Internet Telephony.
However, Internet Service Providers are not permitted to make any calls to PSTN/PLMN subscribers for the purpose of terminating Internet Telephony calls within the country since they are not permitted to make any calls to PSTN/PLMN subscribers. However, during the consultation process for the “Review of Internet Services” proposals that were forwarded to the Department of Telecommunication, the topic of allowing Internet Service Providers to connect to the PSTN/PLMN within the country was raised. If Internet Telephony is connected to PSTN and PLMN, subscribers will reap the benefits of technological advancements.
· Blocking Internet Telephony website
When an ISP licence is issued, it does not automatically provide internet subscribers with a subscription. ISPs make their services available to everyone. However, internet service providers have been known to attempt to restrict competitive ITSPs, including overseas ITSPs. They strive to restrict other ISPs, particularly international ones, because they can easily set up ISTPs without the assistance of Indian ISPs. This will undoubtedly have an impact on the consumer base.
· Quality of Services
One of the most difficult aspects of Internet telephony is achieving a quality of service that is comparable to that of traditional telephony systems. Typically, such a problem arises because Internet Telephony employs the packet mode for data transmission, which reduces the communication’s quality. The packet style of transmission has a proclivity for getting lost in the public internet’s transmission. This could cause the broadcast to be delayed. Some stakeholders believe that the Quality of Service standards should be required in the same way that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India issued regulations for Voice over IP in 2002.
They argued that because Internet Phone is simpler than the telephony services governed by TRAI, it should have a Quality of Service comparable to the other telephony services. There are, however, opposing perspectives on the subject. Other stakeholders believe that the quality of service parameters should not be made similar or mandatory because the same cannot be guaranteed on the public internet. As a result, the differing viewpoints of the stockholders have made it difficult to establish a single strategy. The government must address this problem as soon as possible.
· Lack of adequate co-operation from telephone services
Another practical issue that Internet Service Providers face is a lack of appropriate cooperation from traditional telephone companies. ISPs will not be able to provide higher Quality of Service to their consumers until the basic operators provide greater Quality of Service in their agreements with Internet Service Providers. While the Telephone Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued certain Quality of Service awards to ISPs who provide Internet services earlier this year, Internet Service Providers are unable to achieve the terms of quality of service (QoS) due to a lack of cooperation from basic operators. As a result, when setting the terms of Quality of Service for Internet telephony services, the TRAI must keep in mind the prevailing opposition and economic scenario.
· Access to emergency issues
The services that are accessible to call the police stations, hospitals, and other locations are referred to as emergency services. Finding the exact position before the emergence of mobile services was a difficult undertaking. However, with the emergence of mobile services, this has altered. Nowadays, mobile phones have Global Positioning System (GPS) devices that allow hospitals and police stations to follow people. It is possible to map the details about the position and route emergency calls to the relevant agency or service provider while using Internet Telephony services from a specific fixed location. Nonetheless, one of the most distinguishing characteristics of Internet Telephony services is their mobility. Because of this, mapping precise information while managing emergency calls would be extremely challenging.
Conclusion
Since its introduction, the market and breadth of Internet Telephony have grown significantly. However, as Internet Telephony grows in popularity, so will competition with traditional service providers. India might be considered an eye-catching market for expanding the reach of Internet Telephony and Voice over IP because of the increasing rivalry in the telecommunications sector. However, there have been some challenges with the execution of the same that need to be addressed before the complete adoption of Internet Telephony in India. All regulatory obstacles must be resolved, and a regulatory framework must be established for the correct deployment of Internet Telephony and the provision of beneficial services to consumers, such as lower prices and higher service quality.