TRAI releases Consultation Paper on Definition of International Traffic

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today released a Consultation Paper on Definition of International Traffic.

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) through a reference dated 30.08.2022 requested the Authority to provide its recommendations under Section 11(1)(a) of TRAI Act, 1997 (as amended) on definition of International SMS and Domestic SMS.

The load carried on a telecommunication network is called traffic, or more specifically ‘telecommunication traffic’. Telecommunication traffic comprises of several types of traffic such as voice call, SMS, etc. Further, telecommunication traffic comprises domestic traffic (i.e., traffic within the country), 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 License. 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 License.

The Authority noted that the term ‘international traffic’ has not been defined in the Unified License and that ‘international SMS’ is a type of ‘international traffic’. Therefore, the Authority is of the view that instead of defining international SMS in the Unified License Agreement, it would be appropriate to define the term ‘international traffic’, instead.

In this regard, a Consultation Paper on Definition of International Traffic seeking inputs from stakeholders has been placed on TRAI’s website (www.trai.gov.in). 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. The comments/counter-comments may be sent, preferably in electronic form at [email protected].