OTT - VOIP Services - Should they be charged?

OTT - VOIP Services - Should they be charged?

Introduction

The debate about charging OTT and VOIP services started when the concept of net neutrality was questioned. Net Neutrality is the principle that internet service providers and governments should treat all data on the internet equally, not discriminating or charging differentially by user, content, site, platform, application, type of attached equipment, and modes of communication. The recently released report by DOPT has suggested that VOIP services can be charged despite endorsing the principle of net neutrality which has sparked up the whole debate again.

Yes, they should be charged!

• Since these services are used popularly and in a large number, charging them will create more revenue for the service providers, which can be used for spreading the internet facilities in rural and left areas of the country and the world.

• Day by day internet is becoming a huge thing to manage and regulate because so many negative things in the form of spreading propaganda, watching porn and other abuses are coming to the fore and challenging the government security as well as emerging as a threat to the life of a common man.

• In fact, there is serious drawback on the part of these services because if anything wrong happens, there is no way to catch hold of the people behind it.

• VOIP services use the infrastructure of telecoms. The service gets popular but the telecoms bear the cost. Is that justified?

Against charging these services

• Internet has brought democratization of information and knowledge. The telecom companies do charge their customers for the bandwidth they consume. Which service consumes the business should not matter.

• Most importantly, internet acts as a place for innovation and creativity. Allowing OTT service bundling, case by case zero rating or preferred access speeds will stifle innovation and hamper the start-up culture in the country.

• The recent report of the DOPT has said about charging domestic internet calls but not the international calls. This is discriminatory as well as difficult to manage.

Conclusion

Charging the OTT services or VOIP services is not the bigger issue. The real issue is about protecting the core principles of net neutrality. The government report is rather vague. There is a need of wider consultations among all the stakeholders about this because of the number of things at stake like national security, consumer choice, business, innovation, internet freedom etc.

In fact, the midway should be worked out in such a way that extension of internet towards those areas should increase and innovation, equality and freedom for the internet should not be stifled.