New Delhi, Jan. 27: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) today warned international long-distance telephony operators that their performance bank guarantee will not be released unless they meet the revised quality of standards benchmark set by the regulator while offering the voice over internet telephony (VOIP).

The regulator has defined internet telephony as an application service, which the customers of internet service providers (ISPs) can avail from their personal computers (PC) capable of processing voice signals.

Trai allowed internet telephony from April 1, 2002 and had allowed market forces to determine the tariff for the service. The regulator today amended the quality of service for VoIP-based international long distance service.

After opening up ILD sector to new operators and permitting them to deploy VoIP technology in the international long-distance network, Trai stipulated that the quality of service benchmarks for these services in November 2002 to protect the interest of consumers.

Since the technology was not considered to be mature enough at that time, benchmarks were fixed for two classes of service — “Toll Quality” and “Below Toll Quality”, with the condition that below toll quality service should be offered at lower price. The regulator had suggested that the voice quality should be measured on a minimum mean opinion score (MOS) of 4 on a scale of 1 to 5.

However, the regulator has now said with advancement in technology it has now become easier for VOIP based ILD operators to deliver “Toll Quality” service.

None of the ILD operators, including the incumbent VSNL, is offering the option of “Below Toll Quality” ILD service to customers. Therefore, in the revised notification, Trai has modified the QOS benchmarks by specifying only “Toll Quality” service.” The authority has, however, allowed those offering this service in far-flung areas using satellite link, a QOS, which is slightly below toll quality.

The regulator noted that if an international satellite link is used to provide the service, the achievement of toll quality service is not normally possible. Satellite links allow for VoIP service to be made available to customers in remote areas and other areas where international optical fibre connectivity is not available.

“The guiding principle in making these recommendations is to promote competition with a view to giving greater choice to the consumers for telecom services and to provide a technology neutral network platforms to operators, with adequate safeguards relating to Quality of Service,” Trai officials said.