TRAI to hold seminar on mobile apps offering telecom services

NEW DELHI: The telecom regulator TRAI will hold seminar to understand eco-system and impact of Over-The-Top services or applications that are being used to transmit audio, video and text using internet on August 5.

"TRAI wants to understand impact and position of OTT services in present regulatory and business environment. The seminar will help in understanding issues around OTT services," an official said.

OTT services like Viber, WhatsApp, Line, Skype etc allows subscribers to chat, make free calls, share videos and photos on internet. Subscriber are required to pay internet charges only and not for calls.

Telecom operators have been saying that these applications are adversely impacting their revenues and have demanded at various occasions that government should bring them under licencing regime and impose licence fees.

Government is yet to take call on demand raised by telecom operators.