Skype, the over the top (OTT) telecom service provider will bar the calling facility for the Indian users. By saying calling facility, we mean making calls from its application to both mobile and landline phones within the country from November 10.
The Microsoft acquired company revealed in an official statement that on November 10, 2014, Skype will end providing support for calling withinIndia. That is making calls to mobiles and landlines from the application will not be available withinIndia. This feature of the VoIP application lets users to make video or voice calls via Internet service and they will be charged for the Internet usage alone.
It has to be noted that Microsoft claimed that the users of Skype inIndiacan still make calls for free between Skype to Skype, international calls to mobiles and landlines, and those users outsideIndiacan also call mobiles and landlines in the country. Moreover, the Skype Wi-Fi and SMSs will also be made available to users inIndia.
This development appears to have come after the Union home ministry wrote to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to obstruct voice over Internet protocol, VoIP that is offered by OTT companies as it protects the information of the caller such as mobile number posing a security threat.
Well, security organizations have raised an alarm over ‘parallel telecom network’ that is provided by OTTs. Moreover, the location of OTT servers that are outside the country would increase the risk further.
DoT has previously held discussions with the OTT companies operating inIndiafollowing the decision of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India that was announced in August. This decision is to impose additional fees on the popular services as required by telecom companies.
An official from DoT stated that any OTT operator can provide free messaging or calling service across any telecom network in the country and this makes it susceptible to security risks. Skype announced this ban on the calling facility in a week’s time after the software giant announced the selfie focused Lumia 730 smartphone inIndiathat is claimed to be fit for Skype calls and videos.
