CDMA players ask Govt to lift ban on 3G video calls

New Delhi, Dec 17 CDMA mobile operators association today asked the government to revoke a ban on 3G video calls saying innovation was in place to monitor calls as shortly as they end, now security agencies are looking for real time interception. "Allow our member service providers to be treated for level playing field to start 3G services, including video call... and globally compliant LIM deployed by them which enables access as in the near future as the call is finished," AUSPI said in a letter to Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal. After all, security agencies are understood to have asked for real time monitoring of such calls. Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India, whose members Reliance Communication and Tata Teleservices offer 3G services, said that "as and when the globally leading vendors are ready to offer such LIM system...in compliance to the LIM requirement, our member service providers would undertake to upgrade their system." Department of Telecom on December 14 directed CDMA operators to suspend 3G video call services, a move AUSPI Secretary General S C Khanna said would adversely affect the credibility of its members among clients. "We met the Minister today and presented our case. He has assured us that the matter will be dealt with in the short term," AUSPI President C S Rao told PTI. Other telecom operators have as well met Sibal to present their opinion on the issue. "When services like Gmail, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and Skype, which do not have real-time interception, are allowed, at that time why should video calling services be barred," asked Rao. He said telecom players are concious about national security and would adhere to all possible solutions. The Home Ministry had before issued similar directions on enterprise email and messenger services afterwards security agencies raised concerns that these could be used by terror components. The government has given Blackberry smartphone maker Research-in-Motion time till then month to put in place LIM system. "Currently, there is no standard innovation for intercepting video calls as they happen. It is possible to get the details only when the call ends, similar to that of an email interaction," Rao said. He added that it would take for the moment 6-9 months, earlier such research could be developed. Tata Teleservices separately said: "In the light of the government''s concerns over monitoring of some services, TTSL has decided to keep services like video-calling in abeyance, till such time as the requisite authorities give their approval for the same." PTI AMA

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