Editorial
Removing restrictions on VoIP
Fast-track the preparatory phase
We welcome the government's decision in principle to remove restrictions on VoIP operations. Now that the council of advisers has made clear the government's intent to open up the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), the operational guidelines should be drawn up as expeditiously as possible. The ministries of science and information communication technology, post and telecommunications and information have been tasked to provide specific inputs for policy formulation in this regard. They must set a timeframe for themselves to complete the job sooner than later so that the government can go about implementing the policy decision at the earliest. The normal bureaucratic approach should be eschewed with an extra bit of dynamism brought to bear on the task. There is no logic whatsoever for delaying access of the common people to this inexpensive and speedy mode of communication technology. The restrictive policy on VoIP operations had spawned illegal business with the result that thousands of crores of taka in government revenue were lost to clandestinely operated companies. One measure of potential for legal VoIP business is provided by the fact that the number of calls through normal ISD channel has increased manifold after the joint forces had busted a few dozen illegally run commercial firms. If the VoIP is opened up there will be multiple competition in the market leading to lowering of charges and delivery of efficient services at the doorstep of the people. It was simply unthinkable in the modern era to deny ourselves of the facility that countries in the neighbourhood have made full use of, let alone the highly advanced countries. It's worthwhile to go into why the previous governments followed a shut-off policy on VoIP thereby in effect allowing vested groups to enjoy monopoly business and that too illegally in this sector while the government kept losing revenue. A probe needs to be instituted into the reasons why we are being such a late comer in the field as well as the role of people in high places who apparently obstructed switchover to the facility. The criteria set for licensing and procedures eventually formulated should be business-friendly.
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