Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is set to review conditions for issuing licenses for Voice Mail / Audiotex / Unified Messaging Services (UMS).

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) feels that there is a need to review the technical specifications, financial terms and conditions, scope and guidelines for services and the license conditions.

TRAI’s consultation paper focuses on terms for fresh licenses and for migration of existing licenses, if required, including issues such as entry fee, percentage of revenue to be shared with the licensor, definition of revenue, USO fund, technical specifications, financial terms and conditions, period of licence etc.

Presently, as per the information available on the DoT website, as on 31.03.2016, there are 60 operative licenses in 11 cities held by 30 companies.

TRAI wants to know

Whether the duration of the licence with Voice Mail / Audiotex / Unified Messaging Services authorisation be made 20 years as in the other license authorisations under Unified License?

What should be the terms and conditions for the migration of the existing Voice Mail / Audiotex / Unified Messaging Services licensees to Unified Licence?

Whether the existing Voice Mail / Audiotex / Unified Messaging Services licensees may be allowed to continue or it would be mandatory to migrate to the Voice Mail / Audiotex / Unified Messaging Services authorisation under Unified Licence?

What should be the annual license fee for existing Voice Mail / Audiotex / Unified Messaging Services licensees who do not migrate to the Voice Mail / Audiotex / Unified Messaging Services authorisation under Unified License?

The license fee for all the services under UL as well as for existing UASL / CMTS / Basic Service / NLD / ILD / ISP licensees have been fixed at 8 percent of AGR since 1 April 2013. Whether it should be made same for Voice Mail / Audiotex / Unified Messaging Services authorization under Unified License?