VOIP a bane for Telco

Thursday, 15 July 2010 12:11

The telecommunications industry in Sri Lanka is losing nearly Rs. 10 billion annually as a result of international calls being taken using the Voice over IP (VOIP) technology which enables a user to make an IDD call to a telephone via the internet.

The Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Anusha Pelpita, speaking to Daily Mirror online, said that a meager tax is imposed on companies using the technology on a large scale but yet there are those who do it illegally resulting in a huge loss to the telecom industry. However he insisted there is no move to ban the technology.

Meanwhile companies who use the technology on a large scale have received notification to register with the TRC by the end of this month, an official who had obtained the notification told Daily Mirror online. Pelpita admitted however that despite the registration process it is difficult to locate and crackdown on illegal users.

Read the full story in Daily Mirror online business: http://www.dailymirror.lk/index.php/business/117-other/5098-telco-industry-losing-billions.html

Comments

-7+44 # Dheen 2010-07-15 12:22

Where are the strategists ! Are they in deep slumber! This is the result of empowering half baked pundits to man an organization. They should have the tools in place to avert the situation. It looks like that the Telecom is going to pass this burden to the consumer. A sad state of affairs.

-8+41 # Marikar 2010-07-15 12:23

Why don't the Telecom Authorities think of the system introduced in Dubai. Where all local calls are free, & a fixed rental used for the line every month. This will bring good revenue to the Telecom Department I believe.

-4+54 # Gayan Samarasekara 2010-07-15 12:24

Don't urge authorities to ban the technology. That's hilarious. These are the inevitable repercussions for expiring technologies before the updating technologies. Just make yourself adapted.. An engineer is supposed to be maximum 10 years old (then he expires). Similarly whoever the giant you are, you have to face the new technological improvements or leave the scene.

-7+58 # shavantha 2010-07-15 12:26

Now they are going to ban chatting whats wrong First FB now VOIP Whats next the INTERNET????

-15+19 # Indika 2010-07-15 12:41

This is not personal VOIP calls. So don't worry about it.

-4+23 # Daniel 2010-07-15 13:25

It is for both, personal and all, because they will just band the port then how u will make personal calls, lol

-8+65 # Top Sri Lankan 2010-07-15 12:30

Well how much are we losing on the perks of the politicians?

-3+62 # rohan 2010-07-15 12:30

You all are looking for every nook and corner to tax people and kill them. They use these facilities to communicate with their dear once who has to go abroad as they have no jobs here to suit to their capacities and some for house keeping. Let their children to have a chat with their mothers at an affordable cost.

-3+53 # Kumar 2010-07-15 12:33

What is wrong with ordinary people using VOIP and making cheaper calls ? These big Telephone companies are only interested in making killing profits and not the ordinary user.

-29+5 # Indika 2010-07-15 12:43

Kumar, it doesn't mean that ordinary people shouldn't take cheaper calls. Problems is call generater (the company _ doesn't pay the relavent tax.

-3+16 # Matara Kolla 2010-07-15 12:33

This is progress benefitting the consumer. Technological advances and open competition will have a devastating effect on monopolies and unfair commercial practices. Many businesses in western countries that used to be monopolised are now struggling, merged, sold or bust. The consumer has the power to dictate. "He who pays the Piper, calls the Tune".

-4+84 # david 2010-07-15 12:37

Profit. Profit.Profit.
You are not supporting your citizen?
Each person has to buy a computer to use this facility around 50,000/- to 75,000/-. You don't get Tax on this PC?
80,000/- to 125,000/- a lap top price. You don't get tax on it?
Each person is buying a Modem , Router, Dongle you don't leavy tax on them?
Each person is paying monthly around 2,000/- for your bloody slow ADSL connection, this is to play games online only?
When we spend so much of money there must be something like this benefits.

-2+21 # AMI 2010-07-15 13:05

David,
A well thought of an analysis. Let the CTC and GOSL weigh the options and spare the subscribers additional burdens.

-4+44 # kuthbuddin 2010-07-15 12:38

hello, are you living in the 18th century? look around you we are surrounded by the sea this is not USA ,Europe or India .we are compelled to communicate. now the war is over you want to put barriers and road blocks in communication??? go fly a kite.

-1+37 # KD 2010-07-15 12:44

Suck it up TRC. Regulate the industry and register the providers but VoIP is the future.

-1+25 # spender 2010-07-15 13:02

VOIP is increasingly popular (simply) because local telcos are charging HIGH prices thereby pushing consumers to VOIP. In fact, Sri Lanka is one of the countries with highest telecom rates. SKYPE had already said that they are 'not coming' to SL because of the high internal call rates....

-2+22 # VOTER 2010-07-15 13:14

WHY NOT BRING DOWN THE COSTS OF USING TELEPHONES? AND GET MORE PEOPLE TO USE THEM... ?

PEOPLE WOULDNT HAVE USED THE INTERNET IF CALLS WERE CHEAPER ISNT IT?

-2+10 # Kapila 2010-07-15 13:34

VOIP is used by most sri lankans living overseas. They pay local charges to Telco companies who provide such solutions. Placing restrictions will only result them turning to overseas Telcos. It is better SLT and other local companies are allowed to provide solutions based on VOIP as it is the future and to large extent the present. We are already loosing large revenue to Telcos overseas who provide such solutions.

-16+16 # Daniel 2010-07-15 13:37

Good move

Dialog and all these Telco companys will earn money so obviously a part will go to Maharajas treasury as Taxes

All this will come back to us eventually, so nothing to worry

All people voicing against should be treated as "TRAITORS"

-1+13 # Prasad 2010-07-15 13:39

they have lot of catching up to do. Rather than balming innovative techniques used by people, telecom companies should have earned more money if they have invested in infrastructure, offer better packages and bill people on data rate

-1+30 # Nimal 2010-07-15 13:39

Wow we live in a coutnry surrounded by strange people :). I wonder whether they will ban email saying that Postal Department is making a huge loss? I'm working in a software company I don't know how to tell this to our foreign customer because they will laugh from their backs.

-1+15 # Amal Perera 2010-07-15 13:46

Despite the competition still the IDD call charges are fairly high in Sri Lanka and this has clearly put off the callers making calls with the phone. On the other hand SL is not the only country who face this loss because people tend to embrace the latest and cheapest means of communication.

-4+16 # Saradial 2010-07-15 14:40

Gona bane Skype, yahoo, Gtalk, etc? most IT companies use this tools to communicate with foreign clients. this will harm IT industry.

-1+4 # Faqi 2010-07-15 20:49

How could they ban VOIP technology, when its used world wide to make calls for pennies or free? No country could regulate it except North Korea. Not even China has banned VOIP technology.

-3+0 # KD 2010-07-16 03:35

Many Middle-Eastern countries blocked VoIP to prevent revenue loss!

-3+9 # Palitha Heenthotuwa 2010-07-15 21:12

Why not "bane" everything?

If you wish to be happy in Sri Lanka you should be an MP. If you are not an MP life is so hard.

-0+1 # ranga 2010-07-16 05:33

The resson for this clamor - just see the AirTel and Etiselat shareholders lists!

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