look news india
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued ‘Telecom Interconnection (Third Amendment) Regulations’ to adapt the country’s telecom infrastructure to modern and high-speed communication requirements. This new framework will formally come into effect from January 1, 2027. When you make a call from one network (like Jio) to another network (like Airtel or Vodafone-Idea), the technical point at which the networks of both the companies connect is called ‘Point of Interconnection’ (POI). For years, the legacy system relied on legacy circuits and old local exchanges, which took time for calls to connect and caused technical disruptions. The direct objective of TRAI’s new rules is to end this old pattern and shift the calling system of the entire country to the latest Internet Protocol (IP-based).
According to the new rules, all new Points of Interconnection (POI) established after January 1, 2027 will be built only on modern IP-based technology. The existing legacy E1/TDM-based traditional interconnections have also been ordered to be phased out. It will be mandatory for all telecom operators to completely migrate their existing legacy voice and SMS traffic to IP networks within the next 3 years from 1 January 2027. Shifting to IP networks will improve bandwidth consumption, increase network efficiency and see a manifold increase in the speed of data transmission between both ends.
TRAI has also completely changed the routing structure of calling traffic. Earlier call traffic passed through complex nodes in small local areas (LDCA/SDCA level), leading to increased clutter in the network. Now it will be directly transferred to the wider ‘Licensed Service Area’ (LSA i.e. circle level). This will eliminate unnecessary technical junctions. Additionally, TRAI has also implemented a ‘Graded Financial Disincentive’ framework to ensure strict compliance with the rules. If any telecom company delays in providing interconnection, hinders connectivity or does not meet the prescribed service quality standards, there is a stringent provision of imposing severe financial penalty against it. Besides, companies have also been given the facility to surrender due to operational reasons so that the network remains smooth.
The most direct and biggest benefit of this technological change will be to the common smartphone users. The removal of old routing nodes and implementation of circle-level IP interconnection will significantly reduce the call setup time when you dial a number from another operator, meaning the call will be connected in a jiffy. Apart from this, the problem of call drops will be almost eliminated due to easy flow of data between networks. The reduced latency will ensure true HD voice clarity even in cross-network calling, making the voice sound clear and without any interruption. During festival season or peak hours when there is sudden heavy traffic load on the network, there was often problem of network busy or call failure; High capacity modern IP networks will also provide permanent relief from such network congestion.