The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released recommendations on how to define international telecommunications traffic, following a request from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
In 2021, TRAI received requests from two entities regarding the classification of SMS traffic as either domestic or international. Following these requests, TRAI asked the DoT to clarify the nature of these messages.
The DoT then asked TRAI to provide recommendations on the definitions of international and domestic SMS, as there were no explicit definitions in the licensing agreements.
Different treatment of domestic and international traffic in the existing licensing framework, the use of various methods by enterprises to send information to their customers, and the interconnection of PLMN with the internet at different levels led to the need for defining international SMS and domestic SMS.
Key Recommendations:
- International Traffic: Traffic originating in one country and terminating in another, where one of the countries is India.
- International SMS Message: International traffic delivered via SMS. This includes any incoming application-to-person (A2P) SMS that requires the use of technology located outside India.
- Domestic Traffic: Traffic originating and terminating within India.
- Domestic SMS: Domestic traffic delivered via SMS.
These definitions are recommended for inclusion in relevant telecommunication service licenses and authorizations.