What has changed in the last three years, since the Telecom Regulator first decided to not license mobile Non-Voice services (Value Added Services / VAS), that the TRAI has begun a consultation process again? The question we've heard a few times from industry executives (since Thursday, when the TRAI issued a consultation paper) is, Who is driving this agenda? Download the consultation paper here. Reasons For This Consultation Paper on VAS Responses to the questions for consultation answers to the following questions in the consultation paper, to be submitted by 12th August 2011 to Rajkumar Upadhyay, Advisor (BB & PA) at advbbpa@trai.gov.in or srobbpa@trai.gov.in, or Mahanagar Door Sanchar Bhawan, Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg, New Delhi -110002. MediaNama urges to you send your comments, to ensure that a wider set of independent views - and not just those of specific companies - are taken on board. The questions and reasons for consultation: Whether the current provisions under various licences (UASL, CMTS, Basic and ISP) are adequate to grow the MVAS market to the desired level? If not, what are the additional provisions that need to be addressed under the current licencing framework? Is there a need to bring the Value Added Service Providers (VASPs) providing Mobile Value Added Services under the licensing regime? If yes, do you agree that it should be in the category of the Unified Licence as recommended by this Authority in May 2010? In case of disagreement, please indicate the type of licence alongwith the rationale thereof.…
