Internet And Mobile phones

Soon, use broadband to call landline, mobile numbers

• Soon you'll be able to latch on to your home or office wi-fi broadband to make calls to mobile phones as well as landlines
• Telecom operators, and other companies who obtain a telephony licence, will be able to offer you a new mobile number that will not require a SIM
• Gujarat : If  Stuck in a bad signal area, or getting the dreaded sign that there is no mobile network at all? Soon you'll be able to latch on to your home or office wi-fi broadband to make calls to mobile phones as well as landlines, with the government on Tuesday approving a proposal to allow internet telephony in the country.

Telecom operators, and other companies who obtain a telephony licence, will be able to offer you a new mobile number that will not require a SIM, but can be activated by downloading an internet telephony app. Regulator Trai had recommended the proposal last October, with the aim of giving new connectivity options to consumers plagued by call drops.

The inter-ministerial Telecom Commission approved the proposal, which will now enable the rollout of internet telephony services by companies such as Reliance Jio, BSNL, Airtel and other operators. Arvind Kumar, advisor at Trai, said the measure would benefit consumers by offering new connectivity choices. “This will give more options to consumers, especially in areas where quality of service is an issue. These include places such as buildings and even homes where conventional telecom signals are weak while wi-fi availability is strong"

- Snehal Vakilna