• What are OSPs (Other Service Providers)?

OSPs are companies/entities in India providing voice based ‘Business Process Outsourcing’ services to their customers in India or worldwide. 

 

• What are BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) services?

These are considered as call center services provided by OSPs wherein customers can access the network of OSPs via PSTN/ PLMN/ ISDN.

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• Are OSPs now required to register with DOT (Department of Telecom)?

The requirement of having a registration certificate with DoT for running an OSP center is done away with.

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• What will happen to the Bank Guarantees (BGs) submitted to DoT?

Companies will have to retrieve the BGs from the respective LSA offices of DoT. Respective LSAs have already initiated these processes.

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• Are OSPs allowed to do call switching within their corporate network for international operations?

As a special dispensation allotted by DoT, OSPs are allowed to carry aggregated switched voice (incoming or outgoing) traffic between their foreign PoP and OSP centers in India over WAN (Wide Area Network) technology / managed circuits. For international operations, OSPs are allowed to have PSTN breakout outside India for inbound/outbound calls. 

 

• ​Are OSPs allowed to deploy a centralized PRI gateway for domestic PSTN traffic?

As a special dispensation to OSPs, DoT has allowed centralised media gateway for incoming PSTN NLD (National Long Distance) traffic. OSPs are allowed to collect, carry, convert, and exchange incoming PSTN traffic from a centralised location to other OSP sites in India over WAN technology / managed circuits.  For outbound voice traffic, OSPs should deploy individual PSTN gateway at each site. 

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• What is considered to be toll bypass by DoT?

DoT has stated that bypassing of ILD and NLD network of a DoT licensed TSP (Telecom Service Provider) will be considered as Toll bypass. 

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• Can a centralized internet gateway be shared between multiple company locations and operations?

Yes, it is allowed.Internet connectivity can be accessed from a centralised location in India over WAN technology/ company’s managed circuits.

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• Is interconnection of OSP between different companies allowed?

Yes, interconnectivity of OSP centres for different companies is allowed, however, the below needs to be taken care:

1. Interconnectivity should be in an isolated manner for exchange of OSP traffic. 

2. Interconnectivity must be in a responsible manner with no violations made.

3. Logs of all the activities will have to be maintained in this case as well for any securityrequirement in future.  

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• Can OSPs use shared infrastructure for their enterprise and OSP operations?

Yes, OSPs are allowed to share infrastructure (Call Manager, PRI lines, etc) between enterprise and OSP operations, as long as logical partitioning configurations are maintained in the call manager and there is no intermixing of PSTN and IP traffic.

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• Are foreign EPABXs allowed for OSPs?

Foreign based EPABX for OSP are allowed as a special dispensation. The OSP must comply with data privacy laws and security conditions laid out by DoT.

   

• What relaxations are provided to companies for encouraging Work from home to the OSP agents?

As per the new norms, DOT has given following relaxations in terms of WFH/A (Work From Home/ Anywhere):

1. The remote agent can work from any location in India.

2. There is no need for any specific type of connectivity circuit for interconnecting remote agent to OSP center. Any technology can be used for doing so including broadband over wireless/ wireline. 

3. The remote agent can connect to the EPABX of the OSP, be it dedicated EPABX or centralized EPABX of the organization. 

4. The remote agent can connect directly with the client’s EPABX. 

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• Is the use of VPN OK?

Yes, you can use any connectivity for working remotely but not limited to VPN technology. Compliance to the general and security conditions should be maintained by the OSPs.

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• Can I extend my office PSTN to home?

Yes, you may extend your office desk DID to home over a softphone or a hard phone for the purpose of WFH. Compliance to the general and security conditions should be maintained by the OSPs.

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• Can I extend my office CUG (VoIP) to home?

YES, you may extend your office desk CUG (VoIP) to home over a softphone or hard phone. Compliance to the general and security conditions should be maintained by the OSPs.

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• Can I extend my office VoIP (International PSTN) to home?

YES, you may extend your office desk International DID to home over a softphone or a hard phone.

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• Can I connect to my global corporate VPN server, VDI infrastructure or ZTNA for WFH?

Use of all these technologies is permitted but the secure infrastructure must be hosted in India only.

 

• Can I use the shared VPN server, VDI or ZTNA infrastructure for WFH?

Yes, as long as there is compliance to the general and security norms defined by DoT.

 

• What are the security conditions defined by DoT for OSP WFH (Work from Office) or WFH/A?

The system logs and tamper proof CDRs/UDRs must be stored for one year at one of the OSP sites in India and the time stamp should be synchronized with IST. The CDRs/ UDRs and system logs should contain necessary information for traceability/ tracking/ forensic purposes of LEAs (Law Enforcing Agencies)/ authority.There should be no infringement on the jurisdiction of TSP activities, out of the special dispensations allowed to OSPs.

 

• Can the remote agent of a company connect directly to a client's network/infrastructure in India while working from home?

Yes, however, the security conditions for WFH must be maintained.

   

• Who is a telemarketer?

As per the TCCCPR(Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations) guidelines from TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), Telemarketer can be a person or legal entity engaged in the activity of transmission or delivery of commercial communication or scrubbing or aggregation. 

 

• What is commercial communication?

As per the TCCCPR guidelines, commercial communication can be a voice call or message using telecommunication services, where the primary purpose is to inform about or advertise or solicit business for Goods or services; or 

1. A supplier or prospective supplier of offered goods or services; or 

2. A business or investment opportunity; or 

3. A provider or prospective provider of such an opportunity

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• What is the DLT registration?

DLT is Distributed Ledger Technology, which is a block chain registration system. As per the telemarketing guidelines from TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), every Indian entity engaged in the telemarketing activity needs to register themselves under the respective TSP’s DLT platform. 

 

• What is the UCC (Unsolicited commercial communication)?

Any commercial communication that is neither as per the consent nor as per registered preference(s) of recipient falls under UCC category. But it does not include:

1. Any service message or service voice call.

2. Any message or voice calls transmitted on the directions of the Central Government or the State Government or bodies established under the Constitution, when such communication is in Public Interest.

 

• What is CPRF (Customer Preference Registration Facility)?

CPRF is the facility established by an Access Provider, under relevant regulations, for the purpose of registration, modifications or de-registration of the preference of its customers in respect of receipt of commercial communications.