Government Snooping On Missed Calls?
Around 6 months ago, we’d blogged about how your India’s New IT Act revision allowed the Government to go through your email. Now, we know that if required, the telecom provider will have to give intelligence agencies a list of all calls to a number.
I was however surprised to read this piece of information. Now, the telecom provider might even be expected to furnish a list of MISSED CALLS! As of now, mobile operators keep a record of calls actually answered. Missed calls do not show up in the billing cycle because they don’t really affect the revenue generated.
Security agencies are however concerned and have pointed out the terrorists used missed calls to communicate with others to inform them of meetings or similar activities.
Let’s refocus on the telecom scenario in India. We have a huge 500 million user base, and our rates are the cheapest in the world. Yet, people use missed calls more frequently than actual ones. If a person wants to inform you that he’s reached a destination earlier decided on, a missed call works. Market analysts say that more than 80% of Indians used missed calls to save money. Those under the age of 25 do so more frequently.
Let’s look at it from the point of the telecom provider. The recent Pay Per Second plan tariff might end up with them losing close to 20% of their revenue. And now, keeping tabs on 400 million people, their calls and their missed calls? The sheer volumes of data generated would be mindboggling.
As of now, missed call details may be recorded if the customer requests for them, and that too only if the phone is switched off or inaccessible at that point of time. The investments required to actually keep track of all calls would be humongous. DoT (Department of Telecom) understands the woes that telecom providers could face if forced into such an obligation, and has hence told the agencies that operators can provide details of missed calls from a specific source if given notice.
Security agencies, Defence and the telecom sector are linked pretty closely. From DoT being asked to ban Chinese vendors, to banning certain SIM cards to being fussy about releasing spectrum, the tussles are growing. DoT, though quite compliant with few demands is still uncertain over the implications of the others.
One intelligence agency also demanded real-time data records. Is this possible, feasible, practical? With telecom providers already facing low margins and a consumer base growing exponentially, will they be willing to accept all terms and conditions thrown at them?
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“With telecom providers already facing low margins ”
Bharti Airtel
http://money.rediff.com/companies/bharti-airtel-ltd/15200022/results-quarter
Last quarter:
Sales: 9040 crores
Oper. profit: 3586 crore!
Net profit: 4032 crore!!
So profit margin is almost 45%.
For Idea
Profit margin is 28%
For RCom
It is 31%
For Tata
30%
So: Even though it may look like as if they are heavily under fire because of competition, most of them are doing really really well because, well, 25+crore(?) people using mobile phones!
Moreover providing realtime feed is not as expensive as you make it sound. All the calls do get logged into their central data center and all they have to do is make a feed available from there. They have massive bandwidths available and it is text/binary only data.