The Monitoring and Reconciliation of International Telephony Traffic Regulations, 2008

The

Monitoring and Reconciliation of International Telephony Traffic Regulations, 2008

  10^th  November, 2008

S. R. O. 1189(I)12008.-In exercise of the power under sub-clause (o) of sub-section (2) of section 5 of the Pakistan ^Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996 (Act XVII of 1996) (“Act,’), the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, in order to monitor and enforce the accurate presentation of the total international traffic terminated through networks of the Long Distance International licensees, is pleased to make the following

regulations:

PART- I

PRELIMINARY

1.         Short Title and Commencement.l) These regulations shall be called as ^“Monitoring and Reconciliation of International Telephony Traffic Regulations, 2008″.

(2)       They shall come into force from the date of gazette notification.

1. Scope and Applicability.-These regulations shall apply to all Long Distance International Licensees for monitoring and accurate reconciliation of total traffic terminated on the network of each licensee in order to measure and record traffic, billing, grey traffic and quality of the licensed service.

1. Definitions.-(1) In these Regulations unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context:

(a)           “Act” means the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996 (XVII of 1996;

(b)           “Authority” means the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority established under section 3 of the Act;

(c)            “Access Provider” means a local loop (fixed and wireless) and cellular mobile licensees;

(d)           “International Telephony Service” means any direct or indirect telecommunication service, whether or not in digital form, conveyed by any means between a point in Pakistan and a point in another country, other than radio/broadcasting or television broadcasting;

(e)           “Long Distance and International (LDI) Licensee” means a person licensed under the Act to establish; maintain and operate a public fixed switched network for the provision of nation-wide long distance and international telephony service and includes Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited and National Telecommunication Corporation;

(f)            “Probe” means a device for the monitoring and detecting the international traffic data;

(g)           “PTA” means Pakistan Telecommunication Authority;

(h)           “Rules” means the rules issued by the Federal Government under section 57 of the Act;

(i)             “Regulations” means all regulations issued by the Authority from time to time which includes these regulations; and

(j)             “System(s)” means a system which includes such equipment, hardware, software, firmware and internal and external interfaces to be installed and deployed for the monitoring, measuring and reconciling of traffic  monitoring of grey traffic, billing and quality of the licensed service to be provided by an LDI licensee;

(2)        Words and expressions used but not defined herein shall bear the meaning given thereto in the Act or the Rules.

PART- II

ESTABLISHMENT OF A SYSTEM(S)

 4.        Establishment and Administration of a System.-(1) Each LDI Licensee shall establish a System on its own_. cost in accordance with these regulations at PTA premises at a location to be designated by the Authority.

(2)           Subject to the mutual agreement of all (operational and non-operational licensees) or some (operational) LDI licensees for procuring, establishing and deploying of the System, the Authority may allow deployment of a System collectively on the basis of a cost effective solution.

(3)           Subject to the approval of mutual arrangement by the Authority given in sub-regulation (2) above, the other LDI licensees not part of the arrangement shall be allowed to enter in that agreement at any stage with the terms and condition agreed among them.

(4)           Any dispute amongst the licensees on the terms and conditions of a mutual agreement referred to in sub-regulation (2) above, which may adversely effect the operation of the System, shall be referred to the Authority for decision, which shall be binding on them.

(5)            The System shall consist at a minimum of the following features:

(a)           Capability to monitor, measure and record traffic in real-time;

(b)           Capability for complete record of billing;

(c)            Capability to accurately measure the quality of service; and

(d)           Monitoring of grey traffic.

5.         Obligations on the licensee.-(1) LDI licensees shall ensure full accounting of international traffic terminated’ton all Access Providers’ networks.

(2)           The System shall be capable of providing all data in a clear and transparent manner for identification of the total international traffic, in such format and with such features as required by the Authority.

(3)           Provision of all data under sub-regulation (1) above should be without any modification to the original data received by the licensee.

(4)           All circuit switched and packet switched networks shall have probes placed-on all links carrying international telephony traffic.

(5)           All LDI licensees shall provide a scalable System, ensure modif cations in the System to meet the evolving policies, directions, Rules and Regulations.

(6)           The licensee shall be responsible to maintain, repair, upgrade (hardware, system software, cables, internal and external interfaces, application software, firmware, etc), modify and _enhance the capability of the System promptly and efficiently as and when required by the Authority.

(7)           The Authority may provide the LDI licensee its relevant international traffic

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