Singapore carriers urge caution on plan to overhaul interconnect and numbering

The IDA last month published an ambitious discussion paper proposing new ways to accommodate numbering and interconnect in the light of the development of VoIP and wireless broadband services. They include a bill-and-keep (BAK) regime for interconnect and a liberalisation of the numbering range that could, for example, see wireless broadband services numbered as mobile services.

However, major carriers are cautioning the IDA against any hasty move over to a new regime as a rapid result of the IDA’s consultation exercise.

In its submission, SingTel says it “is still too premature” to contemplate major changes to interconnect charging and adds that the current system has accommodated the demands of VoIP offerings perfectly well. Furthermore, SingTel says that charging models for NGNs around the world remain in in a state of flux and and are far from being determined.
 
StarHub broadly concurs with the SingTel position, stating “StarHub believes that the existing interconnection and number allocation frameworks are still relevant, even with these developments.