Three telecom operators – Tata Teleservices (TTSL), Reliance Communications (RCom) and Bharti Airtel – met officials of the department of telecommunications (DoT), home ministry and Intelligence Bureau (IB) at Sanchar Bhawan here on Monday to try and sort out the impasse over allowing video calls on the recently-launched 3G services. While TTSL and RCom have already rolled out their 3G services, Bharti Airtel is expected to launch them by the end of this month.

Financial Chronicle could not independently verify from the companies if they were represented at the meeting.

Last week, the DoT had issued a notice expressing concern over the non-availability of real time interception facilities for video calls.

According to an official of one of the telecom companies represented at Monday’s meeting, and who spoke on condition of anon­ymity, the DoT has yet to grant approval for allowing video calls. Consequently, both TTSL and RCom had withdrawn or not started their video calling facilities on their networks.

“We informed the DoT and the IB officials that currently there is no available technology at present that allows real time interception of video calls. Some vendors are currently in the beta-testing phase of an interception technology, but implementing that technology over the entire network will take another six months,” said the company official.

The IB, he added, has said it will discuss the issue internally and get back to the DoT in a week’s time with its decision. In case the DoT withholds permission for video calls, the official said they might consider approaching the Telecom Disputes and Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

Interestingly, the two state-owned telecom operators – Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam (MTNL) – which had a head-start in rolling out their 3G services nationwide early this year, are currently allowing video calls on their networks.