Security agencies seek to ban Internet telephony

The Indian security agencies have recommended banning international Internet telephony until there is a system to track the calls at the scene, officials said, in the latest initiative to cover security holes after the attacks in Mumbai.

India fears that the militant groups operating from outside can use Internet telephony to circumvent security systems during the planning and execution of attacks, officials said.

"Since it is impossible to trace Internet phone calls from foreign countries, have asked the Department of Telecommunications to block such calls until you install a system," said an official of the Intelligence Department, which could not be identified.

Indian Telecom Secretary, Siddharth Behura, confirmed he had asked the operators to "block some calls," but gave no further details.

India has initiated an overhaul of its security systems after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people in November 2008.

Police recovered a satellite phone and said the activists had been in contact with their accomplices in Pakistan through phones and Internet telephony.

"There have been many cases in which detainees said the shooters they had received instructions from outside via internet systems," said Rakesh Maria, said a senior police official in Mumbai.

Last year, India said it was concerned about emails sent by Blackberry services that could not be traced or intercepted.

The company later agreed to meet safety standards in India following a series of meetings.

India is also considering a new law permitting review all imported telecommunications equipment to ensure that does not compromise national security.

Several vendors, including Skype, Google, Yahoo and Windows Live offering VOIP (protocol for digital transmission of voice over internet). Any ban would affect thousands of users who use the internet to make phone calls economic inside and outside of India.

From January to March this year, India made 130 million minutes of Internet phone calls, according to the Indian Telecommunication Authority.