IP-based interconnection
Also called: IP migration, IP port · Topic: Infrastructure: Transport, Communications and Energy · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Interconnection means linking the networks of two telecom operators so that a customer of one can call or message a customer of the other. In IP-based interconnection, this link runs through IP ports. These ports carry traffic as internet-protocol data packets, and their size is measured in bandwidth (how much data they carry per second, in Mbps or Gbps). They replace the old E1 ports, which use TDM (Time Division Multiplexing, an older technology) and carry only 2.048 Mbps each. TRAI backs this move because IP links use bandwidth better and give better call quality. The move from old links to IP links is called IP migration.
Example
Under the Telecommunication Interconnection (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026, all new interconnections must be IP-based from 1 January 2027. Existing E1/TDM links get three years to move to IP, in phases. A matching 2026 amendment on port charges sets yearly maximum charges for IP ports, paid by the operator seeking the link to the operator providing it: ₹5.6 lakh for a 1 Gbps port and ₹42.3 lakh for a 10 Gbps port.
Don't confuse with
- E1/TDM interconnection: this is the legacy system, priced per fixed 2.048 Mbps port. IP-based interconnection is priced by bandwidth.
- Internet peering: here two internet networks swap traffic through private deals, and generally nobody regulates it. IP-based interconnection between telecom operators comes under TRAI's rules and charge ceilings.