Governing Bodies¶
Every country has a designated authority that governs all types of telecom and communication providers. As a VoIP service provider, you're required to know about the governing bodies, and the rules and regulations you need to comply with.
Internationally, the majority of telecom rules and regulations are standardized. However, each country and its telecom regulatory authority have their own set of unique rules and regulations that you need to be aware of.
If you’re operating within a single country, compliance is more streamlined. In case you operate internationally, you will be subjected to compliance in all the respective regions where you operate from.
With that said, let's take a look at the major telecom regulatory authorities around the world.
United States of America - Federal Communications Commission¶
The FCC is the apex regulatory authority in the USA when it comes to all forms of communication. It’s an independent committee tasked with implementing and enforcing America’s laws and regulations concerning electronic and digital communication.
You can learn about all their recent initiatives for the betterment of the communication space here.
United Kingdom - Ofcom¶
The Office of Communications, Ofcom, is the de facto regulatory authority for all forms of communication within the United Kingdom. Ofcom is an independent authority responsible for regulating and enforcing the UK’s communication laws and regulations.
Ofcom is also responsible for making and amending rules and regulations for all forms of communication to uphold public interest and betterment.
You can learn about all the new things happening at Ofcom here.
India - Telecom Regulatory Authority of India¶
The TRAI was set up by the Ministry of Communications, Government of India to function as an independent regulatory authority for the telecommunication sector within India. Thus, TRAI is responsible for regulating and enforcing communication laws.
Through its operations, TRAI aims to nurture and grow the telecommunication industry in India. TRAI also caps tariffs and promotes transparency for pricing and services.
You can learn more about the activities TRAI undertakes here.
Australia - Australian Communication and Media Authority¶
The Australian Communication and Media Authority, AMCA, is an independent regulatory authority within the Australian Government’s Communications Portfolio.
The AMCA is responsible for setting and updating rules and regulations governing communications and media services within Australia. These rules and regulations are also enforced by AMCA along with planning and managing airwaves, licensing, etc.
You can learn about all the recent developments from AMCA here.
China - Ministry of Industry and Information Technology¶
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, MIIT, is a governing body under the Government of China that's responsible for regulating the telecommunications sector within China.
The MIIT is responsible for setting rules and regulations about telecom and communication operations and enforces them strictly.
Licensing and approvals of any electronic, digital and satellite communications are handled by MIIT. You can learn about what they do here.
With these, we’ve covered the top global markets for telecommunication. As carriers and VoIP providers, make sure you learn everything about your local rules and regulations and comply with those.