Telecom operators have welcomed the decision of the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) to extend the implementation timeline for the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment (MTCTE) Phases 3 and 4 by six months.

In a relief for telcos, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under which TEC falls, in an amendment notification on Friday, extended the date for mandatory certification of 12 products (ERs) covered under MTCTE phases 3 and 4, from July 1, 2023 to January 1, 2024. The 12 products include base station and repeater for cellular network, SIM, mobile radio trunking system, optical fibre-single mode, optical fibre cable and satellite communication equipment.

It has also extended the date of mandatory certification of 32 products covered under MTCTE phases 3 and 4, by three months from July 1, 2023 to October 1, 2023.

The 32 products include equipment operating in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz band, IoT Gateway, tracking device, smart electric meter, signalling gateway, session border controller, media gateway, serving mobile location centre and equipment identity register.

The DoT has also extended the last date of acceptance of test reports issued by labs accredited by International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation signatories from non-border sharing countries by six months for technical parameters only – from June 30, 2023 to December 31, 2023 for 10 products including base station and repeater for cellular network, SIM, compact cellular network, radio broadcast receiver, optical fibre-single mode, optical fibre cable and satellite communication equipment.

compliance challenges

The extensions would aid the industry which has been facing significant challenges in operatonalising Phases 3 and 4 of the MTCTE, primarily owing to issues like non-availability and limited capability of testing labs, absence of defined timelines for testing procedures, and lack of benchmarks for both testing charges and certification charges, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), said.

The delays and complexities of the procedures could potentially impact the schedules of 5G rollout and fiberisation targets, it said. COAI represents telcos including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone-Idea.

“COAI appreciates this positive decision made by the DoT and TEC, taking into consideration the industry’s earnest submissions and keeping in mind the critical challenges faced by the sector towards compliance on the earlier notified timelines of phases 3 and 4 of the MTCTE. We believe that the government has found merit in our submissions and taken a practical decision based on the ground realities in regard to the Testing and Certification ecosystem for telecom equipment in the country,” SP Kochhar, Director General, COAI, said.

The mandatory testing of telecom products was introduced in September 2017, by amending the Indian Telegraph Rules, 2017. The mandatory testing is already operational for some telecom products such as ONT, GPON and EPBX.

Since June 2021, the government has also made it mandatory for telcos to use only new devices that are designated as “trusted products” from “trusted sources”, to connect to their networks. The move was aimed at curbing Chinese telecom equipment, especially that of Huawei and ZTE, for security reasons.

“This step will help domestic manufacturers and also serve national security issues. We welcome this postponement of MTCTE,” Ravi Sharma, Chairman, Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association of India (TEMA), said.

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