The Ministry of Communications of India has announced changes to their Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipments (MTCTE) rules, in a document called The Indian Telegraph Amendment Rules, 2017. The new regulations require any Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), importer, or dealer who wishes to sell, import, or use any telecom equipment in India to obtain a certificate from Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) and mark or affix the equipment with the appropriate certification label. The new rules, initially announced in September of 2017, will take full effect in October of 2018.
What’s Changed The Indian Telegraph Amendment Rules, 2017?
The new rules are not entirely new, but an amendment to the Indian Telegraph Rules, 1951, Part XI, titled Testing and Certification of Telegraph. The change further defines the framework for implementation and mandatory testing for certification. The new certification process is meant to promote the following government-mandated protections further:
that any telecom equipment does not degrade the performance of the existing network when connected;
safety of the end–users;
to protect users and the general public by ensuring that radio frequency emissions from equipment do not exceed prescribed standards;
that telecom equipment complies with the relevant national and international regulatory standards and requirements.
Among the changes to the certification process is a Simplified Certification Scheme (SCS) meant to streamline the certification process for manufacturers who have undergone testing in a designated CAB or recognized CAB of MRA partner country. There are also changes to the General Certification Scheme (GCS), defined in section 7 of the amendment.
What are the Indian Telegraph Rules, 1951?
The Indian Department of Telecommunications was created in the late 19th century to oversee the deployment of the first telegraphs in the country. Rules surrounding the import and implementation of telecommunications technology were governed by the 1885 Telegraph Act, which is still the core of the department’s functions. In 1951, the department saw a sharp increase in the number of foreign manufacturers looking to enter the Indian market. Thus, they passed the Telegraph Rules, 1951, which were an amendment to the Telegraph Act.
The Indian Telegraph Rules, 1951 defined the original process of certification for foreign and domestic manufacturers of telecom equipment. The goal of the new rules was to protect Indian consumers and to ensure such equipment would not disrupt the national telecommunications infrastructure. A new entity called the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) was created to manage the certification process, as well as ensure that prior testing of communications hardware had been done according to the government’s specifications.
What products are covered by the new rules?
The amendment defines an exhaustive list of products covered under the new rules, sorted by their application to either the SCS or GCS processes. They are:
SCS equipment list:
Point of Sales(POS) terminal with PSTN/CDMA/ GSM/GPRS interface
SMS Phone for PSTN
CLIP Phone
Charge Indicator for PCO operation
V.92 Modem
NSD/ISD Payphone
Cordless Telephone
Coin Box Telephone
Terminals for connecting to PSTN
Executive Telephone System
Conference Facility Device
V.90 Modem
Key Telephone Systems
Extension Line Jack Unit (ELJU)
Voice Band Data Modem (V.21 to V.34)
Subscriber Service Unit for Calling Line Identification Presentation (SSU for CLIP)
Electronic Telephone Instrument
2-Line Feature Phone
Group 3 FAX Machine/Card
GCS equipment list:
ADSL2+ for Central Office and remote office applications
SET TOP BOX for FTTH
Remote Access Server (RAS)
IP Media Gateway
Customer Premises Equipment for MPLS Network
Routers
ATM Access Equipment Connecting to DTS ATM Network
High-Speed Line Drivers.
Frame Relay Access service.
LAN Switch
Set Top Box for Content Delivery Services in IP Network
Firewall System
SIP TERMINAL
Multi-Line Telephone System
ISDN Customer Premises Equipment Interface Requirements
ISDN Network Termination (NT1)
Radio Modem in ISM Band
Wi-Fi Access Point
Wi-Fi CPE
Mobile Radio Trunking Communication Equipment
Mobile Radio Trunking Subscriber Equipment
Mobile Station/Handset-based on GSM / GPRS /
Telecommunication Engineering Centre Page 17
EGPRS
User equipment/Handset-based on WCDMA/HSPA
Mobile Station/Handset-based on CDMA 2000
IR on 3 G Data Card
IR on CDMA Data Card
CDMA 2000 1x Remote Stations
Any other item not listed in Table I or II
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