The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) plans to expand the scope of the Indian Telegraph Rules to include making it mandatory for telecom equipment to obtain certification from the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) before deployment in communication networks.
According to an internal DoT report, “Testing shall be carried out by the Telegraph Authority or any other designated agency on payment of a prescribed fee. A suitable test certificate will be issued (to the OEM) if it complies with all parameters of testing and certification.?
An internal department panel which is drafting the detailed norms for mandatory testing of telecoms gear is slated to submit its recommendations to the Telecom Commission by June 15, 2011.
Since such certification of telecom gear will have a validity period, the OEM will need to renew it periodically to continue selling equipment in India.
The Telegraph Authority will also be able to issue show cause notices to operators using uncertified gear and OEMs selling such equipment. Under the amended Indian Telegraph Rules, it will also have powers to confiscate telecom equipment that hasn’t been tested or certified. In the event, an errant OEM fails to complete certification formalities even 180 days after being issued a show cause notice, the designated authority may confiscate such uncertified telecom equipment.
