Now electronic devices can be sold or used in the country only after testing and certification in recognized labs. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a notification in this regard. Under this notification, a list of such telecom products has been issued, which are compulsorily required to be tested and certified before being sold in the country. These products can be sold or imported into the country from July 1 only after testing and certification in any recognized lab.
These products are included
According to the Department of Telecommunications, many products have been included in this list including smart watches, tracking devices, smart cameras, smart electricity meters and base tower stations (BTS) for telecom networks. All these products have been notified under Phase III of Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) mandated testing and certification by the government following amendments to the Indian Telegraph Rules.
These products will be included in the fourth phase
In its fourth phase, products like optical fiber, point of sale (POS) devices, routers, transmission equipment, satellite communication equipment, LAN switches, etc. will be included. The mandatory testing and certification work for these products will start from February 1 next year.
It has been made mandatory to check security flaws
Testing and certification has been made mandatory to check for any security flaws in imported equipment. Although the government had approved the proposal for mandatory testing of telecom equipment in 2010 itself, it was delayed due to some World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and other reasons. However, by amending the Telegraph Act in the year 2017, these problems were overcome.
Increase in the number of accredited labs
To avoid any problem in the supply chain, the number of accredited labs in the country has been increased. Laboratories accredited by Telecommunication Engineering Center (TEC) and International Laboratory Accreditation Corporation (ILAC) have also been prepared for testing and certification of products. The Telecom Equipment Manufacturing Association (TEMA) welcomed the government’s move, saying that the move will promote Make in India and local talent, as well as help in national security and data privacy.
(Article: Kiran Rathee)
Get Business News ,, latest India News ,, and other breaking news on share market, investment scheme and much more on Business Khabar. Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter for latest financial news and share market updates.
.