TEC/MTCTE APPROVAL (TYPES, REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESS)

In the early 2000s, the telecom industry began to rapidly innovate technology, bringing about a huge change in the way people connect with each other. From voice and data communications to high speed video and audio capabilities, this sector is vital in modern society and is divided into three main aspects: wireless communications, telecom services, and telecom equipment.

The telecom journey began with the invention of the telegraph around the 1830s as this device enabled people to connect with each other across the globe. As technology progressed, there was a simultaneous demand for high quality and standardized infrastructure. To meet this demand, the Indian government established the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) in 1991, whose job is to develop technical standards for telecom networks that are efficient, world-class, robust, and interoperable, ensuring seamless communication across the globe.

To control the quality of telecom equipment coming into India, TEC introduced the MTCTE (Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment) scheme. This requires all telecom product manufacturers and importers to have a TEC certificate. Provided the equipment passes the required tests, they are given a unique TEC registration number that becomes the brand identification of their product, marking compliance with national standards and ensuring customers that it is safe, authentic and genuine.

WHAT IS TEC APPROVAL

WHAT IS MTCTE (MANDATORY TESTING AND CERTIFICATION OF TELECOM EQUIPMENT)

In India, no telecom equipment can be sold, used, or imported without undergo compulsory testing and certification, as per The Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017. This comprehensive procedure is governed by the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) scheme. A total of 74 telecom products and their variants are included under MTCTE.

The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) appoints laboratories for testing, which is done to check vital technical and safety aspects. Based on these tests, TEC issues the certification for the equipment.

OBJECTIVES OF THE MTCTE
Ensuring that telecom equipment does not interfere with the performance of any existing network it connects to.
Guaranteeing the safety of end-users.
Protecting users and the public by ensuring that radiofrequency emissions from the equipment remain within prescribed limits.
Ensuring that telecom equipment complies with relevant national and international regulatory standards and requirements.

TYPE OF TEC CERTIFICATION COVERED UNDER MTCTE

The MTCTE scheme includes different types of TEC certifications, each catering to various compliance and safety requirements for telecom equipment. Some major type of TEC Certification are as follows:

1. MANDATORY TEC CERTIFICATION
2. VOLUNTARY TEC CERTIFICATION
3. VOLUNTARY SECURITY CERTIFICATION
4. CAS/SMS CERTIFICATION

Let’s understand each type of TEC Certification one by one:

MANDATORY TEC CERTIFICATION

TEC observed the need for foresight regarding the mandatory certification of particular items which are important for consumer security and safety. As such, these products must be TEC certified. Under MTCTE, there are two types of certification schemes.

MANDATORY CERTIFICATION SCHEMES

1. General Certification Scheme (GCS): In this scheme, it is expected from the applicant to provide a compliance summary and not only actual test reports but also a multi-step report alongside relevant test certificates. Testing is carried out in accordance with the parameters specified in the Essential Requirements (ERs) by a CAB or its equivalent from a MRA Partner Country. The certification processes in GCS takes approximately 40 to 45 working days.

2. Simplified Certification Scheme (SCS): As for this scheme, it is necessary for an applicant to test the product according to the ERs, fill up a compliance checklist, and submit it together with a Self-Declaration of Conformity (SDoC). SCS is also bound by the same rules and procedures as GCS. The only difference is, the applicant is not obligated to submit the reports or have TEC vet the reports. However, TEC does have the prerogative to demand the report from the applicant. The time associated with SCS is significantly less, assuming simplification succeeds during formality reductions. For the manufacturer, it usually takes around 15 to 20 working days to issue the certificate.

REQUIREMENTS: The Essential Requirements (ERs) include:

• Safety – The equipment must be safe to use.
• Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) / Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) – The equipment must not cause or experience electromagnetic interference.
• Technical Requirements – The equipment must meet performance standards for wireless and radio frequency (RF) signals.
• Security – To be specified by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

MTCTE MANDATORY TEC CERTIFICATION PROCESS

STEP	DESCRIPTION
Portal Registration	Create an account on the MTCTE portal. The Indian entity (OEM/Trader/Indian Representative) must register and provide company details, including PAN card and registration certificate. Authorized representative details and factory registration (for foreign OEM) need to be submitted.
Product Selection	Select the product and its variants. Define available interfaces and upload the Bill of Materials (BoM). The portal will display the applicable certification scheme, Essential Requirements (ER), and fees.
BoM Evaluation	TEC officials will review and approve the BoM.
Fee Payment	Pay the applicable fee for testing and certification.
Product Testing	Submit product samples to the designated lab for testing based on EMI/EMC, safety, and technical requirements.
Test Report Submission	Submit the test report to TEC for evaluation.
Document Scrutiny	TEC will verify the submitted documents and communicate any deficiencies to the applicant. Once deficiencies are corrected, the application will be accepted for final evaluation.
Certification	If the equipment meets all compliance requirements, TEC will issue the certificate.

MTCTE CERTIFICATION FEE

PRODUCTS COVERED BY TEC/MTCTE UNDER MENDATORY CERTIFICATION

S.No.	Product Name	Phase	Mandatory Certification Date
1	2-Wire Telephone Equipment	Phase I	01-Oct-2019
2	G3 Fax Machine	Phase I	01-Oct-2019
3	Modem	Phase I	01-Oct-2019
4	Cordless Telephone	Phase I	01-Oct-2019
5	ISDN Customer Premises Equipment	Phase I	01-Oct-2019
6	Private Automatic Branch Exchange	Phase I	01-Oct-2019
7	PON (Passive Optical Network) Equipment	Phase II	01-Oct-2020
8	Feedback Device	Phase II	01-Oct-2020
9	Transmission Terminal Equipment	Phase II	01-Oct-2020
10	Wireless Access Equipment (2.4/5 GHz)	Phase III	01-Jan-2024
11	WLAN Controller Equipment	Phase III	01-Jan-2024
12	End Point Device for Environmental Monitoring	Phase III	01-Jan-2024
13	Repeater for Cellular Network	Phase III	01-Apr-2024
14	Base Station for Cellular Network (up to 4G)	Phase III	01-Aug-2024
15	Compact Cellular Network	Phase III	01-Jan-2024
16	IoT Gateway	Phase III	01-Jan-2024
17	Tracking Device	Phase III	01-Jan-2024
18	Smart Electricity Meter	Phase III	01-Oct-2024
19	Mobile Radio Trunking System	Phase IV	01-Aug-2024
20	HF (High Frequency) Radio	Phase IV	01-Apr-2024
21	VHF/UHF Radio System Equipment	Phase IV	01-Aug-2024
22	Microwave Fixed Radio Systems	Phase IV	01-Aug-2024
23	Media Gateway	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
24	Signalling Gateway	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
25	Session Border Controller	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
26	Softswitch	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
27	DSL Equipment	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
28	Satellite Communication Equipment	Phase IV	01-Oct-2024
29	LAN Switch	Phase IV	01-Aug-2024
30	Router	Phase IV	01-Aug-2024
31	Firewall and Security Equipment	Phase IV	01-Aug-2024
32	Precision Timing Protocol Grand Master Equipment	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
33	Mobile Management Entity	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
34	Cell Broadcast Centre	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
35	IP Multimedia Conferencing Equipment	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
36	BSC (Base Station Controller) and RNC (Radio Network Controller)	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
37	SMLC (Serving Mobile Location Centre)	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
38	SGSN and GGSN	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
39	HLR, AUC, HSS (Home Location Register)	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
40	MSC and VLR	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
41	Infiniband Switch	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
42	OTA (Over-The-Air) and FOTA (Firmware Over-The-Air)	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
43	SCP (Service Control Point)	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
44	OMC, EMS, NMS, OSS	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
45	S-GW and P-GW	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
46	SMSC (Short Message Service Centre)	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
47	GMLC (Gateway Mobile Location Centre)	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
48	EIR (Equipment Identity Register)	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
49	Optical Fibre Cable	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
50	SIM (Subscriber Identity Module)	Phase IV	01-Aug-2024
51	Radio Broadcast Receiver	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
52	Optical Fibre (Single Mode)	Phase IV	01-Jan-2024
53	Base Station for Cellular Network (5G)	Phase V	01-Oct-2024
54	5G Core	Phase V	01-Jul-2024
55	Hypervisor	Phase V	01-Oct-2024
56	E-Band Fixed Radio Relay Systems	Phase V	01-Jul-2024
57	Converged Multi-Service Application Access Equipment	Phase V	01-Jul-2024
58	IP Terminal	Phase V	01-Oct-2024

VOLUNTARY TEC CERTIFICATION

Voluntary Certification in TEC allows manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers to acquire certification for their telecom equipment or infrastructure even if it is not legally mandated under the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) scheme. Such certification increases the value of various items and is considered as a mark of quality, safety, and compliance due to its emphasis on TEC’s standards.

OBJECTIVE OF VOLUNTARY CERTIFICATION

The objectives of voluntary certification include verifying the quality and performance of telecom equipment, increasing acceptance in the market, and improving customer trust regarding the equipment. It allows manufacturers to claim compliance with various applicable national and international standards, thus gaining market edge and officially recognized technical merit, even in the absence of regulations imposed under the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) scheme.

MTCTE MANDATORY TEC CERTIFICATION PROCESS

STEP	DESCRIPTION
Application Submission	Applicant submits the certification request through the TEC portal, providing product details and supporting documents.
Documentation Review	TEC reviews the submitted technical documentation and test reports for compliance with applicable TEC standards.
Testing (if required)	TEC may direct the product for testing at TEC-designated labs to verify compliance with technical standards.
Evaluation	TEC evaluates the test results and documentation.
Issuance of Certificate	If the product meets TEC’s technical requirements, a Voluntary Certificate of Compliance (CoC) is issued.

PRODUCTS COVERED BY TEC/MTCTE UNDER VOLUNTARY CERTIFICATION

• Telecom network equipment: routers, switches, base stations
• Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)
• Transmission and Access Systems
• Optical Fiber and Copper Infrastructure
• Internet of Things (IoT) devices
• Wireless equipment: Wi-Fi, LTE, 5G etc

VOLUNTARY SECURITY CERTIFICATION IN TEC

The TEC Voluntary Security Certification allows manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers to get certification for the security features and capabilities of their telecommunication products even when such certification is not mandatory by law. It illustrates that the product certified has met the criteria set in security standards and best practices developed by TEC.

OBJECTIVE OF VOLUNTARY SECURITY CERTIFICATION

Aim of the Voluntary Security Certification is to improve the security of telecommunication networks and equipment, safeguarding it from possible hacking or data breaches. It also promotes international standards of security which is vital in increasing the trust that customers have for telecom products. The certification entails access control, data encryption, software integrity, vulnerability management, secure communication and logging, documentation or physical security, and protection of remote access.

PROCESS OF VOLUNTARY SECURITY CERTIFICATION

STEP	DESCRIPTION
Application Submission	Applicant submits a request through the TEC portal, providing product details and security-related technical documentation.
Documentation Review	TEC reviews the submitted security architecture, design documents, and test reports.
Security Testing (if required)	TEC may direct the product to undergo testing at accredited labs to validate security features.
Evaluation	TEC evaluates the test results and documentation against the defined security standards.
Issuance of Certificate	If the product meets TEC’s security requirements, a Voluntary Security Certificate is issued.

PRODUCTS COVERED BY TEC/MTCTE UNDER VOLUNTARY SECURITY CERTIFICATION

• Network infrastructure equipment (e.g., routers, switches, firewalls)
• Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)
• Mobile communication systems
• Internet of Things (IoT) devices
• Wireless communication equipment (e.g., Wi-Fi, 5G, LTE)
• Cloud-based telecom solutions
• Software-defined networking (SDN) components

CAS/SMS CERTIFICATION IN TEC

The Quality, Security and Reliability of Telecom Equipment is maintained in India by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) under the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications. TEC has developed a certification CAS/SMS for access control and subscriber management systems, which is in compliance with TEC’s requirements for content control and subscriber management security standards. Content Access Services (CAS) limit how users can access information while Subscription Management Services (SMS) take care of subscriber services such as billing and authentication.

In alignment with directions given by MIB and TRAI, the purpose of these guidelines is to prevent piracy of content, protection of consumer information, and restrict access to paid information. Eligible entities for this certification are not limited to manufacturers, providers, broadcasters, DTH operators, Cable TV operators and system integrator. Important technical requirements include encryption, authentication on the part of the subscribers, secure data transfer, data protection, logging, and provision of services in a non-discriminatory manner.

COMPARISON OF MANDATORY, VOLUNTARY, VOLUNTARY SECURITY, AND CAS/SMS CERTIFICATION IN TEC

BASIC DOCUMENT REQUIRED FOR MANDATORY TESTING & CERTIFICATION

In order to get MTCTE certification, some documents need to be submitted like registration of the company, respective authorization letters, and Articles of Association. Mentioned below are some other primary documents that are required before applying for TEC. Note: these are the basic documents; further documents might be needed based on the nature of the product and the type of certification.

• Company Registration Document
• Authorization Letter from the company (Indian OEM and AIR for Foreign OEM) for MTCTE related responsibilities
• Company's Articles of Association (AoA), signed by Director or Company Secretary.
• Company's Memorandum of Association (MoA), signed by Director or Company Secretary as per norms.
• Latest Shareholding Pattern showing board members/shareholders.
• MoU between foreign OEM and Indian representative (AIR) for product sales and support in India, authorizing the AIR for MTCTE responsibilities.
• Trademark Certificate

TIMELINE FOR TEC/MTCTE CERTIFICATION

In order to get MTCTE certification, some documents need to be submitted like registration of the company, respective authorization letters, and Articles of Association. Mentioned below are some other primary documents that are required before applying for TEC. Note: these are the basic documents; further documents might be needed based on the nature of the product and the type of certification.

Certification Type	Duration
MANDATORY CERTIFICATION	60 Days*
VOLUNTARY CERTIFICATION	20-30 Days*
VOLUNTARY SECURITY CERTIFICATION	60-90 Days*
CAS/SMS CERTIFICATION	90-120 Days*

TEC REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE COST FOR EQUIPMENT

The general costs and government fees are categorized into groups, with various products classified accordingly. Provided below is an overview of the basic fee structure. Please note that additional fees may apply, including but not limited to testing fees and professional fees, particularly if your products lack valid test reports or if you require assistance from professionals.

HOW CAN ALEPH INDIA HELP YOU TO GET A MTCTE/TEC APPROVAL?

• If you're a manufacturer looking for TEC Certification service for your telecom product, Aleph INDIA is here to help. Since 2013, we've been providing comprehensive certification solutions in India and abroad.
• We specialize in telecom equipment and guide you through the TEC Certification process to ensure your product meets all required standards.
• Aleph INDIA offers more than TEC Registration services. We also provide technical and regulatory compliance services, including product testing, training, and auditing, to help industries achieve higher productivity and quality standards.
• Trust Aleph INDIA to assist you in obtaining the TEC Certificate, ensuring your telecom product meets the necessary quality and safety criteria for the Indian market.