The Department of Telecommunications has announced mandatory testing and certification of telecom equipment in India from 1 October 2020. This decision has been taken after the Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association (TEMA) expressed its concern over non-testing of telecom equipment imported into India.
TEMA compliments Shri Anshu Prakash, Secretary supported by Ms. Anita Praveen, Additional Secretary and Shri Hari Ranjan Rao, Joint Secretary Telecom for announcing the Phase II of Mandatory Testing for transmission terminal equipments (SDH/Multiplexing equipment), PON family of Broadband equipment, feedback device. These equipments would need to be tested within India by a TEC recognized lab. The applications would be received from 25.6.2020. It is also to be complimented that the EMC & Safety tests would need to be conducted within country by approved labs, though for others ILAC approved tests would be accepted till 30th September, 2020. Thanks to TEC, there are about 50 labs in India approved by TEC.
TEMA would also like to take this opportunity to thank the great role played by TEC headed by Advisor Sh. RM Chaturvedi and his team of officers who finalized about 40 Essential Requirements and approved about 50 labs in short span of few months in most transparent manner holding hundreds of stakeholders consultations.
It may be recalled TEMA has BEEN DEMANDING Mandatory testing since 2010 and that the Government of India as far as back on 30.11.2012 recognized security threat from China Telecom Equipments and decided that from 1.4.2013 the certification shall be done by only recognized labs/agencies in India, vide PIB Press Note 30.11.2012. The above said mandatory testing has been postponed from time to time and last extension was upto 1.8.2019.
In the meantime on 5.9.2017, it was notified under Indian Telegraph Rules to be started from 1st October, 2018, and was postponed from time to time till 1.8.2019. The mandatory testing Phase I was started on 4.7.2019 for some products such as cordless telephone, EPBX etc. from 4.7.2019. Now Phase II has been mandated.
TEMA eagerly look forward for implementation of next Phase of Mandatory Testing especially for Radio and Mobile equipments/products.
Prof NK Goyal, Chairman Emeritus, TEMA said, "We are overwhelmed with the government's decision of mandatory testing and certification of telecommunication equipments. TEMA was raising its demand with government of India since long time to test such telecom equipments in the certified labs within India. We are really thankful to the department of telecom for taking this required step towards wellbeing of telecom industry."