M2M Communications

Overview

Machine-to-Machine Communications facilitate the automated transmission of data between two electronic or mechanical devices. The Department of telecommunication (DoT) under the Digital Communication policy 2018 has made it mandatory for all M2M service providers to be registered under this scheme. The applicant can obtain the M2M communication certificate by registering themselves as a service provider through the Saral Sanchar Portal online.

Types of M2M communications

M2M communication can broadly be classified into three categories:

• Category A: Category A M2M communication will permit the licensee to provide services on a pan-India basis.
• Category B: Category B M2M communication license will enable the licensee to extend its services to a relatively smaller area, such as a specific city or state.
• Category C:  Category C M2M communication will permit the licensee to provide service to only one Service Switching Area, which can be a small district or a village.

Categories of M2M communication Registration

There are two types of M2M communication Registration in India these are:

• M2MSP- This registration is for entities that shall be offering services that are based on SIM or LAN.

• UL/UL-VNO- This registration is for entities that shall be developing complete technology with the use of LPWAN or any other such tech. For Eg: Sigfox, LoRa etc.

Eligibility Requirements

The M2M registration can be granted to an entity only if they are registered as

• A company under the Companies Act,2013 or
• Limited Liability Partnership under the LLP Act, 2008 or
• Partnership Firm

Checklist for M2M Communications

General Terms and Conditions

• In the case of changes in the partnership, the authorised signatory or Articles/ Memorandum of Association of the company must be intimated to the authority within 30 days
• A performance has to be submitted to the authorities in case of a change in the name, address or contact details of the company
• The registration for the M2M license shall be cancelled in case of mergers or acquisitions.
• Any changes in the location of the IT setup/ Core network must be informed to the authorities within 15 days
• In case of non-fulfilment or breach of material terms of the contract that may be brought in front of DoT, the registrant shall extend reasonable support to deal with that hindrance.
• Any disputes arising out of the service shall be between the complainant and the registrant and the DoT shall bear no liability in the matter.
• The authority has the right to suspend any operations of the registrant if it contravention to rules of the telegraph act or goes against the security of the state.

Technical Conditions

• M2M service provider must obtain its telecom resource from an authorised telecom dealer as per the provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.
• The applicant must adhere to KYC (Know your Customer) guidelines issued by the government to the telecom licensee. These details are necessary for SIM-enabled resources and numbering resources and can be called by the authority for random checks at any given point in time.
• The registrant has to keep a tab of the following details of its customer:
  • Details of M2M end Device
  • Make model and registration numbers of the machines
  • Details of the custodians of the machines (such as name and address)
  • Details of changes in the customer’s machine
• Modification in details of authorized telecom licensee must be informed to the authorities.
• Any changes introduced by the government on the M2M connectivity policy shall be binding on the applicant
• The applicant must adhere to the QoS (quality of service) policy as provided by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
• All the devices sold with pre-installed sim must inform the customer about the same through a leaflet stating “This Device has SIM inside”

Security Conditions

• The applicant must take measures to prevent the transmission of
  • Objectionable, obscene or unauthorised content
  • Content that infringes the copyright or any other intellectual property
  • Any other information as reported by the government

• The applicant must ensure that the authorised personnel is given access to all the equipment for visual and operational inspection.
• The applicant must provide full assistance to the government on acts of espionage or any unlawful activity.
• The applicant must decrypt the information for the content on its network when required by the government or authorized agencies.
• Registrant shall only use the equipment that has been approved and certified by the TEC standards.
• Applicant must conduct prior testing as per the Indian Telegraph Amendment Rules, 2017.
• The registrant shall ensure that all the security measures and data privacy taken by them are as per the norms set forth by the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act).
• The applicant must have a mechanism in place to ensure that the data logs, system logs and event logs are tamper-proof and can only be accessed by the government when called for.
• The applicant must adhere to all the guidelines that are issued by the government in areas that are sensitive from a security point of view.

Documents required for M2M communication License

An applicant requires the following Documents to obtain an M2M communication:

• Certificate of Incorporation of the company
• Articles of Association
• Memorandum of association
• Details of the Base station
• Information about the M2M network
• Latest Audited balance sheet of the Company
• ID- proof of the directors of the company
• Documents for the shareholding of the company

The applicant must follow the steps to complete the registration process

• The first step- the applicant must log on to the Saral Sanchar portal and get themselves registered. Once the preliminary registration is complete the applicant will obtain a User ID and password through the registered Email and mobile number.

• Second step- The applicant has to log in and visit the license section in the portal and click on M2M communication. A new dialogue box will open where relevant details regarding the company and services must be updated.

• Third step- The applicant must upload all the relevant Documents as mentioned above in the portal and sign the application digitally.

• Fourth step- scrutiny of the online application followed by an on-sight inspection by the authorised personnel from the Telephone regulatory authority

• Fifth Step- If the Documents are verified and all checks complete then the authority shall issue you an M2M Communication License.