An Overview of the TEC Certification

The Telecom Industry has continuously been innovated and liberated at a swift pace since the early 2000s. Companies that are in the business of Telecommunications across the world exchange data anywhere around the globe in the form of texts, voice texts, audio formats and video formats. The three basic categories of sub-sectors of the Telecommunication Industry are as follows –

• Telecom Equipment
• Telecom Service
• Wireless Communication

This particular industry was introduced in the 1830s upon the invention of the Telegraph, the first mechanical gadget utilised for telecommunication. Along with the advancement in technology, to keep up with the needed development for the telecom industry, the Telecommunication Engineering Centre was introduced in India.

The Telecommunication Engineering Centre, also known as the TEC, serves the purpose to assist the Department of Telecommunications, also known as DoT, established by the Government of India. The primary purpose of TEC is for developing and implementing various policies and standards for ensuring the utilisation of new emerging and constantly changing technologies with the maintenance of safety and security. The TEC has issued measures to be taken for the maintenance of the quality of telecom equipment categorised in accordance with the needed specification as follows –

• GRs or Generic Requirements
• IRs or Interface Requirements
• SRs or Service Requirements

The issuance TEC Certification procedure can take up to 30 days from the date of application. This duration also varies based on the category of the product, the requirement of tests, etc.

The Various Types of Voluntary Testing Certifications

The TEC has been authorised for four various approvals –

• Type Approvals –

Type Approval is the procedure of following the rules of testing and providing certification of a telecom product in accordance with the TEC Test Schedule and Test Procedure, also known as TSTP, in compliance with the Standard for Product or Equipment, which is known as Generic Requirement (GR) of the Product. The testing of products is usually conducted on-site in an OEM premise or laboratory. The acceptable test reports can be ILAC Signed Accredited Lab Reports such as EMC Testing, Safety Testing, Environmental Testing, etc.

• Interface Approvals –

The Interface Approval follows the procedure of conducting testing and granting certification of products utilised for telecommunication in accordance with the TEC Test Schedule and Test Procedure, also known as TSTP, in compliance with the Standard for Product or Equipment, which is known as Interface Requirement (IR) of the Product. The testing of products is usually conducted on-site in an OEM premise or laboratory. It is mandatory to obtain an Interface Approval Certification for using telecom equipment for Government Agencies and Service Providers.

• Certification of Approvals –

The Certificate of Approval, also known as the CoA, is the process of testing and providing certification for a telecom product in accordance with the criteria set by the producer. This approval is applicable, and the certificate is issued only when the TEC does not have a Generic Requirement (GR) or an Interface Requirement (IR). The testing is conducted on-site either in an OEM Premise or a laboratory. The acceptable test reports can be ILAC Signed Accredited Lab Reports such as EMC Testing, Safety Testing, Environmental Testing, etc.

• Technology Approvals –

Technology Approval is the process of testing and providing certification of a product prototype of a telecom product which is developed by C-DoT or any other R & D based organisation. This approval is granted only if the developed product meets the criteria of maintenance of standard as per Generic Requirements (GR) in accordance with the TEC. The testing is conducted on-site either in an OEM Premise or a laboratory. The acceptable test reports can be ILAC Signed Accredited Lab Reports such as EMC Testing, Safety Testing, Environmental Testing, etc.

Eligibility Criteria for TEC Certificate

It is mandatory for all products developed as telecom equipment to undergo testing and to obtain the applicable certification before initiation of sale, importation, or any type of usage anywhere across India as per the set rules in the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017. The testing of the product is to be conducted in accordance with the Essential Requirements (ER) by an Indian Recognised Laboratory, which is to be assigned by the TEC. The TEC Certificate is authorised to be issued by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre in accordance with satisfactory results of the test reports.

Requirements that are mandatorily needed to be fulfilled for being eligible for Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment, also known as MTCTE, are stated as follows –

• An Authorised Signatory provided by the Authorised Indian Company
• For Foreign OEM, they need to appoint an Indian Authorised Company, which will then act as a representative for the MTCTE certification process.
• MoU between the Foreign OEM and the Indian Representative Company, if applicable.
• For Indian Producers, they need to provide all the required legal documentations that provides the proof of registration.
• The Approved and Valid Test Reports were conducted by an Indian Recognised Lab as per the approval of TEC.
• The Branding Details of the Product
• The Trademark Details of the Product
• The Registration Detail of the Company

Documents needed for MTCTE for TEC Certificate

The Authorised Indian Representative Companies and Indian Manufacturers have to follow the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment Process in accordance with the TEC for applying for issuance of a TEC Certificate.

The following documents have been implemented mandatory for submission for the application process of Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment, also known as MTCTE –

• All necessary documentation that provides proof of Company Registration
• Letter of Authorisation that is to be issued by the company granting authorisation commencement of MTCTE work requirements.
• In the case of Foreign Companies, a Letter of Authorisation is to be issued by the Authorised Indian Representative along with the Indian OEM granting authorisation commencement of MTCTE work requirements.
• The Director of the Company or the Company Secretary needs to send a signed copy of the Company’s Articles of Association, also known as AoA.
• The Director of the Company or the Company Secretary needs to send a signed copy of the Company’s Memorandum of Association, also known as MoA.
• The latest report on the Company’s Shareholding structure that mentions the details of the Share Holders and the members of the Board.
• Memorandum of Understanding, also known as the MoU between the Foreign OEM and the Authorised Indian Representative (AIR), granting permission of sale and support of the telecom product in India.
• Proof of granting authorisation to the Authorised Indian Representative (AIR) for the purpose of discharging of MTCTE work requirements.

Application Procedure of TEC Certification

The following procedure has been implemented as mandatory to be followed for the application process for TEC Certification –

• The application process for TEC Certificate can be done online as well as offline.
• The application needs to be submitted along with all the relevant documents that cannot be changed once submitted.
• TEC conducts the evaluation of the documents in full scrutiny. If any error in the document is found, it is immediately communicated to the applicant. Upon rectification of the errors, the applicant’s registration is deemed valid and only then can the applicant submit the required applications for product testing and TEC Certification.
• For the product to be certified, the applicant needs to submit the variant details and all the information required and available regarding the product model, the BoM and the datasheet of equipment, etc.
• The applicant also needs to submit the location details of the Telcom or ICT Equipment along with the contact information of the certification.
• The applicant needs to pay the required fees for the certification scheme, ER, which will be declared after the submission of the application.
• The applicant can then select the Conformity Assessment Body, also known as the CAB, from the list of CABs provided by TEC.
• The Telecom Equipment has to be tested in a Recognised Conformity Assessment Body of an MRA Partner Country.
• After product testing in a CAB, the test report needs to be submitted. The applicant has to also submit a summary of the test report and has to then sign the undertaking stating that the test report and the summary of the test report were submitted accurately with no changes made.
• After submission, the TEC conducts the evaluation of the test reports with full scrutiny.
• If the equipment fulfils the needed compliance and is deemed satisfactory, then the TEC Certificate is granted.

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