The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical wing of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) India, announced the launch of Phase-III and Phase-IV of the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment (MTCTE) on Sept. 22, 2021. Phase-III and Phase-IV of MTCTE cover a vast scope of products and will be mandated with effect from July 1, 2022.
MTCTE applies to all types of telecom/information communication technology equipment to be sold in India for connecting — or with the ability to connect — to the Indian telecom/communication network.
Any original equipment manufacturer (OEM), importers and dealers who sell or import any notified telecom equipment in the country must obtain a TEC certificate and put a TEC label on the equipment before placing the product on the market. These are some examples of products covered under Phase-III and Phase-IV of MTCTE:
| Phase-III Products | Phase-IV Products |
|---|---|
| Base station for cellular network | Transmission terminal equipment (DWDM, DXC) |
| Repeater for cellular network | Optical fiber (single mode) |
| Compact cellular network | Satellite communication equipment |
| Smart camera | Radio broadcast receiver |
| Smartwatch | Mobile radio trunking System |
| Smart electricity meter | HF radio |
| Tracking device (with embedded SIMs) | VHF/UHF radio system equipment |
| IoT gateway | PTP PMP microwave fixed radio systems |
| Endpoint device for environmental monitoring | IP security equipment |
| Equipment operating in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands | Router |
For the full list of products covered under Phase-III and Phase-IV of MTCTE, please visit TEC’s website.
How you can achieve conformity
The TEC requires in-scope products to undergo mandatory testing in a TEC-designated testing laboratory or with recognized Conformance Assessment Bodies (CAB) of Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) partner countries. The applicant must submit application documents along with test reports from a TEC-designated testing laboratory through the MTCTE portal. These serve as the TEC-defined Essential Requirements (ERs) that will determine compliance:
- EMI/EMC
- Safety — product safety and SAR
- Technical requirements like RF testing
- Other requirements like IPv4 and IPv6
- Security requirements (National Centre for Communication Security (NCCS) is working on the same requirements)
MTCTE registration is model-based. Manufacturers and vendors should obtain certification only once for a model. Associated/family models can earn certification without testing (maximum 10 models).
MTCTE certificates are valid for five years. Manufacturers and vendors can renew the certificate for five more years with the same certificate number (per applicability).
What will change in 2022?
The MTCTE portal has been accepting applications since Oct. 11, 2021. Certifying newly added product categories in Phase-III and Phase-IV will require mandatory testing from TEC-designated laboratories and TEC certification from July 1, 2022.
Manufacturers and vendors must obtain TEC certification prior to importing their products in India. The TEC requires manufacturers to affix a TEC certification label on the product after obtaining TEC certification.
We can help you meet testing requirements under the MTCTE scheme
The TEC has designated UL’s laboratories in India (Bengaluru and Gurugram) as CABs to conduct testing on respective parameters under the MTCTE scheme.
UL can help facilitate your MTCTE application by leveraging extensive regulatory experience and a local presence in the region to help streamline the process, speed time to market and help ensure that you comply with the latest regulatory requirements.
To learn more about India’s new MTCTE regulations, please visit UL.com or contact us at UL.com/contact-us
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