WPC Approval: An Overview

WPC stands for Wireless Planning and Co-ordination. Such approval is required for the process of any form of radio-frequency enabled devices. Permission from the WPC department would be required for any form of import of radio-based frequency equipment into India. This department would ensure that all the requirements related to licensing are met by the service provider.

Wireless Planning and coordination wing comes under the Department of Telecommunication (DoT). Such wing would be responsible for carry out radio frequency testing, licensing requirements related to wireless testing and frequency testing.

--------------Blog Contact Form-------------

Regulatory Body/Authority for WPC approval in India

The primary regulatory body of authority for WPC approval in India is the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Such a department would come under the pure view of the Ministry of Communications in India.

Apart from the responsibility of carrying out licensing, the department would also be responsible for frequency spectrums and monitoring frequency spectrums. The main Law that governs the licensing requirements for different forms of equipment would be the Indian Wireless and Indian Telegraphy Act.

What is WPC approval required for?

WPC Approval would be utilized by the agencies for securing the license to operate within a given frequency. All the wireless-based products would be working on some form of the wireless network. Such wireless devices would require working on some form of de-licensed frequency bands. Such de-licensed frequency bands would require a specific type of approval. Such approval is known as ETA (Equipment Type Approval). The Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) department is responsible to give the approval for the ETA. Hence, if the product is not certified by the WPC and is functioning in the de-licensed frequency band then it is WPC ETA Certificate. The range of Equipment Type Approval (ETA) from the WPC includes and covers mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, Wi-Fi technologies, and others.

What is the process for applying for WPC Approval in India?

The below are the steps regarding the process of WPC certificate in India:

• Visit department of telecommunication website
• Search Import Undertaking by ID
• Apply for New ETA
• Review and grant of registration.

Visit the department of telecommunication website – first, the applicant has to go to the DoT website. The following website has to be utilized for the approval process. Then the applicant has to go to the tab and click on apply new ETA.

Search Import Undertaking by ID – If the applicant is an importer of wireless equipment utilizing different forms of radiofrequency, then the same can be checked by searching the import undertaking through the ID. The applicant has to enter the import ID along with the captcha code.

Apply for New ETA – Application for the ETA is completely an online process. However, the applicant would have to make a self-declaration. The applicant has to click on “NO” when asked “whether the equipment is working in License exempted/Di-licensed bands?  So that applicant would be redirected to another page where the information related to the product has to be provided.

The following details have to be provided:

• Name and other information related to the applicant.
• What is the nature of the device
• Provide information related to the model number.
• Provide information on who manufactured the product.
• The frequency range of the product require to be mentioned at the time of filling application.
• Output power has to be mentioned.
• Modulation range has to be provided in the application along with remarks of the same.

Review and Grant of Application – If the application meets the requirements related to the specifications, then the authority would go ahead and grant the application for ETA for the particular device under WPC Approval.