Introduction

In April 2024, the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) of India unveiled version 3.0 of the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment (MTCTE) procedures. This latest release incorporates various substantial modifications designed to simplify the certification process, prolong certificate validity, and decrease expenses for government entities. The new procedures are likely to usher in efficiency and effectiveness in the certification of telecommunication equipment in India.

Some of the more prominent changes in this regard include an extension in the validity period for regular MTCTE certificates from 5 years to 10 years. This change will reduce the frequency of renewals and related administrative burdens on manufacturers and importers. There is institutionalized acceptance of valid TEC certificates or test reports issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards, BIS, or BIS-recognized labs against safety requirements, which has now been institutionalized, thus simplifying the process of certification for a large number of products.

Besides, the revised procedures have brought in revised labeling requirements and updated definitions of various equipment categories. The acceptance of Source Approval Certificates under MTCTE has been mentioned hereby to make things more explicit and flexible for the manufacturer. Removal of the mandate for NABL accreditation for witness testing by RTEC is also envisaged and is likely to speed up the testing process.

Some of the cost reductions include waving off the certification fee for government institutions and removing the test report evaluation fee. This may allow a reduction in the financial load on the government departments and increase the adoption of certified telecommunication equipment in the government segment.

KEY UPDATES 

• Extended Certificate Validity: The regular MTCTE certificates whose validity used to be 5 years have now been changed to 0 years.
• Acceptance of BIS Certifications: The valid certificate or test report issued by or against the safety requirements of BIS or a lab recognized by BIS shall now be accepted under MTCTE.
• Revised Labeling Requirements: Labeling requirements of Telecommunication Equipment have been updated.
• Updated Definitions: Definitions of various categories of equipment have been introduced.
• Source Approval Certificates: Acceptance of Source Approval Certificates under MTCTE has been institutionalized.
• Witness Testing Requirements: Compulsion of NABL accreditation for witness testing by RTEC has been dispensed with.
• Discounted Costs: The waiver of the Certification fee for government institutions and the removal of the test report evaluation fee.
• Provisional Certificates: The procedures of issuance of provisional certificates have been withdrawn.

Some of the changes include simplification of the process of certification, extension of the validity period, reduction in costs associated with government institutions, and updating several procedural and technical requirements. These changes bring the TEC certificates into force from April 2019 and represent a continuous effort in trying to fine-tune the process of certification for telecommunication equipment within India.