As the July 1 deadline to roll out guidelines for mandatory testing and certification of telecommunication equipment (MTCTE) is approaching, optical and digital solutions company Sterlite Technologies (STL) has said the government should expedite its implementation in order to curb imports of unverified equipment.
“The MTCTE guidelines have been put in place to ensure the quality, security and reliability of telecom equipment used in the country. Unverified equipment imports should be curbed immediately. Using uncertified equipment can jeopardise investments, longevity and network security,” Ankit Agarwal, MD, STL, told FE. “We strongly believe that the implementation should be expedited,” Agarwal added.
Agarwal’s comments assume significance as telecom companies want the government to once again extend the deadline for MTCTE citing reasons such as absence of testing and certification infrastructure in the country, and potential delay in network rollouts due to that.
“As the guidelines take effect, it would encourage the establishment of additional facilities across various telecom equipment categories, further enhancing the testing ecosystem,” Agarwal said, adding that the government can also consider implementing the guidelines in a phased manner. “This approach would ensure the availability of testing labs to support the certification process,” Agarwal said.
“Extending the deadline for MTCTE implementation goes beyond the impact on individual companies like STL. It directly affects the robustness and integrity of the national digital infrastructure,” Agarwal added.
The MTCTE guidelines provide that every telecom equipment must undergo mandatory testing and certification before it is put to sale and used for network rollouts.
On Tuesday, STL also announced the launch of certified labs in Aurangabad and Silvassa that are capable of handling the tests specified for single-mode optical fibres and optical fibre cables, in accordance with the upcoming equipment testing guidelines.
The company said its testing labs have been accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and Telecommunications Engineering Centre (TEC).
At the Aurangabad facility, the company will test optical fibres for 28 parameters for NABL certification and 26 parameters for Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) certification. In the Silvassa lab, the company will test 54 parameters for optical fibre cable, 26 parameters for optical fibre and 70 parameters for equipment raw materials other than fibre.
“Currently, we are testing optical fibre and optical fibre cables which are the backbone for digital transformation in the country. Moving forward, we may look at testing of other passive components related to the Optical Connectivity business but that really depends on the needs of our customers,” Agarwal said.
With regard to the pricing for the testing and certification of equipment, STL charges anywhere between 15,000 and500,000 based on different parameters.
“Our pricing structure is meticulously developed, considering factors like test scope, complexity, expertise, duration and regional market rates. We have extensively analysed international and domestic trends to ensure competitive and industry-standard pricing,” Agarwal said.
“Our commitment to high-quality testing, transparent pricing, and expertise in optical will surely create value for telecom operators on the optical side,” Agarwal added.
On June 13 last year, the Telecommunication Engineering Centre notified the extension of date of MTCTE phase III and phase IV products to July 1, 2023, from July 1, 2022.
Products under both the phases for mandatory testing include compact cellular network, transmission terminal equipment, radio, routers, IP security equipment, optical fiber cable, signaling gateway, among others.
According to the TEC website, there are 62 testing and certification labs designated by the organisation.
Lately, a department of telecommunications (DoT) taskforce on new telecom equipment opportunities led by Rakesh Bhatnagar, director general of VoICE Consortium, recommended against postponing the implementation of MTCTE guidelines.