Government of India has yet again extended the deadline to begin domestic testing and certification of telecom equipment amid industry concerns on the lack of adequate testing infrastructure in the country to August 1, 2019.
Department of Telecom (DoT) had in 2012 for the first time fixed April 1, 2013 as the deadline for mandatory testing and certification of telecom equipment (MCTE) and has deferred it many times since then.
April 1, 2019, was fixed as the deadline for certification of mobile base stations, routers, internet of things devices and other network gears. To allay fears of cyber espionage, DoT in 2011 had amended telecom licence rules which made telecom operators install only those equipment in their network that are safe and certified by international reputed agencies until March 31, 2013. When contacted, the industry body Mobile Association said the extension of the deadline is a favourable step towards ensuring a smooth transition to MCTE regime by mobile phones manufacturers.
Economic Times