When it comes to India type approval, there are multiple certification bodies involved. This is because in India, there are several types of certification such as Equipment Type Approval (ETA) which is issued by Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC), Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) which is issued by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Certification of Telecom Equipment which is issued by Telecommunication Engineering Centre and Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (TEC MTCTE), and BEE certification which is issued by Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
WPC ETA
However, for ICT products commonly we need two types of certifications: WPC ETA and/or TEC MTCTE. WPC ETA stands for Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC), Equipment Type Approval (ETA). This certification is required by products operating in free-license frequency band. As its name, this certification is issued by Wireless Planning & Coordination.
This is the wing of department of telecommunication, which is under the Ministry of Communication of India. Based in Kolkata, Mumbai, India, WPC has several responsibilities such as issuing radio license, managing spectrum allocation, as well as doing monitoring process to it.
Inside the organization, WPC is divided into several sections such as Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocation (SACFA), Licensing and Regulation (LR), and New Technology Group (NTG). Among those three, SACFA is the one responsible of planning frequency allocation formulation, making recommendation related to the frequency allocation topic or issues related to the ITU (International Telecom Union), creating solution for various issues faced by wireless users, etc,
TEC MTCTE
Whereas TEC MTCTE certification, it stands for Telecommunication Engineering Centre and Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment. This is the type of certification required by all telecommunication products that connect directly to a telecom network. It verifies compliance with technical, and safety standards set by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). This certification is managed by TEC or Telecommunication Engineering Centre.
TEC is an institution under Department of Telecommunications of Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of India. This institution is responsible for setting up the standards, requirements, whether it is document requirements or interface requirements, service, and network. In its operation, TEC has main office in Delhi, and three other branches in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bangalore.
To support its operation, TEC managed several divisions under it. These divisions have main responsibilities such as managing the telecom technology which includes Information Technology, external plant, optic transmission, networks, Line transmission, radio transmission, mobile communication, switching, and Valued Aided Services. Besides, some divisions are also responsible for trials and standardization of new technology.
Why We Care
One big question before starting an approval process is “Who can issue the certificate”, or “Which institution can issue the certificate”? Once we know the answer to this question, we will find the right place to dig deeper about the requirements, procedure, and timeline. That’s why understanding the institution that issued the certificate is important. Of course, this is easy if the country only has single certification system. But if the country has multiple certifications system, like in India Type Approval, navigating to the right institution which is relevant to our product can be a little tricky. If you have this issue, consulting with the expert can be a big help.