What is a trusted Telecom Approval in India?
TSPs or Telecom Service Providers in India can provide their services only if trusted sources have obtained the devices they are using. In other words, they need the Trusted Telecom Approval from the Government.
On June 15, 2021, the Government of India launched www.trustedtelecom.gov. With the launch of this portal, the National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector (NSDTS) has come into effect. As per it, TSPs now must obtain Trusted Telecom Approval before providing their services.
TTP (Trusted Telecom Portal)
The Trusted Telecom portal contains the list of "Trusted" vendors. A TSP can enter the name of the vendor and the product they want to obtain for their service usage. The portal will then compare the entered details with the list of trusted vendors and products. If there is a match, the TSP can go ahead and obtain the necessary hardware.
The National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector (NSDTS) got approval in the union cabinet on December 16, 2020. The directive was supposed to come into effect 180 days after that approval. However, the surge of the second wave of the COVID19 pandemic put those plans on the back burner.
However, now that most of India have been opened, the Government has refocused its attention on this law.
The portal of Trusted Telecom has been designed by CDT, the government research and development wing. However, not only this department was involved in the portal's creation. The joint effort of RailTel, representatives of TSPs, equipment members, and the National Security Council Secretariat staff, also contributed to the creation of this portal.
Thus, if you're a telecom service provider, you need to check whether or not your telecom devices are from trusted sources before you can use those devices to provide your services.