India to start screening of imported telecoms gear in April
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The Indian government is reportedly planning to start screening imported telecoms equipment used in mobile networks and handsets from April 1, 2017, following several implementation delays over the last three and a half years.
The government has assigned labs under a state-owned quality control agency, Standardisation Testing & Quality Certification (STQC), to undertake the screening of imported mobile network gears, feature phones and smartphones in the interest of national security, the Economic Times reported.
Initially, local screening will be conducted in phases by identifying network gear deemed most vulnerable, the Economic Times cited a senior official at Department of Telecom (DoT) as saying.
The government’s immediate objective is to also ensure that local screening does not create supply-chain bottlenecks or disrupt mobile network rollouts or expansions, according to another source familiar with the matter.
Accordingly, the DoT plans to invite companies from the private sector to set up more accredited labs to screen imported network gear, and develop a full-blown local testing ecosystem.
However, the government has received a lukewarm response from the private sector due to the lack of a viable funding mechanism.
Questions & Answers
Q.When is the Indian government expected to begin screening imported telecoms equipment?
When is the Indian government expected to begin screening imported telecoms equipment?
The Indian government is reportedly planning to start screening imported telecoms equipment from April 1, 2017. This follows several delays over the past three and a half years before implementation.
Q.Which body has been tasked with initially screening the imported equipment?
Which body has been tasked with initially screening the imported equipment?
Labs operating under the state-owned quality control agency, Standardisation Testing & Quality Certification (STQC), have been assigned to undertake the initial screening of imported mobile network gears, feature phones, and smartphones.
Q.What is the government's objective regarding the impact of local screening?
What is the government's objective regarding the impact of local screening?
The government's immediate objective is to ensure that local screening does not create supply-chain bottlenecks. They also aim to avoid disrupting mobile network rollouts or planned expansions across the country.
Q.Why has the private sector shown little interest in setting up accredited labs for screening?
Why has the private sector shown little interest in setting up accredited labs for screening?
The private sector has reportedly shown a lukewarm response to the government's invitation. This is primarily attributed to the current lack of a viable funding mechanism for establishing more accredited labs.