TELECOM REGISTRATION AND LICENSE
What is Telecom Registration And License?
The telecom services have been recognized the world-over as an important tool for socio economic development for a nation and hence telecom infrastructure is treated as a crucial factor to realize the socio-economic objectives in India. Accordingly, the Department of Telecom has been formulating developmental policies for the accelerated growth of the telecommunication services. The Telecom Commission was set up by the Government of India with administrative and financial powers of the Government of India to deal with various aspects of Telecommunications.
Types of telecom licenses:-
1. ISP Licenses Category A, B, and C2. UL VNO License
3. OSP Registrations
4. Share Infrastructure License
5. IP-1 Registration
6. Audiotext / Voice Call / UMS License
ISP Licenses Category A, B, and C:- You will get this License if you want to start as an Internet Service Provider. The ISP License Category is three:
1. Category A ISP License (National Area): If you want to provide internet services across India, you need ISP License category A. A PAN India License, the entry fee required to get it is Rs 30 Lakh.
2. Category B ISP License (Telecom Circle/Metro Area): Want to provide internet services within a telecom circle or across a metro area? Get an ISP License Category B. The entry fee required to get it is Rs 2 Lakh.
3. Category C ISP License (Secondary Switching Area): What if you just want to provide Internet Services within a small block, or a small neighbourhood (secondary switching area)? In that case, you go for ISP License Category C. It is the cheapest among them all. The ISP C Class fees is not more than Rs 50,000/-.
UL VNO License:- It is a new form of Unified License suited for ISPs on a tight budget. Much like ISP License, it also has three categories:
1. Category A: The UL VNO Category A License is valid across India.
2. Category B: The UL VNO Category B License is valid within a Metro Area/telecom circle
3. Category C: The UL VNO Category C License is valid within a secondary switching Area.
The telecom license renewal for a UL VNO License has to be done early because it is valid only for 3 years.
OSP Registrations- You call it to call centre, but the experts call it OSP: the Other Services Provider. OSPs are businesses that use telecom resources to provide services such as BPO, LPO, KPO, RPO, Tele-education, Tele-banking, networking and others. These telecom Licenses in India are also provided by Department of telecommunication. It is to ensure that the telecom resources aren’t misused. The types of OSPs are as follows:
1. Domestic OSPs: They are country-bound OSPs.
2. International OSPs: They are unbound licenses that can operate across international borders.
OSP License is location bound, which means that you have to get one OSP License per location if you have multiple call centres.
Sharing Infrastructure License- Setting up a call centre is costly. Therefore, it is always a good idea to share the infrastructure with another OSP to keep the cost a bit down. The Share Infrastructure License is a Telecom License Agreement between two OSPs to share infrastructure. Both parties have to sign this agreement and submit it to the OSP and that’s it, they can begin sharing the resources to perform their tasks.
Work from Home Registration- Call Centres nowadays provide an option for their employees to work from home. It involves a work from home registration – an agreement that avails call centre workers be more productive while being in the ambiance of their houses.
IP-1 Registration- OSPs require a lot of infrastructures, which is up to an Infrastructure Provider to provide. You can become an Infrastructure Provider by getting the IP-1 License. With this license, you can provide the following infrastructures:
1. Dark Fibre
2. Right of Way
3. Tower
4. Duct Space
Audiotext / Voice Call / UMS License- If you want to provide Audiotext, Voice Call or Unified Messaging services to your clients, you need to get the Audiotext License:-
1. Audio Tax: Audio and Text services
2. Voice Call: Voice Call Services
3. UMS: Unified Messaging Services that covers every form of messaging service.
Procedure to apply for ISP License:-
1. After you have chosen your ISP license category, you will need to fill out an application form.
2. Along with the form, a non-refundable Processing Fee of INR 15,000/- must be paid by the applicant, along with 2 copies of the application form, by DD/Pay Order from a Schedule Bank payable at New Delhi issued in the name of Pay & Accounts Officer (Headquarter) DOT.
3. Provide all required official documents.
4. After review and examination of the application of the Licensee, the Licensor / DoT will issue a Letter of Intent in favour of the Licensee.
Documents required for ISP License in India:-
1. Company related documents:-
• A certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation of the company
• A certified copy of Memorandum of Association & Article of Association highlighting the provisions which includes Internet Services under the main objects of the company.
• Written consent of the company’s board regarding decision of the company to apply for a new ISP Licence and details of the authorized signatory including name and designation along with the specimen signature. This disclosure has to be signed & stamped by a Company Secretary.
• Certified copy of Form-18 along-with the copy of challan form i.e. GAR-7 (in case registered office address is not mentioned in Certificate of incorporation or the address shown in Certificate of incorporation is different from that given in application form).
2. Unified License:-
• Duly filled application form in the format given by DOT, on your company letterhead under the signature of authorized signatory.
• A list of Directors of the company with a few of their details like name, address, nationality etc. and the complete equity structure of the company has to be mentioned in the application form. This disclosure has to be signed & stamped by a Company Secretary.
• A one-time non-refundable processing fee of INR 15,000/- has to be paid in the form of Demand Draft drawn in favour of “Pay & Accounts Officer (HQ), DoT” payable at New Delhi.
• If the applicant has no information to furnish in a particular item, please mention ‘No’, ‘Nil’ or ‘Not applicable’.