The Telecommunications Engineering Center (TEC) of India issued the update for notification 5-5/2024-TC/TEC. The update is about two subjects. The first subject is about generic exemptions for multiple equipment types, and the acceptance timeline for International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) accredited test reports.
The second subject is about document requirements and protocol testing exemptions for the Passive Optical Network (PON) family of broadband equipment. All subjects can claim under the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) program.
The notification 5-5/2024-TC/TEC about the first subject was issued on 26 June 2025, and the addendum dated 16 October 2025. Moreover, the second subject was issued on 30 June 2025, and an addendum dated 31 December 2025.
Now, both subjects under notification 5-5/2024-TC/TEC were extended until 30 June 2026. That means, there is no changing regulation for the exemption and acceptance.
The Points of Notification 5-5/2024-TC/TEC
Update to notification 5-5/2024-TC/TEC explains the extension of general exemptions. The notification also explains the extension of acceptance test reports from ILAC-accredited laboratories to meet the test parameters or Essential Requirements (ER) specified for various categories of equipment.
Additionally, it explains the extension of acceptance of exemption/testing/declaration of conformity reports against ER parameters for the PON Broadband Equipment family. This is also an update to our previous article on the Possibility of Reinstating Protocol Testing for the PON Family of Broadband Equipment under MTCTE.
The following is detailed information from notification 5-5/2024-TC/TEC about exemptions from test parameters (ER):
| ER Parameter | Parameters / Interfaces Name (as per ER) | Standard Name(as per ER) | Remark |
| Mobile Radio Trunking System | Frequency Band for MRTS | NFAP, Annex-C1 | Exempted for – ETSI EN 300 390, ETSI EN 300 296, ETSI EN 300 341 & ETSI EN 302 561 until 30-06-2026 |
| Conformance to standards for MRTS | ETSI EN 300 xxx, i.e. 300-086/219/113 /390 /296/341ETSI EN 301 xxx, i.e. 301-166ETSI EN 302 xxx. i.e. 302-561 Annex-C3 | ||
| Max RF Power Output for MRTS Base Stn. | As per DoT/WPC license conditions, Annex C2 | ||
| Repeater for Cellular Network | GSM Repeater Station Operating Frequency | NFAP. Annex-F | Exempted until 30-06-2026 |
| GSM Repeater Station Parameters | 3GPP TS 51.026 and TS 45.005. Annex-F6 | ||
| WCDMA Repeater Station Parameters | 3GPP TS 25.143. Annex-F7 | ||
| WCDMA Repeater Station Operating Frequency | NFAP. Annex-F | ||
| LTE Repeater Station Operating Frequency | NFAP. Annex-F | ||
| LTE Repeater Station Parameters | 3GPP TS 36.143. Annex-F8 | ||
| Precision Timing Protocol Grand Master Equipment | Max Peak Voltage for 10 MHz Interface | G.703 Annex-I | Exempted until 30-06-2026 |
| Min Peak Voltage for 10 MHz Interface | G.703 Annex-I | ||
| Profile for frequency synchronisation | Annex-P11 | ||
| Profile for time and phase synchronisation with full timing support | Annex-P11 | ||
| Profile for time and phase synchronisation with partial timing support | Annex-P11 | ||
| Pulse Shape for 10 MHz Interface | G.703 Annex-I | ||
| Pulse Width for 1 PPS Interface | G.703 Annex-I | ||
| Rise Time for 1 PPS Interface | G.703 Annex-I | ||
| VHF UHF Radio System Equipment | Conformance to standards for VHF or UHF Radio Systems | ETSI EN 300xxx i.e. 300-113/ 086/219/390/ 296/341/698/783/720 ETSI SN 301-xxx i.e.301- 783/ 925/178Annex-C3 | Exempted for – ETSI EN 300 390, ETSI EN 300 296, ETSI EN 300 341, ETSI EN 300 698, ETSI EN 300 783, ETSI EN 300 720, ETSI EN 301 925, ETSI EN 301 178 until 30-06-2026 |
| Max Transmit Power for VHF or UHF HH Stn. | As per DoT/WPC license conditions. AnnexC2 | ||
| PTP PMP Microwave Fixed Radio Systems | Transmit Power for PMP Radio Interface | As per DoT/WPC license conditions. AnnexC2 | Exempted until 30-06-2026 |
| ADSLx | Bit Rate for ADSLx Int. | Annex-J1 | Exempted until 30-06-2026 |
| Bit Rate for ADSLx Int. | Annex-J1 | ||
| Insulation Test for ADSL Int. | Annex-J1 | ||
| Line Port impedance for ADSLx Int. | Annex-J1 | ||
| Loop resistance for ADSLx | ETSI EN 300 001. Annex-J1 | ||
| PSD for ADSLx Int. | Annex-J1 | ||
| Transmitted Power At ATU- C for ADSLx Int. | Annex-J1 | ||
| VDSLx | Bit Rate for VDSLx Int. | G.993.1 or G993.2. Annex-J1 | Exempted until 30-06-2026 |
| Line Port impedance for VDSLx Int. | G.993.1 or G.993.2 Annex-J1 | ||
| Loop resistance for VDSLx | ETSI EN 300 001. Annex-J1 | ||
| Profiles for VDSLx | G.993.1 or G.993.2 Annex- J1 | ||
| PSD for VDSLx Int. | G.993.1 (Cl 6.2). G.993.2 (Cl 7.2) Ann-A B C.Annex-J1 | ||
| Return Loss for VDSLx | G.993.1 or G.993.2 Annex- J1 | ||
| Transmitted Power At ATU-C for VDSLx Int. | G.993.1 or G.993.2 Annex-J1 | ||
| Optical Fibre (Single Mode) | Mechanical Characteristics Proof test for minimum strain level | As per variants of ER | Exempted until 30-06-2026 |
| Material Properties- Fiber Materials- The substances of which the fibres are made | As per variants of ER | ||
| Optical Fibre Cable | Lightning Test | FOTP-181, ITU-T K-47 | Exempted until 30-06-2026 |
| DC Resistance | IEEE 1138: 2009 | ||
| Short Circuit Test | IEEE 1138 : 2009/ IEC 60794- 1-2-H1 | ||
| Lightning Arc Test | IEEE 1138 : 2009 | ||
| Flame Spread- Bunched cable | IEC/EN 60332-3-24:2018, Cat C | ||
| Smoke Test / Smoke Density Test | IEC/EN 61034-2 | ||
| Acid gas (Toxicity) (Test on toxic gases evolved during combustion of materials from cables) | IEC/EN 60754-2 | ||
| Flame retardant | IEC TR62222 IEC 60332-1-2 | ||
| Electrical Characteristics – Power Feeding Wires | IEC 60228, IEC 60502-1, IEC 60227-1, IEC 61156-1 IEC 61196-1-10x BS EN 50525, BS EN 60304 | ||
| Transfer impedance and Coupling attenuation | IEC 61156-1 | ||
| Requirements for fire performance of Optical/ metallic hybrid cables should meet fire safety regulations | IEC TR 62222 | ||
| HF Radio System | Conformance to standards for HF Radio Systems | ETSI EN 300xxx i.e. 300-433ETSI EN 301-xxx i.e. 301- 783ETSI EN 303-xxx. i.e. 303-402 / FCC CFR47 Part 90 Annex-C3 | Exempted for ETSI EN 303- 402 / FCC CFR47 Part 90 until 30-06-2026 |
| Frequency for HF equipment | NFAP. Annex-C1 | ||
| Max Transmit Power for HF Base Stn | As per DoT/WPC license conditions. Annex-C2 | ||
| GSO VSAT/ GSO User Terminal | Conformance to standards for Satellite | ETSI EN 301 443ETSI EN 301 428ETSI EN 301 459ETSI EN 301 447ETSI EN 302 186ETSI EN 302 340ETSI EN 302 977ETSI EN 303 978Annex-C3 | Exempted until 30-06-2026 |
| NGSO Terminal/ NGSO Integrated Gateway | Conformance to standards for Satellite-NGSO | ETSI EN 303 981ETSI EN 303 980ETSI EN 303 979ETSI EN 303 699Annex-C3 | Exempted until 30-06-2026 |
| Satellite Communication Equipment | Transmit Power – Satellite Equipment | As per DoT/WPC license conditions. Annex-C2 | Exempted until 30-06-2026 |
| Cellular Customer Premises Equipment | DHCP client v4/v6 | RFC 7341 or RFC 8415 Annex.P-12 | Exempted until 30-06-2026 |
| All applicable ERs | ER Interfaces- i). 5G NR- FR1 and FR2 interworking with other Radios ii). 5G NR (FR2) | All the parameters corresponding to these interfaces in ER | Exempted until 30-06-2026 |
| Insulation Resistance for SHDSL Int | G.991.2. Annex-J1 | ||
| LCL for SHDSL Interface | G.991.2. Annex-J1 | ||
| PSD for SHDSL Int | G.991.2. Annex-J1 | ||
| Return Loss for SHDSL | G.991.2. Annex-J1 | ||
| Throughput for SHDSL Interface | G.991.2. Annex-J1 | ||
| Transmitted Power for SHDSL Int | G.991.2. Annex-J1 | ||
| Frequency Stability-NB-IOT | 3GPP TS 36.521-1 Clause 6.5.1F | ||
| Maximum output power- NB-IOT | 3GPP TS 36.521-1 Clause 6.2.2F | ||
| Operating Frequency-NB- IOT-Device Equp. shall be capable of operating in at least one of the frequency bands as per the National Freq. Allocation plan | National Frequency Allocation Plan- 2018 Frequency Allocation Table (IND 16) | ||
| Power Control Absolute Power Tolerance-NB-IOT | 3GPP TS 36.521-1 Clause 6.3.5F.1 | ||
| Receiver Adjacent Channel Selectivity (ACS) -NB-IOT | 3GPP TS 36.521-1 Clause 7.5F | ||
| Receiver In-band blocking- NB-IOT | 3GPP TS 36.521-1 Clause 7.6.1F | ||
| Receiver Reference Sensitivity level-NB-IOT | 3GPP TS 36.521-1 Clause 7.3F | ||
| Receiver spurious emission-NB-IOT | 3GPP TS 36.521-1 Clause 7.9F | ||
| Spectrum emissions mask- NB-IOT | 3GPP TS 36.521-1 Clause 6.6.2.1F | ||
| Spurious emissions-NB- IOT | 3GPP TS 36.521-1 Clause 6.6.3F.1-6.6.3F.2 |
The following is detailed information from notification 5-5/2024-TC/TEC about the parameters of the ER of the PON family of broadband equipment:
| ER Parameter | Standard Name as per ER | Remarks |
| Protocol Test for any PON interface | As per standards mentioned in ER | Exempted for submission of test reports till 30.06.2026. |
| Automatic Laser Shut-Down (ALS) or Automatic Power Shut-Down (APSD) | ITU-T G.664. IEC 60825. Annex-A1 | Self-Declaration of Conformity by Applicant/OEM is acceptable till 30.06.2026. |
The Impact of India Type Approval
Update notification 5-5/2024-TC/TEC certainly has an impact on the India type approval process. This extension certainly provides temporary relief for manufacturers and importers. Especially for the extension of exemptions from generic test parameters for multiple equipment types and protocol testing exemptions for the PON family of broadband equipment.
Additionally, it also covers the acceptance timeline for ILAC-accredited test reports. However, it should be noted that the extension of exemptions and acceptance of the two subjects above is only valid until June 30, 2026.
After that date, it will be determined whether an additional extension will be granted or not. If not, manufacturers and importers will need to submit test reports in accordance with the applicable procedures.