Extend mandatory equipment testing deadline: Telecom operators to govt

Telecom operators have sought to put off the implementation of the new guidelines for mandatory testing of telecom equipment by one year, citing inappropriate laboratory infrastructure in the country.

The Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) regime is set to come into effect on July 1, under which all the pieces of telecom equipment have to be tested and approved at local laboratories, before they can be installed as part of network rollouts. 

Telecom companies, however, through industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), have told the government that the needs of the industry remain unmet and the deadline must be extended.

“If the government makes a policy, one which we feel is the right way forward,