Delhi, NFAPost: As a prelude to strengthening India’s 5G capability, the Department of Telecom (DoT) amended the Unified Access Services Licenses Agreement (UASL) for the procurement of telecom equipment.
In a letter issued, DoT states with effect from 15th June 2021, the licensee, shall only connect trusted products in its network and also seek permission from the designated authority for upgradation of existing Network utilizing the Telecommunication Equipment not designated as Trusted products.
The letter further states, the licensees shall comply with the Guidance for enhanced supervision and effective control of telecommunication Network, as per guidelines to be issued by the licensor.
The amendment shall be part and parcel of the UAS License Agreement and all others Terms & Conditions shall remain unchanged.
Experts quoted that, it is a good step from a security standpoint as telecom is a critical infrastructure for the industry, this would have some impact on the capex depending upon which trusted sources are notified. It might lead to cost escalation and make a compelling case for telcos to hike the tariffs.
