Any business enterprise who wishes to become a Telecom Operator in India and carry out telecommunication services needs to obtain Service Authorization for the same. Authorization in the Telecommunication Sector in India is governed under Section 3 of the Telecommunication Act. Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which is a part of the Ministry of Communications is the Licensor who is responsible for issuing various authorizations. However, as the process of authorization is under finalization, presently the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have to comply with terms and conditions provided in the various Service License Agreement for entities who wish to provide various services. Presently, there are various types of licenses granted by DoT, some of them are as follows:

  • Unified License (UL): This is the primary license required for providing telecom services in India. It comprises various service licenses such as Unified Access Service License (UASL), Cellular Mobile Telephone Service (CMTS), National Long Distance (NLD), International Long Distance (ILD) and Internet Service Provider (ISP) licenses into a single license.
  • Virtual Network Operator (VNO) License: This license allows companies to provide telecom services by utilizing the network infrastructure of existing telecom operators. VNOs do not own any network infrastructure but can offer customized services to specific customer segments.
  • Internet Service Provider (ISP) License: This license is required for providing internet services, including broadband, dial-up and leased line services.
  • National Long Distance (NLD) License: This license allows operators to provide long-distance voice and data services within India.
  • International Long Distance (ILD) License: This license is required for providing international long-distance voice and data services.
  • Commercial VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) License: This license is required for providing satellite-based communication services.
  • Infrastructure Provider Category-I (IP-I) License: This license allows companies to provide passive infrastructure such as dark fiber, right of way, duct space, and tower infrastructure.