National Security Directive On Telecommunication Sector

• 17 Dec 2020

• To tighten security of communications network, the Cabinet Committee on Security on 16th December 2020 announced the National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector.
• The directive has been framed from the perspective of national security, which will mandate service providers to purchase equipment from trusted sources.

Major Provisions

• The government will declare a list of trusted sources and trusted products for installation in the country's telecom network.
• The methodology to designate trusted products will be devised by the designated authority, the National Cyber Security Coordinator.
• Telecom service providers are required to connect new devices that are designated as ‘trusted products’.

National Security Committee on Telecom

• A committee - National Security Committee on Telecom will decide list of trusted source and product headed by the deputy national security advisor.
• The committee will consist of members from relevant departments, ministries and will also have two members from the industry and independent experts.
• The government will also create a list of designated sources from whom no procurement can be done.

The Directive on Existing Structures/ Equipments

• The present directive does not envisage mandatory replacement of the existing equipment already inducted in the network of TSPs.
• It will also not affect annual maintenance contracts or updates to existing equipment already inducted in the network as on date of effect of the directive.

For Domestic Players

• The directive has provisions to qualify telecom gears made by domestic players in the trusted category.
• Those that meet the criteria of the Department of Telecommunications' preferential market access (PMA) scheme will be certified as India trusted sources.
• The National Security Committee on Telecom will take measures to increase use of equipment from such Indian trusted sources.
• The PMA scheme gives weightage to telecom gears developed and manufactured by indigenous companies.