DoT extends restrictions on procurement to ISP licences

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has amended the terms of ISP licences, introducing the same restrictions on equipment procurement that were added to telecom licences earlier this month on national security grounds. The rules come into effect on 15 June 2021 and will limit providers to using equipment designated as ‘Trusted Products’ from approved vendors (labelled as ‘Trusted Sources’ by the DoT), for certain categories of equipment. As previously noted by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, the National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) will be responsible for determining where the restrictions are to be applied as well as which companies and products are to be deemed ‘trusted’.