What is TEC
TEC is the Telecommunication Engineering Center under the Department of Telecommunications. TEC certification has been a voluntary process since 1991, but in 2017 the Mandatory Testing & Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) regime was implemented making TEC certification mandatory for certain product types. Some product types became mandatory as of 2019, but much equipment is still pending an implementation date. There are several phases of roll-out for implementing different types of equipment. These phase implementation dates have been subject to change. To see the latest on the product types and their phase implementation dates, please see our India blog posts at: https://www.gmcompliance.com/category/asia-pacific/india/. Certification disciplines under TEC include: Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC/EMI), Safety, Interoperability (performance), and Security. Others are under consideration.
MTCTE Certification Regime
The first step in the MTCTE certification process is to establish whether or not your product falls under TEC. This can be somewhat nebulous, but so far it seems that products covered by BIS are not intended to fall under TEC and vice versa. Once a product category and variant are determined, an account on the TEC portal can be established. This will require information regarding the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), the factory, and the product(s) to be certified.
Essential Requirements (ERs) & Testing
Essential Requirements (ERs) are given for each product category and can shed some light on whether a specific product belongs to the applicable category. These ERs reference specific variants (product types within the category), and each variant references specific product standards, which is where applicable discipline requirements are found. The MTCTE process requires testing of samples to be performed in accordance with the ERs by an authorized Indian TEC lab. A family or series test plan is possible under the MTCTE requirements. This would allow for a worse-case sample or samples to be tested as representative of a series of products. Once a passing verdict has been determined, the report must be uploaded to the TEC portal for review and approval.
TEC Certificate & Label
Upon acceptance, TEC will issue a certificate. TEC only allows up to 10 models per certificate. Unlike BIS, where all products of the same category are certified under an umbrella registration, each product or product series has its own individual certificate for TEC. Certificates are not tied to an individual factory. Multiple factories can be listed on each certificate. The TEC logo and certificate number must be marked on the product once certified.
Authorized Indian Representative (AIR)
An AIR must be established in India for TEC registration. If the applicant or factory has a representative office in India, this office must take the responsibility of AIR. If there is no existing representation in India, another legal entity within India can be nominated as the AIR.
Challenges Obtaining and Maintaining TEC Certification
Obtaining TEC certification can be tricky, and delays can occur without proper knowledge of certification requirements. The following are areas that can add cost or time to projects:
- Determining whether products require mandatory TEC certification
- Managing and coordinating the process with TEC, AIR, and the test lab.
- Family model platforms are interpreted by test lab to require multiple certification reports
- Numerous models require additional certificates, which adds unnecessary cost.
- Products malfunction or fail during testing
- Test samples are not sent with the proper test setup
- Certificate or standards expire
How Can We Help?
G&M Compliance’s India office was established to assist customers in averting common certification setbacks. We utilize the following practices to achieve a fast and efficient certification experience:
- Interpreting TEC product definitions, and getting clarification when necessary.
- Experience with India regulatory certification processes and hands-on project management approach.
- Work with test labs to maximize platform model certification coverage.
- Assist in developing model numbering scheme to maximize certificate coverage
- Troubleshoot issues on-site during testing, to expedite approval process.
- Assist in preparing test samples, test instructions and set-up.
- Track and alert customers of upcoming certificate renewals with G&M’s Certificate Alert and Tracking System (CATS).
G&M Compliance has operations in the U.S. and India to ensure your telecom product utilizes the right application, the right testing process, and moves through certification efficiently. Our compliance experts understand the technical requirements necessary to minimize the risk of failure, and stay updated on ever-changing regulations.
For more information, additional questions, or to request a quote – Please submit an online RFQ, Contact Us, or call.
For electrical products, depending on the type of equipment, additional certifications other than WPC may be required for India. Among these are BIS for many types of electrical products, and WPC for wireless products. More detailed information can be found by clicking on the links to these specific services. For more information about what certifications are required for your product please contact us.
Mark – TBD. TEC ID number is required to be marked on the product.
In-Country Representation – Required
In-Country Testing – Required
Expiration Details – 5 years
Continuing Surveillance – No factory inspections. No market surveillance.
We have found that often times certification bottlenecks can occur within a manufacturer’s organization. As a result, we offer a service to provide internal help managing regulatory certification tasks. Because G&M is not a certification body, we are in a unique position to offer valuable regulatory expertise without any conflict of interest issues. In such cases we place G&M certification experts into our customers’ organizations to manage the certification process for them. Once on the inside, our managers can leverage G&Ms collective experience to guide certification processes in an efficient and cost-effective manner. To learn more about this service see our Homologation Management Service Page.
Untimely expirations of certificates can cause delays in product deliveries. Re-certification of products will generally be treated as new submittals instead of certificate renewals. This can be time-consuming and costly. G&M provides a web-based certification tracking system that alerts users when expirations are coming, provides on-line storage of important certification documentation, and is searchable by certification specific criteria. For more information on this system see our CATS page.