Revised DOT Guidelines for IP-1 Registration

The Infrastructure Providers Category-I or the IP-1 are Infrastructure Providers setting avail assets such as the following after gaining the requisite IP1 registration license in India:

• Dark Fibres
• Right of Way
• Duct Space
• Tower

This article will discuss the revised guidelines for the Infrastructure Providers Category I registration (IP-I license). The DoT license is essential for many Business enterprises devoted to the Telecom Business. Let us assess these guidelines one by one.

1. Corporate Nature of the Applicant

The DoT License applicant must be a Company registered under the Companies

Act of 2013.

2. Foreign Equity for the Applicant Company

The DoT puts no restriction on the level of Foreign Equity, and the applicant company can invite into its enterprise.

3. Application Filing

The applicant company must submit the IP-1 registration application per the DoT prescribed format.

4. Right of Way

The applicant must make its arrangement for the Right of Way or ROW.

5. Change in Nomenclature

The applicant can reflect the change in its applicant company name or the licensed IP-I as per the provisions under the Companies Act of 2013.

6. DoT Responsibility to the Applicant

The DoT must inform the applicant company of the approval or rejection of the IP-! License application within 15 days of its submission. The applicant can challenge the delay of the Authoritycant in a Tribunal.

7. Limit on the Number of Entrants

The IP-I registration must be on a non-exclusive basis. It must be without any restriction on the number of entrants.

8. Equipment Provisions to the Telecom Licensees

The IP-I company must provide the following equipment on a lease, rent, or sales basis to the telecom services licensees on mutually agreed terms:

• Dark Fibres
• Right of Way
• Duct Space
• Towers

The IP-I company must provide for the use of infrastructure in a non-discriminatory manner to every capable TSP in India.

9. Submission of the Deed between IP-1 and other TSPs

The IP-I company must submit a deed copy it enters into with the other service providers or the IP category II service provider to the DOT within 15 days of the agreement signing.

10. IP-1 License Processing Fee

The IP-1 license applicant must pay a processing fee attached to the application. The amount of processing fee is Rs. 5,000/-. The requisite amount can be paid in any of the following forms:

• Demand Draft
• Pay Order 

The payment must be addressed in New Delhi in the name of the Pay & Accounts Officer (Headquarters) of the DOT. The licensing fee is non-refundable for any reason.

11. Application Submission to the Authority

The applicant must submit the IP1 license application to the Section Officer, CS-III, Department of Telecommunications at the following address:

Room No. 713, Sanchar Bhavan, 20-Ashok Road, New Delhi-110 001.

Revised Documentation Checklist for IP1 License Registration

The IP1 license applicant in India must submit the following documents along with the application for IP-I Registration:

• Payment receipt of the IP-1 License Processing Fee in the following form:

o   Demand Draft

o   Pay Order

•        Certified Copy of the applicant company’s Certificate of Incorporation issued by the RoC and certified by any of the following entities:

o   Director

o   Company Secretary

o   Statutory Auditors

•       Equity details of the applicant Company, such as:

o   Indian Equity

o   Foreign Equity Direct

o   Foreign Equity Indirect

•       The nationality proof of the following entities, such as Resident Indian Citizen, NRI, OCI, or a Foreign National:

o   Promoters

o   Partners

o   Equity Holders

•      Certified copy of Indian Company & Foreign Partner Agreement for foreign promoter, partner, or equity holder
•      For FDI more than 49% in the applicant company, a copy of FIPB approval must be submitted
•      Company’s Board of Director Resolution
•      Any other proof of authorized signature on the application stamped by a Director in place of an authorized signatory: Signature must be attested by Company’s Director or its Secretary
•     Copy of Memorandum of Association duly certified by the Company Secretary or its Director with first and last page stamped and rest pages duly initialed. The clause of MoA carrying IP-I business must be covered
•     Copy of Article of Association duly certified by the Company Secretary or its Director with first and last page stamped and rest pages duly initialed

•      List of Board of Directors along with their respective nationality, like

o   Resident Indian Citizens

o   NRI

o   Foreign Nationals

For further information on the DoT IP-1 license registration and Dot Compliance Service in India, connect with the Telecom Experts at Registrationwala. 

Also Read: Producer Company Compliance Checklist: Everything You Need to Know

Author: Dushyant Sharma

Hey there, I'm Dushyant Sharma. With the extensive knowledge I've gained in past 8 years, I have been creating content on various subjects such as banking, insurance, telecom, and all the important registration and licensing processes for various companies. I'm here to help everyone with my expertise in these areas through my articles.