Government announces National Security Directive on Telecom Sector: All you need to know!

The Union Cabinet Committee on Security announced the National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector on December 16, 2020 to tighten the security of communications networks.

Under the National Security Directive, the service providers will be mandated to purchase equipment from trusted sources. The directive has been framed from the perspective of national security, as per Union Law and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The Minister stated that the Cabinet has accorded approval for the National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector, considering the need to ensure India's national security.

National Security Directive: Key Provisions

•Under the National Security Directive's provisions, the centre will announce a list of trusted sources and products for installation in the country's telecom network

•The National Cyber Security Coordinator, which is the designated authority, will be devising the methodology to designate trusted products.

•The Telecom service providers will be required to connect new devices that are designated trusted products.

•The directive includes provisions to qualify telecom gears made by domestic players in the trusted category.

•However, the present directive will not demand mandatory replacement of the existing equipment already inducted in the network of TSPs. 

•It will also not affect updates to existing equipment already inducted in the network as on the date of effect of the directive and the annual maintenance contracts.

National Security Committee on Telecom to be set up

•The list of the trusted products and sources will be decided based on the approval of a committee called the national security committee on telecom. 

•The committee will be headed by the deputy national security advisor and constitute members from relevant departments and ministries and two members from the industry and independent experts. 

•Besides creating a list of trusted sources, the government will also create a list of designated sources from whom no procurement can be done.

As per Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, the products that meet the criteria of the Department of Telecommunications' Preferential Market Access (PMA) scheme will be certified as India trusted sources. The scheme will give preference to telecom gears developed by indigenous companies. 

The Minister further said that the Department of Telecom will make appropriate modifications in the licence conditions for the implementations of the provisions of the directive. The policy will come into operation 180 days after the date of approval. The department will also suitably notify guidelines and ensure monitoring of compliance of the directive by telecom service providers.