The Government of india has launched the Trusted Telecommunication Portal on June 15, 2021 as part of the National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector (NSDTS).
*The portal was developed and implemented by the CDoT (Telematics Development Center), the R&D (Research and Development) Division of the Government, in association with RailTel and the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).
*Encouraging the use of gear made in China on major networks in the country (especially Hawaii), especially with the fifth generation (5G) service, to ensure the security of telecommunications networks.
*The Government has amended the Telecommunication License Terms in March 2021 to allow Telecommunication Service Providers (TSPs) to provide telecommunication services.
*Since June 15, 2021, TSPs have been forced to connect only to new devices designated as trusted products from trusted sources in their networks.
Features of the Portal :
Access:
TSPs and vendors were given access to log in to a trusted telecommunications portal to list their products.
Listing of Products and source:
It is reported that TSPs and their respective vendors will fill in the portal with details of telecommunications products and products they intend to purchase from the vendor, their important components and resources.
Assessment:
Vendors will be evaluated to determine reliable sources and reliable products, which will then be notified to the relevant vendor and applicant TSPs to make their purchase.
Designated Authority:
The National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) is the designated authority (DA) for determining the inclusion of a vendor as a reliable source in a telecommunications product. It makes the decision based on the approval of the National Security Council for Telecommunications (NSCT), headed by the Deputy National Security Adviser (NSA).
The current order does not affect current annual maintenance contracts (AMCs) because it does not force the replacement of equipment already operating with telecommunications service providers.