The Department of Telecommunications vide its notification dated 17th January 2022 has published the guidelines for grant of Grant of Unified License (Virtual Network Operators) to facilitate delinking of licensing of networks from the delivery of services.
The basic features of the licence includes:
(i) Treating VNOs as an extension of Network Service Operators (‘NSO’) or Telecom Service Providers, and not allowing them to install equipment interconnecting with the network of other NSOs;
(ii)Enabling the applicant to apply for the license along with any one or more additional services such as internet services, National long distance service, access service etc.
The Broad guidelines for grant of unified license are as follows:
· The applicant must be an Indian company, registered under the Companies Act, 2013.
· The applicant shall submit the application in single copy in the prescribed format and one applicant can have only one Unified License. The applicant company can apply for authorization for more than one service and service area subject to fulfilment of all the conditions of entry simultaneously or separately at different time. The tenure of such authorization will run concurrently with the Unified License.
· A one-time non-refundable Entry Fee for authorization of each Service and service area shall be payable before signing of license agreement and thereafter for each additional authorization.
· The total composite foreign holding in the applicant shall be governed bY foreign direct investment policy.
· There shall be no restriction on the number of VNO licensees per service area.
The Unified License shall be issued on non-exclusive basis, for a period of 10 years. However depending on technological development and experience gathered, this duration of license may be reviewed after 3-4 years.
