Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing is the nodal agency in India when it comes to wireless products in India. It issues various licenses, certificates, and approvals for wireless products to be used in India. Hence, you must be knowing the procedure to be followed at WPC to get an Equipment Type Approval (ETA) for a wireless product. In this article, I will describe the same in detail using the experience I gained dealing with WPC.
What is ETA Certificate?
Before we begin with the detailed process, it is better to understand the reason behind the requirement of an ETA certificate. In India, wireless bands are divided into two types – Licensed bands and Delicensed bands. For licensed bands, a user has to get first a license from WPC before use of the frequencies and the equipment. Usually, WPC issues such licenses with an annual fee. On the other hand, for delicensed bands, if equipment operating in any of these bands satisfies certain additional technical restrictions like power, bandwidth, ERP, etc., then a user need not have to get a license for usage of it.
WPC issues ETA for delicensed bands equipment only. It is a kind of certification from the government telling that anyone can use the said make-model product without needing a license from WPC. Further, business people can carry out trade and commerce of such equipment freely without much restriction. Examples of delicensed band equipment are Wi-Fi routers, mobile handsets, Bluetooth speakers, etc.
Categories of ETA
Many are not aware that WPC issues ETAs under two different categories – each having its own set of rules and procedures. The two categories are
- ETA through self-declaration: For equipment exempted from import licensing requirement under EXIM policy of DGFT.
- ETA granted by RLO: For equipment restricted under EXIM policy.
List of WPC ETA Issued
An ETA is issued for a make-model of the wireless product and not to an individual/company. Hence, no one needs to apply for ETA again if it has already been issued for the product. Unless the technical parameters change for a product, the issued ETA for the product is valid indefinitely. Hence, it is wise to check first whether an ETA has been already granted for the product. One can check the list of ETAs issued under self-declaration here. For a list of ETAs issued by RLO, there is no online list has been maintained. Hence, it is better to consult the manufacturer or authorized distributors for a product restricted under EXIM policy.
ETA (Self-Declaration)
This category of ETA is valid for mobile handsets, smartphones, electronic notepads, laptops, smartwatches, microphones, speakers, headphones, earphones, printers, scanners, cameras, and their accessories. The application process is completely online, and there is a fee of Rs. 10,000/- (ten thousand only) per model of wireless equipment. One can make the application here.
ETA (RLO)
It is to mention that ETA through RLO is still not online. An applicant has to file a physical application and submit the same to an RLO in whose jurisdiction his address lies. During the process, he has to submit a test report of equipment, manufacturer authorization, few undertakings, and a fee of Rs. 10,000/-.
Summary
In this post, I have shared the process of ETA certification from WPC in a nutshell. I explained the need for ETA certification followed by two categories under which application is made. I also provided a link using which one can check whether a product has been issued ETA under self-declaration.
If you’ve any queries, suggestions, or feedback on the topic, then please leave a comment. I will be more than happy to answer your questions.
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