Telecom security testing ecosystem expanded as equipment certification costs cut for 2026
India’s telecom security certification regime is being broadened and made cheaper for labs and smaller firms, with reduced application fees for designated testing labs and simplified certification pathways for ONT devices from 1 January 2026. The moves aim to speed up secure product time-to-market while keeping tighter scrutiny over telecom equipment and network functions.
Lower fees, broader capacity: telecom security gets an operational push
India’s telecom security certification system is being reshaped to become both stricter in coverage and easier to comply with in practice, as the government encourages more testing capacity and reduces administrative friction for legitimate players. A recent report said the National Centre for Communication Security (NCCS) has lowered fees and simplified the structure for designating Telecom Security Testing Laboratories (TSTLs), a change meant to expand the ecosystem for evaluating telecom equipment and network functions.
The fee cuts are designed to make it more viable for more labs to participate and remain active, helping create competition, reduce bottlenecks and improve turnaround time. The report also noted special concessions: reduced charges for Indian startups, MSMEs and women-owned firms, and fee waivers for government-linked labs and institutions such as IITs—steps that align capacity-building with national priorities.
Why ONT certification matters for everyday connectivity
A second change targets a device that touches millions of users: the Optical Network Terminal (ONT), the modem-like box installed in homes and offices for broadband connections. From 1 January 2026, security certification for ONT devices becomes mandatory, according to the report. But rather than making compliance slower and more expensive, NCCS has introduced an approach that allows customised variants to be grouped under a single certification—reducing the number of test cases and lowering costs.
From a cyber-risk perspective, edge devices and customer-premises equipment can become weak links if not evaluated properly. A more systematic certification regime reduces the probability of insecure deployments at scale, while also strengthening confidence in local and imported equipment that enters networks.
Balancing security with innovation speed
Telecom security regulation often faces a trade-off: too lax, and networks become vulnerable; too heavy, and product cycles slow. The NCCS approach described here attempts to solve this by expanding testing infrastructure and lowering barriers for qualified entities, while still ensuring the underlying requirement—security testing and certification—remains in place.
If implementation matches intent, the result could be a larger set of accredited testing options, faster compliance for manufacturers, and clearer security baselines for operators. For India’s telecom stack—especially as networks densify and services expand—this is as much an industrial policy move as it is a cybersecurity one.