DOT Notifies Telecom Network Authorisation Rules, 2026: What Has Changed?

On 20 July 2026, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) notified the Telecommunications (Authorisation for Telecommunication Network) Rules, 2026 (Rules).

The Rules operationalise Section 3(1)(b) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and establish a framework for six categories of telecommunication network authorisations: infrastructure provider (IP) (formerly, IP-I), digital connectivity infrastructure provider (DCIP), internet exchange point (IXP) provider, satellite earth station gateway (SESG) provider, cloud-hosted telecommunication network (CTN) provider and mobile number portability (MNP) provider.

In a nutshell, a ‘network authorisation’ granted pursuant to the Rules permits an entity to establish, operate, maintain or expand the relevant telecommunication network. It does not, however, authorise the entity to provide the underlying telecommunication service. For all categories of network authorisations, the relevant service must continue to be provided by an entity