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DoT Notifies Telecom Authorisation Rules, 2026
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), under the Ministry of Communications, has officially notified 3 rulebooks under the Telecommunications Act, 2023. The notification introduces a telecom authorisation framework and marks the dismantling of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933.
Telecommunications Authorisation Rules, 2026:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Notifying authority | The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications has notified the rules. |
| Parent law | The rules are governed by the Telecommunications Act, 2023. |
| Rulebooks notified | The 3 rulebooks comprise: The Telecommunications (Authorisation for Provision of Principal Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026; The Telecommunications (Authorisation for Captive Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026; and The Telecommunications (Authorisation for Provision of Miscellaneous Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026. |
| Acts dismantled | The notification marks the formal dismantling of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933. |
| Regime framework | The telecom regime provides for a shift from “Licensing” to “Authorisation”. |
| Operator transition option | Telecom operators and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are authorised to voluntarily migrate immediately to the new regime or continue under existing licenses until they expire. |
| Captive services categories | The captive services vertical comprises four categories: Captive Mobile Radio Trunking Services (CMRTS), Captive Non-Public Networks (CNPNs), Captive Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) Services, and Captive General Services. |
| Isolation clause | Captive networks must run completely isolated from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the public internet. |
| Data localisation requirement | All captive network data logs, architecture, and routing information must be stored locally in India. |
| Satellite reference in rules | The final notified rules remove all explicit references to Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS). |
| Implementation status of parent Act | The Telecommunications Act, 2023 has been progressively implemented in phases since 2024. |
| Definition of telecommunication | As per the Act, the legal definition of “telecommunication” is widened, and comprises over-the-top (OTT) internet messaging applications. |
| Digital Bharat Nidhi | The Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) has been officially renamed and re-engineered as the Digital Bharat Nidhi. |
| National security powers | The law authorises the Union government to seize, take control of, or suspend any telecom infrastructure during times of war or national security emergencies. |
| Interception safeguards | The updated law provides for senior bureaucrats to issue legal tapping and data interception directives without heavy external judicatory checks. |