Starting (IP1 License) infrastructure as a service in India

“Vocal for Local” is an approach of the government that has paved the way for new entrepreneurs to open India based IaaS or Infrastructure as a Service Provider. However, it’s not possible without the IP1 license.

IP license or the IP1 license is the legal requirement that Infrastructure as a Service Providers need in order to run their business unit legally. Without it, you can’t hope to provide important passive telecommunication resources like Right of Way, Duct Space, Dark Fibres or Cell Towers to Telecommunication Companies.

That being said, the government even after promoting the need to support locally produced infrastructure has not made it easy. But, with the right combination of documents, consultants and process, it can be.

Through this article, we are going to dive how starting passive infra as a service in India is now quite easy.

What is IP1 License?

Infrastructure that are passive or should we say, non electric in nature are the foundations that allow the telecom companies to stay at the place they are now. Without the right of way, people won’t have access to the proper connections.

Absence of duct space can damage can destroy the servers. And without the cell towers and dark fibres, wireless or wired high quality connection won’t be possible. To promote good quality of such resources, the Department of Telecommunication provides the Ip1 license.

What is The Process of  Acquiring the IP1 License?

In order to become an infrastructure provider by getting the Ip1 license from the DOT, one needs to follow a standard process. It entails:

1. Filing the online IP1 license application form
2. Submitting the required documents.
3. Complying to further conditional demands of the Department if the need arises.
4. Conducting a thorough follow up with the department until you have the license in India.

The Ip1 license procedure won’t be complete even after you obtain the license. Once you acquire the license, you have 1 month to get in touch with and sign a contract with a telecommunication company. It’s the only that IP1 license gets validated.

Reads More: What are The Steps to Obtain TEC Approval Certificate?

Documents That are Needed During The Process of Acquiring the IP1 License

There are many documents needed in order to acquire the IP1 license. While the document demand can increase after you’ve filed the application, at the time of filing it, you need to submit the following documents.

1. The Certificate of incorporation of the company that’s applying for the Ip1 license
2. The Memorandum of Association stating the objective of the company which is to provide infrastructure
3. Director’s KYC documents
4. Shareholders KYC document
5. Description of the telecommunication resources
6. Demand Draft of the license fee.

 Note: Although the application is filed online, you have to download the application form and post it to the DOT along with the Demand Draft of the fee to get the application processed.

Conclusion

As you see, the process is quite difficult. So where is the easy part? The easy part of the process is knowing that you DO NOT need to take any of the above steps. All you need is to get the documents. The rest of the process will be handled by DOT consultants. They are experts of handing the matters of IP1 license.