According to the New Telecom Policy (NTP) 1999, companies providing services like telebanking, telemedicine, tele-education, tele-trading, e-commerce, call center, and any other IT-enabled services using telecom resources come under “Other Service Providers” (OSP). The foremost thing anyone planning to start such a business is required to get their company registration done. So, in short, all call center-related or peripheral services businesses are required to take an OSP license in India. The process for obtaining the DOT OSP registration is not that difficult
dot.gov.in – Registration under Other Service Providers (OSP) category service providers using telecom resources in the Telecommunication Industry (includes BPO/call centers, e-commerce, telebanking, telemedicine,-education, and other IT enabled services) NTP 1999 categorized by Telecommunication Department to gain a license. OSP registration is mandatory for service providers in India providing services like telemedicine, tele-education, telebanking, teletraining, call centers, e-commerce, network operation center, and other IT-enabled services and using telecom resources.
After the approval of an OSP Registration, the license is valid for 20 years unless otherwise expressly mentioned. To maintain compliance, each OSP must submit an””Annual Retur”” to the DOT mentioning its activities and present status.
As per the New Telecom Policy (NTP) 1999, Other Service Providers (OSP), such as telebanking, telemedicine, e-commerce, etc., will be allowed to operate by using infrastructure provided by various access providers for non-telecom services.
Considering technology development, call centers and BPOs set a milestone. The impact is unexpected in India’s economy; revenue crossed USD 710 million in the year 2018 alone. This has led to many new start-ups.
OSPs or Other Service Providers are Entities or companies that provide secondary or tertiary telecom services for various companies, such as banks or hospital chains, and so on. OSPs can take the work of telecom services from authorized telecom service providers only and should not supply switched telephones. Furthermore, the Department of Telecommunication must draft OSPs using telecom assets to render a variety of telecom services such as telebanking, call centers, and other IT-enabled services.
Before applying for this DOT OSP License, the firm must be a Private Limited Company.
DOT OSP Registration in India
OSP is the short form for””other service provider””, it is a license registration granted by the Department of Telecommunication India (DOT). As per the New Telecom Policy (NTP) 1999, Company that falls under the category of service providers in India such as telebanking, tele-education, telemedicine, e-commerce, tele-trading, call center, network operation center, and other IT Enabled Services, that uses telecom resources are named as””Other Service Provider”” (OSP) Entity. Depending on the Location of the OSP Centre, the registration process is done by the respective Telecom Enforcement, Resource, and Monitoring (TERM) Cells.
Type of DOT OSP License
Below are the kinds of DOT OSP licenses
1) International DOT OSP License:
Telecom-related services that provide services outside national boundaries must apply for an International DOT OSP License.
2) Domestic DOT OSP License:
Entities that are involved in providing services within national boundaries are required to apply for a Domestic DOT OSP License.
3) Domestic & International DOT OSP License:
A company that provides services both within and outside national boundaries needs to get this type of license. If a company operates both domestic and international telecom services from a single premises, then a Bank Guarantee is required.
Registration Validity: The registration License is valid for about 20 years. If a company shares infrastructure between Domestic and International Registration, it is valid for 3 Years, which can be extended for three more years.
OSP and DOT licenses are the same. The DOT is a Telecom Department that grants OSP or Other Service Provider Licenses. The OSP and DOT licenses can be issued in 20 working days from the date of acknowledgment of all the documents.
Cost of the DOT License Registration Process
| Type of License | Cost | Period |
| Domestic OSP DOT License | Rs 15000 | 20 days |
| International OSP DOT License | Rs 15000 | 20 days |
| Domestic and International License | Rs 180000 | 30 days |
What Types of Companies Require a Da OT OSP License
- An organization that renders Tele-Banking Services
- Organization Involved in Tele-Medicine
- An organization that runs a business of Tele-Trading
- A company that runs a Call Centre/ BPO/KPO
- The organization involved in e-commerce Business
- The Organization Network Operation Centre and Other ITOrganizations.
Who Can Obtain a DOT OSP License/Registration?
A Private Limited Company or One Person Company (OPC) that is registered under the Companies Act 2013 can obtain a DOT OSP License. The following are the documents required for Private Limited Registration. The following is the list of documents needed to apply for a DOT OSP License.
Documents Required for DOT or OSP License
To obtain a DOT or OSP Registration in India, the applicant entity must be a Private Limited Company. To make it clear, the business owners who are planning to start a BPO, call center, e-commerce, or other IT-enabled services must register as a private limited company. The documents required for a Da OT or OSP License are listed below:
- Certificate of Incorporation of Private Limited Company.
- MOA, AOA, and COI of the Company.
- Board Company for director authorization to apply.
- The details of the List of Directors & Shareholders of the Company
- Address Proof of the Company – INC-22 form
- List of CClient
- KYC details of all Directors
- Income Tax Return of the company for the last three years, latest Telephone Bill or MSEB Bill of the registered office address
- Networking Chart
- Details about the Proposed Business Activity.
Note that the documents mentioned above should be certified by a Director of the Company, Company Secretary, Statutory Auditor, or Public Notary.
Mandatory Documents are required to be submitted at dot.gov.in
(1) Certificate of Incorporation issued by the Registrar of Companies
(2) Memorandum and Articles of Association
(3) Board resolution or Power of Attorney authorizing the authorized signatory with attested signatures.
(4) A note on the nature of business/activities of the proposed OSP
Documents required to be submitted, if the actual information is different from the mandatory documents
(1) List of present Directors of the Company.
(2) The present shareholding pattern of the company indicates the Company details (Indian Equity and Foreign Equity)
The most essential conditions that need to be checked
1. Registration may be approved for any firm that provides Application Services. These service providers should not violate the jurisdiction of other Authorized Telecom Service Providers, and they will not provide switched telephony
2. The following shall apply to the OSP requiring registration:
(i) The entities entitled to OSP registration must be a company registered under the Indian Companies Act,1956.
(ii) A Company may apply for registration to the Authority in the proforma prescribed by the Authority from time to time. (List of Application annexure to the Application.
The Registration Procedure for the DOTApp Application is as follows:
- Establish a Business Organization
Nobody can register for an OSP as a person or a partner’s IP. Prior to starting their firm, they must register it as a private limited company. - Gather the required documents.
There aren’t many documents needed to obtain a DOT License for PO. But remember to sign, scan, and save them in the proper filing system. - Online Submission of the DOT OSP Registration Form
The SARAL Sanchar site is the only place to submit an OSP registration application. Additionally, send in the DOT BPO registration form. Although the entry price is consistent, there may be problems with the guarantees. - Obtain your OSP DOT Certificate.
The agency will designate an assessment officer to review your Application. You will be alerted to any application problems if they are discovered, and you will have a chance to correct them. If you obey, the Application will be given the OSP registration number.
Registration Compliance
Once the registration process of an OSP is approved, it holds about 20 years of validity, unless otherwise expressly mentioned. Ding the compliances, each of theOSP’ss registration processes is required to submit an””Annual Retur”” to the respective DOT stating the activities and operations undertaken by the entity and the present status of the OSP. he renewal of the annual return for the OSP License should be submitted within 6 months of the time of the financial year completion.
In addition to all the above, OSPs must submit and maintain the required compliance with the Terms and Conditions stated by the Department of Telecommunications for OSPs.
The Terms & Conditions to Run OSP Operations
- The OSP entity can only take the telecomm assets or resources from an authorized telecom service provider.
- Authorized Telecom Service Providers can provide telecom resources to the OSP once they have analyzed the network diagram of the network aimed at being set up by the Other Service Providers and checked its bona fide use.
- OSPs should present a copy of the network diagram sanctioned or authorized by the Telecom Service Provider (TSP) to VTM Cells for records and verification services.
- According to the license/registration terms and conditions, respectively, both the Authorized Telecom Service Provider and the OSP will be responsible if any violation of the terms and conditions occurs in the use of Telecom Resources.
- Other Service Providers must have Internet connectivity from the Authorized Internet Service Provider.
- OSPs are allowed to share their Telecom bandwidth with other companies’ operations. Other service providers should ensure that there is a logical separation between the Telecom Resources for their different activities and the Telecom Resources for OSPs. There should be invoice / nonvoice traffic flow between them.
- Interconnectivity of the Domestic OSP with the International OSP is not authorized or permitted.
What’s the Need for a DOT OSP License in India?
There are no new or telecommunication-allied service providers. You have yet to start with IT-enabled services, BPOs, call centers, or e-commerce services.
The critical definition in regard to
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Application services are defined as telebanking, telemedicine, teleeducation, teletradin,g e-commerce, call centers, network operation centers, and other Enabled Services by authorized telecom service providers.
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OSP is the firm that provides application services.
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Tcenter’s infrastructure provides application services. Telecom services include facilities utilized by OSP with no restriction for public switched telecom networks and integrated digital network services. The authorized service provider supplies telecom bandwidth with a license valid under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.
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A company that is registered under the Companies Act Part-XIrt-XI (Section 591 to 608) is of particular interest.
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Domestic OSP is for the international boundaries of the company that borders national boundaries.
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International includes the surrounding countries.
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The company’s boundaries are the locations that act as an extension of the OSP center to carry and collect telecom services. The point of presence is the telecom department or the concerned unit.
