DoT Guidelines on M2M to Lead to Growth in IoT-based Services: BIF

Broadband India Forum has welcomed the DoT's decision of introducing the guidelines on the Registration Process of M2M Service Providers & WPAN/WLAN Connectivity Providers for M2M Services.

BIF Welcomes DoT's M2M Move

The BIF said that the guidelines, based on ‘light touch’ regulations, will help in the proliferation of M2M communication in the country. It also noted that the increased proliferation will allow for use cases in verticles such as Utilities, Housing and Urban amenities, Financial/Retail services, Smart Cities, Safety, and Surveillance. Also, many industry-based applications will become possible as well, such as agriculture, healthcare, automotive, supply chain, fleet management, etc.

On the occasion, TV Ramachandran, BIF President, said, “this is a historic step towards liberalization of the nascent M2M sector in the country". He noted that with M2M/IoT devices, everything will be connected.

"With the advent of 5G on the anvil and the explosive growth expected in the M2M/IoT sector, these guidelines could not have come at a more appropriate time", TV Ramachandran noted. Adding to this, he said, "we compliment DoT on this progressive policy measure and look forward to its expeditious and productive implementation".

These guidelines will propel innovations and enable applications and solutions that will deliver benefits to the Indian citizens in several crucial areas. Smart Utilities like Grids, Gas, Garbage Disposal, and Metering; Public & Women Safety System; Smart City components such as Street Lighting, Waste Management, Parking, Water Management and Connected Charging Stations; Portable Consumer Electronics & Wearable Devices; Financial Services such as POS, ATMs and Smart Kiosks; Intelligent Transport System; are some of the areas slated to gain from this.

Key Features of the Guidelines

The guidelines have incorporated the principles of ease of doing business (EoDB) to facilitate their smooth adoption. Some key features include:

1. Simple ‘light touch’ Registration at a token/nominal cost of Rs. 5000.
2. Registration to be made available through a simple online process within 15 days
3. Registration is applicable irrespective of whether access technology deployed is Cellular (based on Licensed Spectrum) or WPAN/WLAN (based on Unlicensed Spectrum)
4. International Roaming based on eSIM permitted without any undue restrictions
5. Licensed TSP/ISPs/VNOs need not acquire any separate license or authorization for offering M2M services, providing a level playing field with the existing providers.