OSP Registration in India

As per the New Telecom Policy (NTP) 1999, service providers in India involved in providing services like telebanking, telemedicine, tele-education, tele-trading, e-commerce, call centre, network operation centre and other IT Enabled Services, using telecom resources are termed as "Other Service Providers" (OSP). These Other Service Providers or OSP's are required to obtain an OSP Registration from the Department of Telecommunication (DOT). In this article, we look at the process and procedure for obtaining OSP Registration in India.

Overview

As per the Terms and Conditions formulated by the Telecom Commission in February 2000, OSP's can take telecom resources from authorized Telecom Service Providers only and should not provide switched telephony. Further, the Department of Telecommunication must register OSPs using telecom resources for providing an array of services like a call centre, telebanking and other IT-enabled services. Therefore, the Department of Telecommunication (DOT) now registers OSPs in India and has registered over 2500 cases since inception.

OSP Registration Applicability

Service providers in India involved in providing services like telebanking, telemedicine, tele-education, tele-trading, e-commerce, call centre, network operation centre and other IT Enabled Services, using telecom resources are required to obtain OSP Registration. Telecom Resources are telecom facilities where the OSP uses and not limits to Public Switched Telecom Network, Public Land Mobile Network, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and /or the telecom bandwidth. The authorized telecom service provider will provide these facilities.

OSP Registration Requirement

To obtain an OSP Registration in India, it is mandatory for the entity to be a Private Limited Company. Therefore, Entrepreneurs having plans for starting a call centre or BPO or e-commerce or other IT Enabled Services must

incorporate a Private Limited Company. The following are the documents necessary for OSP Registration in addition to the application in the prescribed format:

Certificate of Incorporation of Private Limited Company
Memorandum of Association (MOA) and Articles of Association (AOA)
Board of Resolution or Power of Attorney authorizing the authorized signatory
Name of Business and Activities Proposed
List of Directors
Present Shareholding

The above documents must be certified with seal by a Company Secretary or Director of the Company or Statutory Auditor or Public Notary.

OSP Registration Compliance

After the approval of an OPC Registration, the licence is valid for a period of 20 years - unless otherwise expressly mentioned. To maintain compliance, each of the OSPs must submit an "Annual Return" to the DOT mentioning the activities and the present status of the OSP. Within 6 months of completion of the financial year, submit the annual return for OSP License renewal. In addition to the above, OSPs must maintain compliance with the Terms and Conditions prescribed by the Department of Telecommunication for OSPs. The detailed terms and conditions for OSP Registration and OSP Operation to be maintained can be

downloaded here.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about OSP Registration Process for IT Services in India.

An OSP (Other Service Provider) Registration is a mandatory registration required by entities in India that provide services like call centers, telebanking, telemedicine, tele-education, e-commerce, and other IT-enabled services using telecom resources. This registration is obtained from the Department of Telecommunication (DOT) as per the New Telecom Policy (NTP) 1999.

Any service provider in India involved in providing services like telebanking, telemedicine, tele-education, tele-trading, e-commerce, call centers, network operation centers, and other IT-enabled services that use telecom resources (such as public switched telecom network, public land mobile network, ISDN, or telecom bandwidth) is required to obtain an OSP Registration.

To obtain an OSP Registration in India, the entity must be a Private Limited Company registered in India. The application for OSP Registration should be accompanied by documents like the Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum of Association (MOA), Articles of Association (AOA), Board Resolution or Power of Attorney, and details of the proposed business activities and directors.

Unless otherwise specified, an OSP Registration is valid for a period of 20 years from the date of approval by the Department of Telecommunication (DOT).

OSP Registration holders must submit an "Annual Return" to the DOT within 6 months of completing the financial year, mentioning the activities and present status of the OSP. They must also maintain compliance with the Terms and Conditions prescribed by the DOT for OSPs.

No, as per the Terms and Conditions formulated by the Telecom Commission in February 2000, OSPs can only take telecom resources from authorized Telecom Service Providers and should not provide switched telephony.

According to the article, the Department of Telecommunication (DOT) has registered over 2500 cases of OSP Registrations since its inception.

No, the article clearly mentions that to obtain an OSP Registration in India, it is mandatory for the entity to be a Private Limited Company.

The article does not mention any fee for obtaining an OSP Registration. However, there may be processing fees or other charges applicable, which can be confirmed from the DOT or other official sources.

The article does not explicitly mention the consequences of non-compliance with the Terms and Conditions prescribed by the DOT for OSPs. However, it is reasonable to assume that the DOT may impose penalties, suspend or revoke the OSP Registration in case of non-compliance.