(a) whether the Government had decided to set up telecom network testing laboratories in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the places where these laboratories are set up/likely to be set up along with the aims/objectives for setting up of these laboratories;
(c) whether there is inordinate delay in setting up of these laboratories;
(d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
(e) the effective steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?
THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)
(a) & (b) Madam, Government had not decided to set up telecom network testing laboratories. However, Government has set up a Next Generation Network (NGN) Transport laboratory, Internet Protocol version 6(IPV6) Ready Test laboratory, Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) test laboratory and a pilot test laboratory for Telecom Testing and Security Certification. These test laboratories have been set up for testing some Network Elements of the Telecom Networks. The objectives of these laboratories are as indicated below:
i. NGN Transport laboratory: NGN test Lab has been set up at Telecommunication Engineering Centre(TEC) New Delhi, to keep pace with the advancement of technology and to carry out tests, and issue test reports, test certificates, etc., w.r.t. conformance, interoperability, performance, functionality, regression, stability, etc., of the network components/equipments in accordance with various national/international standards
ii. IP V6 Ready test laboratory: IPv6 Ready Logo has been set up at TEC New Delhi to provide testing and examination facility for IPv6 Ready Logo Certification which is internationally recognized
iii. SAR Test laboratory: SAR Lab has been set up at TEC New Delhi to carry out audit of the SAR values of the mobile phones.
iv. Pilot test laboratory for Telecom Testing and Security Certification at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore has been established to develop test standards, test processes & test tools for the security testing & certification of telecom equipments. Testing up to EAL3 for VOIP switches and routers has been done.
Further, Government is under the process of setting up other Test laboratories focusing on other aspects of Telecom Networks like Customer Premises Equipments & Terminal Lab (CPE & TL), Access laboratory, Security Test laboratory at TEC, New Delhi. The objectives of these test laboratories are as indicated below:
(i) Customer Premises Equipments & Terminal Laboratory: For testing of CPEs like Telephone handsets including multiline, cordless, CLIP, Modems, Telephone attachments, POS terminals, SIP terminals, and CPEs having Bluetooth and Wi-fi capabilities etc.
(ii) Access laboratory: For testing of standards of GSM, EDGE, WCDMA, HSDPA, HSUPA, CDMA2000, LTE and ’LTE Advanced User Equipment’ etc. and Access nodes e.g. E-node B, BTS, BSC, RNC, Wi-Fi and Wi-MAX Access nodes etc.
(iii) Security Test laboratory: For security testing of various networks elements and Customer Premises Equipments.
(c) to (e) There is no inordinate delay in setting up of the above laboratories.