India has issued notifications to revise essential requirements for LAN Switch and Router products, aligning technical standards for network equipment compliance.
India Updates Standards for Network Switches and Routers
New conformity assessment requirements for devices under HS code 8517.
What changed
LAN Switch requirements revised with new draft standard for conformity assessment.
Router requirements revised with new draft standard for conformity assessment.
Who it affects
Network equipment importers must comply with new conformity assessment standards.
Manufacturers of switches and routers under HS code 8517 must meet updated requirements.
Key dates
Compliance Requirements for LAN Switches and Routers under India’s MTCTE Framework
India has revised the Essential Requirements (ERs) for LAN Switches and Routers under the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment (MTCTE) scheme, administered by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC). These requirements mandate technical, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), safety, and interface-specific standards for compliance and certification. Below is a structured breakdown of the revised essential requirements for both product categories.
1. Regulatory Framework and Certification Scheme
- Applicable Regulation: The requirements are issued under the MTCTE scheme by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), Government of India1, 2.
- Certification Scheme: Simplified Certification Scheme (SCS)1, 2.
- Product Fee Group: Group C for both LAN Switches and Routers1, 2.
- Annexures: All referenced annexures (e.g., Annex-A1, Annex-B, Annex-H, Annex-P11) are part of "Annexures to ERs" (No. TEC/SD/DD/TCP-222/02/June19), as updated and available on the MTCTE portal1, 2.
2. Essential Requirements for LAN Switches
The ER No. TEC379426061 covers all types of LAN Switches, categorized into the following variants:
| Variant | Key Parameters | Applicable Standards |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fabric Interconnect Switch | Parameters linked to product variant (detailed in source) | Not fully specified in provided excerpts1. |
| 2. L2 LAN Switch | – Conducted and Radiated Emission (Class A or B) – Immunity to AC/DC Voltage Dips and Short Interruptions – Immunity to Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) – IT Equipment Safety – MAC Learning and Packet Forwarding | – EMC: CISPR 32, EN55032 (Annex-B)1 – Immunity: EN/IEC 61000-4-2/4-11/4-29 (Annex-B)1 – Safety: IS 13252-1, IEC 60950-1, or IEC 62368-1 (Annex-A1)1 – Functional: Annex-P111 |
| 3. L2 Unmanaged Switch | – Conducted and Radiated Emission (Class A or B) – Immunity to AC/DC Voltage Dips, ESD, Fast Transients, Radiated RF, RF Field Induced Conducted Disturbance, Surges – IT Equipment Safety – MAC Learning and Packet Forwarding | – EMC: CISPR 32, EN55032 (Annex-B)1 – Immunity: EN/IEC 61000-4-2/4-3/4-4/4-5/4-6/4-11/4-29 (Annex-B)1 – Safety: IS 13252-1, IEC 60950-1, or IEC 62368-1 (Annex-A1)1 – Functional: Annex-P111 |
| 4. L3 LAN Switch | – Conducted and Radiated Emission (Class A or B) – Dynamic Routing – Immunity to AC/DC Voltage Dips, ESD, Fast Transients, Radiated RF, RF Field Induced Conducted Disturbance, Surges – IPv4/IPv6 Parameters – IT Equipment Safety – MAC Learning and Packet Forwarding | – EMC: CISPR 32, EN55032 (Annex-B)1 – Immunity: EN/IEC 61000-4-2/4-3/4-4/4-5/4-6/4-11/4-29 (Annex-B)1 – Routing: RFC 791 (IPv4), RFC 8200 (IPv6) (Annex-P11)1 – Safety: IS 13252-1, IEC 60950-1, or IEC 62368-1 (Annex-A1)1 |
| 5. MPLS TP Switch | Parameters linked to product variant (detailed in source) | Not fully specified in provided excerpts1. |
| 6. Storage Area Network (SAN) Switch | Parameters linked to product variant (detailed in source) | Not fully specified in provided excerpts1. |
Interface-Specific Requirements for LAN Switches
The following optical and Ethernet interface parameters apply to LAN Switches (Annex-H)1:
| Interface | Parameter | Standard | Limits/Values |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Tbps Ethernet Optical | Average Launch Power (per lane) | IEEE P802.3dj, Clause 180.7, DR8 | Max = 4 dBm, Min = -3.1 dBm1 |
| Receiver Sensitivity | IEEE P802.3dj, Clause 180.7, DR8 | -0.9 dBm1 | |
| Wavelength | IEEE P802.3dj, Clause 180.7, DR8 | 1304.5 nm to 1317.5 nm1 | |
| 100 G Optical Ethernet | Average Launch Power | IEEE 802.3ba, Clauses 86/88 | Annex-H1 |
| Receiver Sensitivity | IEEE 802.3ba, Clauses 86/88 | Annex-H1 | |
| Wavelength | IEEE 802.3ba, Clauses 86/88 | Annex-H1 | |
| 10/100/1000 BASE-T Ethernet | Link Speed and Autonegotiation | IEEE 802.3 | Annex-H1 |
| 10 G Optical Ethernet | Average Launch Power | IEEE 802.3ae, Clause 52 | Annex-H1 |
| Receiver Sensitivity | IEEE 802.3ae, Clause 52 | Annex-H1 | |
| Wavelength | IEEE 802.3ae, Clause 52 | Annex-H1 |
3. Essential Requirements for Routers
The ER No. TEC376824102 covers all types of Routers, categorized into the following variants:
| Variant | Key Parameters | Applicable Standards |
|---|---|---|
| 1. BNG or BRAS Router | – BGP4 (RFC 4271) and MBGP (RFC 4760) – BGP for IPv6 (RFC 2545) – Conducted and Radiated Emission (Class A or B) – Immunity to AC/DC Voltage Dips and Short Interruptions | – Routing: RFC 4271, RFC 4760, RFC 2545 (Annex-P11)2 – EMC: CISPR 32, EN55032 (Annex-B)2 – Immunity: EN/IEC 61000-4-11/4-29 (Annex-B)2 |
| 2. Cloud Control Capable Router | – Conducted and Radiated Emission (Class A or B) – Dynamic Routing (OSPF/BGP/IS-IS) – Immunity to AC/DC Voltage Dips, ESD, Fast Transients, Radiated RF, RF Field Induced Conducted Disturbance, Surges | – EMC: CISPR 32, EN55032 (Annex-B)2 – Routing: RFC 2328 (OSPFv2), RFC 5340 (OSPFv3), RFC 2545 (BGP for IPv6), RFC 4271 (BGP4), RFC 1195 (IS-IS) (Annex-P11)2 – Immunity: EN/IEC 61000-4-2/4-3/4-4/4-5/4-6/4-11/4-29 (Annex-B)2 |
| 3. IPv4 Router | – Conducted and Radiated Emission (Class A or B) – Dynamic Routing – Immunity to AC/DC Voltage Dips, ESD, Fast Transients | – EMC: CISPR 32, EN55032 (Annex-B)2 – Immunity: EN/IEC 61000-4-2/4-4/4-11/4-29 (Annex-B)2 – Routing: Annex-P112 |
| 4. IPv6 Router | – Conducted and Radiated Emission (Class A or B) – Dynamic Routing – Immunity to AC Voltage Dips and Short Interruptions | – EMC: CISPR 32, EN55032 (Annex-B)2 – Immunity: EN/IEC 61000-4-11 (Annex-B)2 – Routing: Annex-P112 |
| 5. MPLS Router | – BGP4 (RFC 4271) and MBGP (RFC 4760) | RFC 4271, RFC 4760 (Annex-P11)2 |
Interface-Specific Requirements for Routers
The following optical, Ethernet, and radio interface parameters apply to Routers (Annex-H)2:
| Interface | Parameter | Standard | Limits/Values |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Tbps Ethernet Optical | Average Launch Power (per lane) | IEEE P802.3dj, Clause 180.7, DR8 | Max = 4 dBm, Min = -3.1 dBm2 |
| Receiver Sensitivity | IEEE P802.3dj, Clause 180.7, DR8 | -0.9 dBm2 | |
| Wavelength | IEEE P802.3dj, Clause 180.7, DR8 | 1304.5 nm to 1317.5 nm2 | |
| 400 G Optical Ethernet | Average Launch Power | IEEE 802.3cn, Clauses 122/124 | Annex-H2 |
| Receiver Sensitivity | IEEE 802.3cn, Clauses 122/124 | Annex-H2 | |
| Wavelength | IEEE 802.3cn, Clauses 122/124 | Annex-H2 | |
| 5G NR (FR1) | Operating Frequency | NFAP | Annex-F2 |
| Interface Parameters | 3GPP TS 38.521-1 | Annex-F142 | |
| WCDMA/HSPA | Operating Frequency | NFAP | Annex-F2 |
| Interface Parameters | 3GPP TS 34.121-1 or EN 301 908-2 | Annex-F112 |
4. Common Compliance Requirements
A. Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)
All LAN Switches and Routers must comply with the following EMC standards (Annex-B)1, 2:
- Conducted and Radiated Emission: CISPR 32 (Class A or B, as defined in Annex-B notes).
- Immunity Tests:
- Electrostatic Discharge (ESD): EN/IEC 61000-4-2.
- Fast Transients (Burst): EN/IEC 61000-4-4.
- Surges: EN/IEC 61000-4-5.
- Radiated RF: EN/IEC 61000-4-3.
- RF Field Induced Conducted Disturbance: EN/IEC 61000-4-6.
- AC/DC Voltage Dips and Short Interruptions: EN/IEC 61000-4-11/4-29.
B. Safety Standards
C. Functional and Routing Standards
- Dynamic Routing: Protocols such as OSPF (RFC 2328/5340), BGP (RFC 4271/2545), and IS-IS (RFC 1195) are specified for routers (Annex-P11)2.
- IPv4/IPv6 Parameters: RFC 791 (IPv4) and RFC 8200 (IPv6) for L3 LAN Switches (Annex-P11)1.
5. Summary Answer
India’s Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) has revised the Essential Requirements (ERs) for LAN Switches (ER No. TEC37942606) and Routers (ER No. TEC37682410) under the MTCTE scheme, effective from 20261, 2. Compliance is mandatory for all variants, including L2/L3 LAN Switches, Fabric Interconnect Switches, BNG/BRAS Routers, IPv4/IPv6 Routers, and MPLS Routers, with certification under the Simplified Certification Scheme (SCS)1, 2.
Key requirements include:
- EMC Compliance: Conducted/radiated emissions (CISPR 32) and immunity tests (EN/IEC 61000-4 series)1, 2.
- Safety Standards: IS 13252-1, IEC 60950-1, or IEC 62368-11, 2.
- Interface-Specific Parameters: Optical/Ethernet interface standards (e.g., IEEE P802.3dj for 1.6 Tbps Ethernet) with defined launch power, receiver sensitivity, and wavelength limits1, 2.
- Routing Protocols: BGP (RFC 4271), OSPF (RFC 2328), and IS-IS (RFC 1195) for routers2.
- Functional Requirements: MAC learning, packet forwarding, and dynamic routing (Annex-P11)1, 2.
All manufacturers and importers must ensure their products meet these Essential Requirements before market entry in India1, 2. For full details, refer to the MTCTE portal and the Annexures to ERs (TEC/SD/DD/TCP-222/02/June19)1, 2.
Sources
- ↩ WTO TBT notification 26-03439 — India https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/TBT/IND/26_03439_00_e.pdf
- ↩ WTO TBT notification 26-03096 — India https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/TBT/IND/26_03096_00_e.pdf