ISDN System

ISDN system for wired telecommunication networks

WPC CLEARANCE

HSN 8517 69 10 (ISDN System) is subject to Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) import licensing and mandatory testing and certification under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 and the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) regime administered by the Department of Telecommunications. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy conditions 3 and 4 of Chapter 85 apply as additional import-policy overlays, with Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) verification of WPC licensing and Equipment Type Approval at the bill of entry.

What this is

HSN code

8517 69 10

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

Primary regulator

WPC · Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017; MTCTE mandatory certification regime

Customs documentation

WPC import licence from WPC wing
MTCTE certification from DoT
Equipment Type Approval from DoT

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

WPCWPC·Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a WPC import licence from the WPC Wing, Department of Telecommunications, before the consignment arrives. Under the modified procedure effective from DoT OM F.No. R-11017/02/2021-PP dated 21-10-2021, Telecom Service Provider importers may apply via the SaralSanchar portal at least 30 days prior to shipment arrival; the system-generated certificate is available for download 48 hours after application and is accepted by customs authorities.
CBIC Instruction 23/2021-Cus dated 23-11-2021 · DoT OM F.No. R-11017/02/2021-PP dated 21-10-2021 · CBIC Instruction 16/2022-Cus dated 21-07-2022
2
Confirm mandatory MTCTE certification under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017. ISDN CPE is explicitly listed among products subject to mandatory testing and certification under DoT Notifications TEC/01/2017-TC dated 04-07-2019 and 23-06-2020, as amended vide F.No. 5-2/2021-TC/TEC/131 dated 13-06-2022 and F.No. 5-2/2024-TC/TEC (Pt.1) dated 25-02-2025. Upload the MTCTE certificate in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry.
Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 · DoT Notifications TEC/01/2017-TC dated 04-07-2019 and 23-06-2020 · CBIC Instruction 15/2020-Cus dated 24-07-2020
3
Verify whether the equipment operates in a licence-exempt band with low transmission power; if so, Equipment Type Approval (ETA) by self-declaration via saralsanchar.gov.in applies in lieu of a standard WPC import licence, per CBIC Instruction 24/2024-Cus dated 22-10-2024. Confirm compliance with ITC (HS) policy conditions 3 and 4 of Chapter 85 at the bill of entry regardless of ETA route taken.
CBIC Instruction 24/2024-Cus dated 22-10-2024 · DoT letter ETA-WPC/Policy/2018-19 dated 12-04-2019 · ITC (HS) policy conditions 3 and 4 of Chapter 85

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is assuming that self-declaration ETA via SaralSanchar satisfies both the WPC import-licensing and MTCTE certification requirements. The ETA self-declaration route is available only for licence-exempt, low-power wireless equipment; ISDN CPE is explicitly named in the mandatory MTCTE certification list, meaning the MTCTE certificate obligation is independent of and in addition to the WPC licensing pathway. Importing on ETA alone without a valid MTCTE certificate renders the consignment liable to detention and cancellation of the self-declaration certificate under applicable law.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8517 69 10 require BIS certification?

No. No BIS Quality Control Order covers ISDN systems under this tariff line. Import is instead governed by Wireless Planning and Coordination licensing and mandatory MTCTE certification under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017, with ITC (HS) policy conditions 3 and 4 of Chapter 85 administered by DGFT.

Can an importer use the SaralSanchar self-declaration portal for ISDN CPE import licensing?

Telecom Service Providers may use SaralSanchar for the WPC import licence application under DoT OM F.No. R-11017/02/2021-PP dated 21-10-2021, with the system-generated certificate accepted by customs; however, the ETA self-declaration route for licence-exempt equipment under CBIC Instruction 24/2024-Cus is a separate track and does not substitute for the MTCTE certification required for ISDN CPE.

What happens if the WPC self-declaration certificate conditions are violated?

Per DoT OM F.No. R-11017/02/2021-PP dated 21-10-2021, any violation of conditions stated in the self-declaration results in cancellation of the system-generated certificate and may entail appropriate action under applicable law, including customs seizure of the consignment.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: WPC / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.