IP-1 Registration and the New Infrastructure Provider Authorisation
IP-1 (Infrastructure Provider Category-I) registration let an Indian company build and lease dark fibre, ducts, towers and right of way to licensed telecom operators. On 20 July 2026, DoT notified the Telecommunications (Authorisation for Telecommunication Network) Rules, 2026, which carry this role forward as the Infrastructure Provider (IP) authorisation. We prepare the documents, file on the Saral Sanchar portal and answer DoT queries for you.
What it is
An infrastructure provider builds the physical layer of a telecom network: towers and poles, ducts, dark fibre and right of way. It does not carry calls or data itself. It leases, rents or sells these assets to licensed telecom operators on terms agreed between them. Until now, under DoT’s IP-I guidelines (letter No. 10-12/2012-CS-III dated 22 December 2021), this needed a one-time registration with a ₹5,000 fee and lifetime validity.
The Telecommunications Act, 2023 replaced registrations and licences with authorisations. Its Telecommunications (Authorisation for Telecommunication Network) Rules, 2026, notified on 20 July 2026, list Infrastructure Provider (IP) as one of six network authorisations. The IP authorisation covers the passive layer, including in-building solutions, carries a nil entry fee and a ₹10,000 processing fee, and runs for up to twenty years. Applications go through DoT’s Saral Sanchar portal.
IP-I registration and IP authorisation compared
| Point | IP-I registration (2021 guidelines) | IP authorisation (2026 Rules) |
|---|---|---|
| Law | Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 regime | Telecommunications Act, 2023 |
| Scope | Dark fibre, right of way, duct space, towers and poles | Towers, ducts, dark fibre, right of way and in-building solutions (passive layer) |
| Government fee | ₹5,000 one-time | Nil entry fee; ₹10,000 processing fee; no bank guarantee |
| Validity | Lifetime | Up to 20 years; renewal applied for 12 months before expiry |
| Active services | Not allowed, including end-to-end bandwidth | Not allowed; needs a separate authorisation |
Who it applies to
You build towers or poles
You put up towers or poles and lease space on them to telecom operators.
You lay ducts or fibre
You lay ducts or dark fibre for operators to use, or offer in-building solutions. Think of a Faridabad industrial-estate developer laying common ducts so every operator can reach its units without digging the roads again.
You already hold IP-I
Companies already holding an IP-I certificate that now need to decide whether, and when, to move to the new IP authorisation.
Why it matters
Lease to operators lawfully
Section 3 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 requires an authorisation to establish or operate a telecom network. The IP authorisation is the light-touch route for passive infrastructure.
Enter at low cost
There is no entry fee and no bank guarantee for the IP category under the 2026 Rules, only a ₹10,000 processing fee. Other network categories pay entry fees running into lakhs.
Bring in foreign investment
DoT’s IP-I page allows up to 100% foreign equity through the automatic route. Investors from countries sharing a land border with India need government approval first.
Documents required
Company papers
- Certificate of incorporation, certified by a company secretary or statutory auditor and countersigned by the authorised signatory
- Memorandum of Association with an object clause covering infrastructure provision
- Articles of Association, certified the same way
Board and signatory
- Board resolution appointing the authorised signatory, signed by a director other than the signatory
- Signature of the authorised signatory attested by a director
- List of directors with their nationalities
Ownership
- Equity details of Indian and foreign shareholders, certified
- Government approval for foreign equity, where the investor is from a land-border country
- DoT’s checklist under the applicable guidelines or rules
How it works
Fix the company and object clause
Only an Indian company can apply. Here is the catch: many companies formed for construction or trading have an MoA that says nothing about telecom infrastructure. We check it and, if needed, amend the object clause first.
Register on Saral Sanchar
We complete the one-time registration of the company on DoT’s Saral Sanchar portal.
Prepare and file the application
We draft the board resolution, get the documents certified and file the application with the fee.
Answer DoT’s scrutiny
DoT scrutinises the file and may raise queries. We reply on the portal with the clarification or document asked for.
Start operations and stay compliant
Once granted, you can lease passive infrastructure to authorised operators. We help you track reports and renewal dates.
Timelines
Expect scrutiny, not a fixed clock
DoT does not publish a fixed processing time for this category. Complete, correctly certified documents keep queries to a minimum.
Diarise the renewal window
An IP-I certificate carried lifetime validity. A new IP authorisation runs for up to twenty years, with renewal applied for twelve months before expiry.
Decide on migration
The Act lets earlier registrations continue for a transition period, and holders can migrate to the new authorisation. We check the migration rules against your certificate before you decide.
What happens if you cross the line
Running active services
An infrastructure provider may supply only the passive layer. Running a live service over it, or providing end-to-end bandwidth, needs a separate authorisation.
Operating without authorisation
Setting up or running a telecom network without the required authorisation breaches Section 3 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and attracts its penalty provisions.
Keeping data abroad
The 2026 Rules require network systems and associated data and logs to sit in India, with no copy made available outside. In practice, this means checking where your monitoring software and its cloud backups sit before you sign vendor contracts.
Frequently asked questions
Is IP-1 registration still available?
IP-1 has been carried into the Infrastructure Provider (IP) authorisation under the Telecommunications (Authorisation for Telecommunication Network) Rules, 2026, notified on 20 July 2026. DoT’s portal still shows the IP-I page, so we confirm on the Saral Sanchar portal which application form is open when you are ready to file. Either way, the scope is passive infrastructure and the documents barely change.
What can an infrastructure provider offer?
An infrastructure provider can offer passive assets: towers and poles, ducts, dark fibre, right of way and, under the 2026 Rules, in-building solutions. These are leased, rented or sold to authorised telecom operators on mutually agreed terms. It cannot run telecom services or end-to-end bandwidth over them without a separate authorisation. We help you word your agreements so they stay inside the passive scope.
Who can apply for IP authorisation?
Only a company incorporated in India can apply. The 2026 Rules also look at the general character of the management and compliance with FDI policy, and require that there are no pending dues. A proprietorship, partnership or LLP would need to form a company first. If you are starting fresh, we can handle company registration and the authorisation as one project.
What is the government fee?
Under the 2026 Rules, the IP category has a nil entry fee, a ₹10,000 processing fee and no initial bank guarantee. The older IP-I registration had a one-time fee of ₹5,000. Other network categories, such as satellite earth station gateways, pay entry fees of ₹10 lakh or more. For a passive infrastructure business, the government cost stays small.
How long is the authorisation valid?
The IP authorisation is granted for up to twenty years under the 2026 Rules, and renewal must be applied for twelve months before expiry. The older IP-I registration had lifetime validity. We note the renewal window in your compliance calendar the day the authorisation is issued, so it never sneaks up on you.
Is foreign investment allowed?
Yes, DoT’s IP-I page allows up to 100% foreign equity through the automatic route. Where the investor is from a country that shares a land border with India, government approval for the foreign equity is needed before you apply, and its copy goes with the application. The 2026 Rules also require compliance with FDI policy. We map your shareholding early so this does not hold up the file.
Do existing IP-I holders have to migrate?
Not immediately, on our reading of the law. The Telecommunications Act, 2023 lets earlier registrations continue for a transition period, and holders may migrate to the new authorisation under DoT’s migration rules. The details depend on your certificate, so we check the current migration rules before advising. Until then, your IP-I certificate keeps working within its original scope, so there is no need to pause your leases.
Does the infrastructure provider need GST registration?
Yes, in most cases. Leasing towers, ducts or fibre to operators is a taxable supply of services, so once your turnover crosses the GST threshold, GST registration is needed. Your operator customers will also want GST invoices to claim input tax credit. We handle the DoT filing and the GST side together, so your billing is ready from the first lease.
Does DoT check the company’s object clause?
Yes, DoT’s IP-I checklist asks for the Memorandum of Association with the required object clause. If your MoA does not cover infrastructure provision, you need to amend it first through a special resolution and an ROC filing. We handle that change on the MCA V3 portal before the DoT application, so the file goes in complete.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
Government side: under the 2026 Rules the IP authorisation has a nil entry fee, a ₹10,000 processing fee and no bank guarantee. The legacy IP-I registration fee was ₹5,000, one time.
Ready to begin?
Tell us what infrastructure you plan to build or already hold, and we will map the DoT filing, documents and timeline for your company.