Indian government recommends tax to prevent ‘fibre dumping’

News and Business

India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), in response to a complaint from Birla Furukawa Fiber Optics Private Limited alleging ‘fibre dumping’, has recommended the imposition of anti-dumping duties on optical fibre imported from China, South Korea, and Indonesia, notably on unshifted single-mode optical fibre (SMOF). The SMOF imports, it says, have not been rigorously tested and lack the necessary test and verification, and as a result, poor quality SMOF could impact India’s broadband growth.

Consequently, the Indian government is introducing new guidelines entitled ‘Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment’ (MTCTE) to ensure the quality, security, and reliability of telecom equipment used in the country. To support telecom operators in India, companies like STL and HFCL are offering MCTE compliant testing labs. They include top-quality measurement instruments and simulation software and test products on three broad parameters – transmission (attenuation, dispersion, bend sensitivity), mechanical (tensile strength, fatigue, impact, crush) and environmental (extreme temperature, water tolerance and humidity).

Poor quality, unverified equipment can impact the longevity of a network and can have other serious implications, particularly as 5G, FTTx and data centre deployments are rapidly picking up in India. To shape India’s digital journey for the next 20-30 years, operators need robust, high-quality and secure optical fibre.

The full report is available here.