GUIDELINES AND GENERAL INFORMATION
FOR SETTING UP OF
INTERNATIONAL GATEWAYS FOR INTERNET

        On behalf of the President of India, proposals are invited from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for setting up of International Gateway for Internet.

        The ISP Policy of Government of India permits the ISPs to set up International Gateway for Internet after obtaining the security clearance, for which the interface of the ISPs shall be with the Telecom Authority.

I. GENERAL

1. Gateways can be established only by the ISP licencees
2. Gateway has to be within the service area of the ISP.
3. The transmission link between the ISP node/point of presence and the Gateway, if they are not co-located, is regulated as per the ISP licence condition 7.2 i.e. the transmission link should be from DOT, licensed Basic Service Operators, Railways, State Electricity Board, National Powergrid Corporation or any other operator specially authorised to lease such links to ISP.
4. The ISP has to apply to the Telecom Authority for bandwidth (transponder capacity in case of satellite access) giving the detailed requirement. (both short term and long term).
5. Gateway will be used only for carrying Internet Traffic.
6. All the conditions of the ISP licence would be applicable.
7. The ISP should provide information about all ISPs that would be connected to the gateway. Any change should be intimated immediately to the Telecom Authority.
8. The details of the topology should be provided including the details of how the monitoring equipment will be fitted. Any change in the topology should be informed to the Telecom Authority immediately.
9. Details of types of services that are proposed to be provided should be given. Any change in the same should be informed to the Telecom Authority immediately.
10. The permission to set up Gateway is subject to other clearances/permissions that are required as per the laws of the land and it will be the responsibility of the licencee/company to obtain these clearances/permissions.
11. International Gateways will not be permitted to be set up in security sensitive areas.
12. The Internet nodes on places of security importance (as identified by security agencies) would be routed through VSNL only. Interconnection of these nodes to other nodes within the country directly is not permitted.
13. The ISP should make available all the billing details of any subscriber on demand by Telecom Authority for upto one year.
14. The ISP should block Internet sites and individual subscribers, as identified by Telecom Authority.
15. The Government(Licensor) reserves the right to make changes in the security considerations.

III. MONITORING FACILITIES

(a) At each - International Gateway location and/or ISP node with a router/switch having an outbound capacity of 2 Mbps or more:

1. Every international gateway location and/or the ISP node with a router/switch having a capacity of 2Mbps or more shall be equipped with a monitoring Centre at the cost of the ISP. The details of the monitoring equipment that is required will be specified by the security agencies through Telecom Authority. The maximum cost of the monitoring equipment is estimated to be Rs. 4 lakhs per location as per current market rates. Any other equipment for monitoring may also be put up by the security agencies in the monitoring centre.
2. Office space of 10 feet x 10 feet with adequate uninterrupted power supply and air-conditioning which will be physically secured and accessible only to the monitoring agencies will have to be provided by the ISP at each location, free of cost.
3. In addition to the equipment, one local exclusive telephone line is to be made available by the ISP at the monitoring centre, the cost to be borne by the ISP.
4. The cost of maintenance of the equipment and infrastructure mentioned above at the monitoring centre located at the premises of the ISP is to be borne by the ISP.
5. Each router/switch of the ISP should be connected by the LAN operating at the same speed as the router/switch, the monitoring equipment will be connected to this network.
6. For a national ISP or an ISP having multiple nodes/point of presence, if it is possible to monitor the traffic in all the Routers/switches from a central location, a central monitoring centre would be acceptable. However, in such a case, the ISP would, at the outset, be able to demonstrate to the Telecom Authority that all routers/switches are accessible from the central monitoring centre. Moreover the ISPs would have to inform the Telecom Authority of every change that takes place in their topology/configuration, and demonstrate that all routers/switches continue to be accessible from the central monitoring centre. The decision of Telecom Authority will be final on the issue.

(b) At location where the ISP node router/switch has an outbound capacity less than 2 Mbps:

1. At locations where the ISP node has router/switch with outbound capacity less than 2 Mbps, the ISPs shall provide (I) a LAN, (ii) office space of 10 feet by 10 feet and (iii) a local exclusive telephone line, all at the cost of the ISP. The monitoring equipment will be provided by the monitoring/security agencies.

IV. COMMERCIAL

1. A non-refundable processing fee of Rs. 20,000 (Rupees Twenty thousand only) per gateway location in the form of Demand Draft payable to Pay & Accounts Officer (Hqrs.), DOT, New Delhi , should be submitted with the application. Applications without the processing fee will not be processed.
   
   
   V. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION

2. The guidelines and the proforma for application for setting up of International Gateways for Internet are available from ADG(LR), 10^th Floor, Sanchar Bhavan, New Delhi, between 1500 hrs – 1700 hrs. on any working day and on the web site http://www.dotindia.com. Fifteen (15) copies of the application alongwith all annexures may be submitted to ADG(LR), 10^th Floor, Sanchar Bhavan, New Delhi-110 001.

VI.OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SETTING UP OF INTERNATIONAL GATEWAYS BY USE OF
   FOREIGN SATELLITE