IP-1 Telecom License
Registration India —
DoT Infrastructure Provider 2025
IP-1 (Infrastructure Provider Category-I) is a DoT registration that authorises a company to provide passive telecom infrastructure — Dark Fibre, Towers, Duct Space, Right of Way — on lease, rent, or sale to licensed telecom service providers. No Entry Fee. No Bank Guarantee. 100% FDI permitted. TAXAJ delivers complete IP-1 registration in 15–20 working days at an all-inclusive fee of ₹44,999.
2024-25 Update — Telecom Act 2023 + RoW Rules 2024 + DoT eServices Portal
Telecommunications Act 2023: India's new Telecom Act replaces the Indian Telegraph Act 1885 and Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933 — a landmark overhaul. The IP-1 registration framework continues under the DoT with updated compliance requirements aligned with the new Act. Right of Way (RoW) Rules 2024: New RoW rules for telecom infrastructure deployment — multiple states are now live on the NSWS/DoT portal for online RoW applications (key for IP-1 tower and duct space businesses). DoT eServices Portal: IP-1 registration now tracked via DoT's eServices portal (eservices.dot.gov.in). TAXAJ is fully updated to handle IP-1 registrations under the new regulatory framework.
IP-1 (Infrastructure Provider Category-I) License — Complete DoT Registration Guide 2025
The Infrastructure Provider Category-I (IP-1) Registration is an authorisation issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, Government of India. IP-1 companies are authorised to provide, establish, and maintain passive telecom infrastructure — Dark Fibres, Right of Way (RoW), Duct Space, and Towers — and grant these assets on lease, rent, or sale basis to licensed Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and other authorised entities under mutually agreed terms and conditions.
IP-1 registration was opened to the private sector with effect from 13 August 2000 and has been a cornerstone of India's telecom infrastructure buildout ever since. As India scales its 5G rollout, digital connectivity expansion under BharatNet, and the ambitious objective of achieving universal broadband, demand for IP-1 registered entities has never been higher. Tower companies, dark fibre networks, and duct infrastructure operators are at the heart of India's telecom ecosystem — and all require IP-1 registration to legally operate.
IP-1 vs IP-II — What Is the Difference?
The DoT categorises Infrastructure Providers into two categories:
- IP Category-I (IP-1): Providers of passive infrastructure — Dark Fibre, Right of Way, Duct Space, and Towers. Purely physical, non-active assets. Must be a registered company. No Entry Fee or Bank Guarantee. TAXAJ handles IP-1 registrations.
- IP Category-II (IP-II): Providers of active network elements and infrastructure — end-to-end bandwidth, managed leased line circuits, etc. Requires a separate licence from DoT. Higher compliance burden.
An IP-1 company may provide its passive infrastructure to an IP-II company, which then uses those assets to provide active network services. This creates a layered infrastructure ecosystem. However, the IP-1 company itself cannot directly provide active network services — it must stay within its authorisation boundary of passive infrastructure provision.
What Can an IP-1 Licensed Company Provide? — 4 Authorised Asset Categories
IP-1 registered companies can provide four categories of passive telecom infrastructure on lease, rent, or sale. Click each to learn about the business opportunities, technical requirements, and current market demand.
🗼 Telecom Towers — Ground-Based, Rooftop, and Shared Tower Infrastructure
Tower Business Models
- Ground-based towers in rural and semi-urban areas — typically Ground-Based Towers (GBT)
- Rooftop towers / sites in urban dense areas
- Small cell deployments for urban 5G micro-networks
- In-building solutions (IBS) — passive antenna systems for offices and malls
- Multi-tenancy model — 2+ operators on one tower = higher revenue per site
- BharatNet project towers — rural connectivity mandate
Revenue Model
- Monthly tenancy charges from telecom operators (TSPs) per antenna/slot
- Co-location revenue: each additional TSP on same tower adds revenue without proportional capex
- Energy services revenue: power supply and maintenance for TSP equipment
- Typical tower lease revenue: ₹25,000–₹80,000/month per TSP per tower (varies by location)
- New tower demand: 5G small cells require 10× more tower sites than 4G
🔦 Dark Fibre — Optical Fibre Cable on Lease Without Active Transmission Equipment
Dark Fibre Business Models
- IRU (Indefeasible Right of Use) agreements — long-term leases of 20–25 years for fibre strands
- Short-term lease arrangements for specific routes
- City fibre networks — urban dark fibre rings connecting business districts
- National long-haul routes — Delhi-Mumbai, Mumbai-Chennai, etc.
- BharatNet dark fibre lease to ISPs for last-mile rural broadband
- Data centre interconnects — IP-1 fibre between data centre campuses
Why Dark Fibre Is a Hot IP-1 Opportunity
- 5G backhaul requirement: 5G networks need fibre within 200–300 metres of every base station
- India's 1 billion broadband target driving fibre deployment at scale
- Enterprise demand: companies preferring dedicated dark fibre over leased lines
- Data centre boom: hyperscaler data centres require massive fibre interconnects
- BharatNet Phase 3: government-mandated rural fibre creates massive demand
📍 Right of Way (RoW) — Land, Spectrum, and Access Corridor Licensing
RoW Applications and Challenges
- State PWD/R&B departments — for highways and state roads
- Municipal corporations — for urban roads and pavements
- Railway land — for crossing or parallel routes to railway tracks
- Revenue department — for agricultural/forest land crossings
- Common fee structure under RoW Rules 2024 — ₹1/metre for underground, ₹10K per tower on government land
- States going live on NSWS/DoT portal — simplified online RoW applications
IP-1 and RoW Business Opportunity
- IP-1 company secures RoW → deploys fibre or tower → leases to TSPs who need that RoW
- TSPs unable to negotiate individual RoW for every route → IP-1 company does it for them
- IP-1 company's value add: aggregating RoW across large geographic areas
- RoW business model: charge TSPs for the right to use the pre-secured RoW corridor
🔲 Duct Space — Underground Conduit Infrastructure for Fibre Deployment
Duct Space Business Models
- Highway ducts — laying conduits along National/State Highways alongside road construction
- Urban micro-ducts — city-wide underground duct networks for multiple ISPs and operators
- Data centre campus ducts — connecting buildings within a data centre campus
- Metro and railway ducts — alongside metro rail or railway infrastructure
- Revenue model: charge per metre of duct per fibre cable per month
Why Duct Space Is Strategically Important
- India's underground cabling mandate in new smart cities and highway corridors
- Once installed, duct infrastructure has very long useful life (30–40 years)
- High barrier to entry = strong competitive moat for early movers
- State governments increasingly mandating joint duct systems to minimise road digging
- BharatNet Phase 3 requires extensive duct deployment in rural areas
7 Key Benefits of IP-1 Telecom Infrastructure Provider Registration
IP-1 registration is the legal gateway to India's booming telecom infrastructure economy. Here's what registration unlocks.
Recurring Revenue from Telecom Operators — No Retail Risk
IP-1 companies earn stable, long-term lease/rental income from Airtel, Jio, Vi, BSNL, and other licensed TSPs. Revenue is contractual, predictable, and B2B — no exposure to retail customer churn. Tower tenancy revenue: ₹25K–₹80K/month per operator per tower. Long-term IRU agreements for dark fibre deliver 20+ years of locked-in revenue.
Contractual B2B revenue100% FDI Permitted — No Foreign Equity Restrictions
DoT places no restriction on foreign equity in IP-1 companies. International tower companies, global fibre infrastructure funds, and foreign strategic investors can hold up to 100% equity. This makes IP-1 highly attractive for foreign capital seeking exposure to India's infrastructure market without the stricter FDI conditions applicable to active telecom licences.
100% FDI · No conditionsNo Entry Fee and No Bank Guarantee Required
Unlike most telecom licences (ISP, UAS, VNO), IP-1 registration has no entry fee and no bank guarantee requirement. The only government payment is the ₹5,000 processing fee (Demand Draft/Pay Order/BharatKosh challan) payable at the time of application. This significantly lowers the barrier to entry for new infrastructure companies.
No bank guarantee · ₹5,000 only5G Infrastructure Boom — Unprecedented Demand for IP-1 Assets
India's 5G rollout by Jio and Airtel requires 10× more tower sites than 4G (small cell densification), thousands of kilometres of fronthaul/backhaul fibre, and massive duct infrastructure. IP-1 companies providing towers, dark fibre, and duct space are at the epicentre of India's ₹2.5 lakh crore 5G infrastructure buildout. Entry now = first-mover advantage in the 5G decade.
5G boom · First-mover advantageNon-Exclusive Registration — Open Entry Market
IP-1 registration is granted on a non-exclusive basis with no restriction on the number of entrants — any eligible company can obtain registration without competing against existing registrants. This means no complex bidding, no spectrum auction, and no incumbent protection. Your IP-1 registration is fully independent of how many other IP-1 companies already exist.
Non-exclusive · Open entryRoW Rights — Streamlined Under Telecom Act 2023
IP-1 companies can leverage India's new Telecom Act 2023 and RoW Rules 2024 — which significantly streamline Right of Way permissions for infrastructure deployment. New Act provides DoT with override powers against local bodies unreasonably delaying RoW — reducing the historically painful bottleneck of tower and fibre approvals from local bodies.
Telecom Act 2023 · RoW simplifiedNon-Discriminatory Access — Multiple TSP Revenue Streams
IP-1 registered companies must provide their infrastructure in a non-discriminatory manner to every capable TSP in India — meaning Jio, Airtel, Vi, BSNL, and any new entrant are all potential customers. This ensures a built-in diversified revenue stream from multiple operators using the same physical asset — maximising return on infrastructure investment.
All TSPs as customersIP-1 License Eligibility Criteria & Documents Required
✅ Eligibility Criteria
- Must be an Indian company registered under the Companies Act 1956 or 2013 — proprietorships and partnership firms do NOT qualify
- Company's Memorandum of Association (MoA) must explicitly mention the objective to carry on business as an Infrastructure Provider (providing dark fibres, RoW, duct space, towers)
- Applicant company must possess the necessary technical and financial resources to provide the requisite IP services
- Company must have a plan for establishment and maintenance of telecom infrastructure
- Applicant must make its own arrangement for Right of Way (RoW)
- Company must be capable of providing infrastructure in a non-discriminatory manner to all eligible TSPs
- The company must have a clean track record — no prior disqualification or suspension by DoT
- No minimum paid-up capital specified — but adequate financials needed for DoT scrutiny
📋 Documents Required
- ›Certificate of Incorporation (signed by Director / CS / Statutory Auditor)
- ›Memorandum of Association (MoA) — all pages, with IP-1 object clause
- ›Articles of Association (AoA) — all pages
- ›Company PAN Card
- ›List of all Directors (current) with DIN and designation
- ›KYC of all Directors (PAN + Aadhaar / Passport for foreign directors)
- ›Equity Certificate / Shareholding Pattern showing all shareholders
- ›If foreign equity holder: authenticated copy of agreement between domestic entity and overseas partner
- ›Completed IP-1 registration application in DoT prescribed format
- ›Board Resolution authorising signatory to apply for IP-1 registration (signed & stamped by a different Director)
- ›Authorization letter for the signatory
- ›Processing fee: ₹5,000 Demand Draft / Pay Order / BharatKosh Challan payable to Pay & Accounts Officer (HQ), DoT, New Delhi
IP Category-I vs IP Category-II — Complete Comparison
Understanding the boundary between IP-1 (passive infrastructure) and IP-II (active network services) is critical before applying.
| Parameter | IP Category-I (IP-1) | IP Category-II (IP-II) |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of Infrastructure | Passive (physical) — fibres, towers, ducts, RoW | Active — network elements, bandwidth, end-to-end circuits |
| Services Provided | Lease/rent/sell dark fibre, tower space, duct, RoW | End-to-end bandwidth, managed leased line circuits |
| Can Provide to Customers Directly? | No — only to licensed TSPs on mutually agreed terms | Yes — can provide to enterprise/retail customers |
| Entry Fee | None (only ₹5,000 processing fee) | Entry fee applicable as per DoT guidelines |
| Bank Guarantee | Not Required | Bank guarantee required |
| FDI Permitted | 100% — no conditions | FDI subject to DoT conditions |
| End-to-End Bandwidth? | Strictly Prohibited | Permitted — core service |
| Active Equipment on Network? | Cannot install or operate active equipment | Can install active network elements |
| Processing Time | 15 days (DoT must respond within 15 days of application) | Longer — more complex licence process |
| Compliance Burden | Lower — deed submission, DoT notifications | Higher — active network compliance |
| Examples | Indus Towers, Bharti Infratel, ATC India, TASL | Tata Communications, BSNL leased lines |
How to Get IP-1 Registration — 7-Step DoT Application Process
TAXAJ manages the complete IP-1 registration process — from company readiness check and MoA verification to DoT application submission and certificate receipt. Timeline: 15–20 working days.
Company Incorporation & MoA Object Clause Verification
IP-1 registration is available only to Indian companies registered under the Companies Act 2013 or 1956. The company's Memorandum of Association (MoA) must explicitly include the objective to carry on the business of an infrastructure provider — providing dark fibres, RoW, duct space, and towers to licensed TSPs. If your company is already incorporated but the MoA does not include these objects, a MoA amendment through an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and ROC filing is required before applying for IP-1. TAXAJ first audits your MoA and advises on amendments needed — this step typically takes 3–5 working days if amendment is needed.
Board Resolution for IP-1 Application
The company's Board of Directors must pass a Board Resolution specifically authorising a named person (Director or Company Secretary) to sign and submit the IP-1 registration application on behalf of the company. The resolution must be passed at a duly constituted Board meeting, signed with the company seal, and countersigned by a Director who is not the authorised signatory themselves. The resolution must clearly state: the name of the authorised signatory, their designation, and that they are authorised to sign the IP-1 registration application with DoT. TAXAJ drafts the Board Resolution as per DoT's specific requirements.
Prepare Complete Documentation Package
Compile the complete documentation package for DoT submission: (1) Completed IP-1 application in DoT prescribed format, (2) Certificate of Incorporation (signed by Director/CS/Statutory Auditor), (3) MoA — all pages with IP-1 objects, (4) AoA — all pages, (5) Board Resolution, (6) Authorization Letter, (7) List of Directors with DIN and KYC, (8) Equity Certificate / Shareholding Pattern, (9) Company PAN Card, (10) If foreign equity: authenticated copy of agreement with overseas partner, (11) Processing fee DD/Pay Order/BharatKosh Challan of ₹5,000. All documents must be self-attested by the authorised signatory. TAXAJ prepares the complete package and reviews for completeness before submission.
Pay Processing Fee — ₹5,000 to DoT
Pay the ₹5,000 processing fee payable to the "Pay & Accounts Officer (Headquarters), Department of Telecommunications, New Delhi". The fee can be paid via: Demand Draft (DD) drawn on any scheduled bank, Pay Order, or BharatKosh online payment challan. The DD/Pay Order must be drawn at par and payable in New Delhi. The payment is non-refundable — even if the application is rejected. Save the original DD/Pay Order/payment receipt for submission with the application. TAXAJ assists in obtaining and verifying the correct payment instrument.
Submit Application to DoT — Section Officer, CS-III, Sanchar Bhavan
The complete IP-1 registration application package must be submitted offline at: Section Officer, CS-III, Department of Telecommunications, Room No. 713, Sanchar Bhavan, 20-Ashok Road, New Delhi – 110001. This is a physical submission — there is no online application system for IP-1 registration currently. Submit the original documents (with self-attested copies) along with the processing fee DD and obtain an acknowledgement receipt from the DoT officer. The acknowledgement number is critical for tracking the application status. TAXAJ's Delhi team submits the application in-person and obtains the acknowledgement on your behalf.
DoT Review & Follow-Up (15-Day Statutory Deadline)
DoT is statutorily required to communicate approval or rejection within 15 days of receiving the application. During this period, the DoT's CS-III section reviews the application for completeness, verifies the documents, and checks the company's eligibility and MoA objects. DoT may raise queries or request additional information during this period. TAXAJ actively follows up with the DoT CS-III section during the review period to ensure the application is processed within the statutory timeline. Any DoT queries are responded to promptly by TAXAJ's telecom licensing team. In practice, with complete documentation, approval typically comes within 15–20 working days.
Receive IP-1 Registration Certificate + Commence Operations
Upon approval, DoT issues the IP-1 Registration Certificate — the official authorisation document confirming your company's status as an Infrastructure Provider Category-I. The certificate specifies the types of assets you can provide (dark fibre, towers, RoW, duct space) and the terms of registration. Key post-registration obligations: (1) Provide infrastructure in a non-discriminatory manner to all capable TSPs, (2) Submit a copy of every agreement signed with a TSP or IP-II to DoT within 15 days of signing, (3) Notify DoT of any change in company name or equity structure, (4) Maintain compliance with Telecom Act 2023 and any DoT circulars. TAXAJ provides a post-registration compliance guidance package.
Post-Registration IP-1 Compliance Obligations
IP-1 registration is the beginning. Compliance with DoT conditions is ongoing — non-compliance can lead to cancellation of registration.
Agreement Submission to DoT
Every agreement signed between the IP-1 company and a TSP or IP-II company must be submitted to DoT within 15 days of signing. This is a mandatory obligation and non-compliance is a registration violation. TAXAJ provides a compliance calendar to track agreement submission deadlines.
Non-Discriminatory Access
IP-1 companies are legally required to provide their infrastructure in a non-discriminatory manner to every capable Telecom Service Provider in India. Preferential access or refusal to deal with any eligible TSP without valid commercial reasons is a violation of IP-1 terms.
No Active Services — Strict Boundary
IP-1 companies must strictly stay within the passive infrastructure boundary. Providing end-to-end bandwidth, internet access, or any telegraph service to any customer — including to the TSPs you lease infrastructure to — is prohibited and can lead to immediate cancellation of the IP-1 registration and prosecution.
Name / Equity Change Notification
Any change in the company's name, equity structure, or key management must be notified to DoT as per Companies Act 2013 provisions. IP-1 registration reflects the company's legal name — any change must be communicated to DoT and the registration updated accordingly.
RoW Compliance — Telecom Act 2023
IP-1 companies deploying infrastructure must comply with Right of Way Rules 2024 under the Telecom Act 2023 for every installation — obtaining permissions from relevant state PWD/R&B departments and paying applicable fees. TAXAJ advises on state-wise RoW compliance as different states go live on the NSWS portal.
DoT Circulars & Notifications
IP-1 companies must stay current with DoT circulars, amendments, and policy notifications that may change compliance obligations. TAXAJ's telecom compliance team monitors DoT notifications and alerts clients to new obligations affecting their IP-1 registration and operations.
IP-1 License Registration — Frequently Asked Questions
IP-1 Telecom License Registration — TAXAJ All-Inclusive Package
TAXAJ handles the complete IP-1 registration process — MoA review, document preparation, Delhi-based DoT submission, follow-up, and certificate delivery. All-inclusive. One price.
- ✓MoA audit + IP-1 object clause verification
- ✓MoA amendment coordination (if required)
- ✓Board Resolution drafting (DoT format)
- ✓Complete document package preparation
- ✓₹5,000 DoT processing fee (included)
- ✓In-person submission at Sanchar Bhavan, Delhi
- ✓DoT follow-up + query response
- ✓IP-1 certificate + post-registration compliance guide