The government has abolished wireless operating licence and launched a regulatory sandbox for quick and online approval of product testing, Union Communications and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday.

 While speaking at the curtain raiser of the telecom sector event India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024, the minister said that the wireless operating licence was abolished a few months back but it is being formalised now.

"There was a wireless operating licence…. For operating wireless devices they had to take wireless operating licences. That has been done away with. It was done away for a few months and we are formalising it today," Vaishnaw said. The minister unveiled a regulatory sandbox for the telecom sector.

He said that through the regulatory sandbox, the DoT will provide online approval for product testing at minimal charge in an easy manner to even enable students to test their products. Vaishnaw said that 15 organisations including industry bodies ICEA, MAIT, Nasscom should come together to make it Asia's biggest technology event to be held from October 15-19.

The India Mobile Congress is currently organised by telecom industry body COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) with the support of the Department of Telecommunications.

"Put in some effort and take the target of 1000 exhibitors. We should make tech-oriented organisations-- MAIT, ICEA, and Nasscom an integral part of IMC. I would like you to get into EV, connected cars, people who are into IOT devices, particularly entire tech serviced by telecom. If that is the goal then we should look at 15 organisations jointly organising it. Then only we will be able to reach the 1000 mark," Vaishnaw said.

IMC had 247 exhibitors in 2023.

The IMC will coincide with the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA 2024) from 15-24 October 2024 preceded by Global Standards Symposium (GSS 2024) on 14 October 2024 at New Delhi.

The minister said that the industry should make an effort to involve college students in WTSA and IMC from 500 colleges.

He said that the government will bring on board Indian Railways for logistics and bring students to attend these events.

 "Practically every technology program that we are doing, we are involving students at the college level," Vaishnaw said.