Processing fee · Entry fee · PBG · FBG · Total cost per licence
All numbers below are one-time, per-authorisation government amounts in INR. Use them to budget before you apply.
| Authorisation | Processing fee* | Entry fee* | PBG | FBG | Min equity | Min net worth | Non-refundable govt cost | Funds to arrange |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISP Category A (All-India) | ₹15,000 | ₹30,00,000 | ₹40,00,000 | ₹2,00,000 | — | — | ₹30,15,000 | ₹72,00,000 |
| ISP Category B (Circle/Metro) | ₹15,000 | ₹2,00,000 | ₹2,00,000 | ₹20,000 | — | — | ₹2,15,000 | ₹4,20,000 |
| ISP Category C (SSA) | ₹10,000 | ₹20,000 | ₹10,000 | ₹2,000 | — | — | ₹30,000 | ₹32,000 |
| Authorisation | Processing fee* | Entry fee* | PBG | FBG | Min equity | Min net worth | Non-refundable govt cost | Funds to arrange |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UL-VNO (All Services) | ₹1,00,000 | ₹7,50,00,000 | — | ₹4,40,00,000 | ₹10,00,00,000 | ₹10,00,00,000 | ₹7,51,00,000 | ₹11,90,00,000 |
| VNO — ISP Category A | ₹50,000 | ₹15,00,000 | — | ₹1,00,000 | — | — | ₹15,50,000 | ₹16,00,000 |
| VNO — ISP Category B | ₹15,000 | ₹1,00,000 | — | ₹10,000 | — | — | ₹1,15,000 | ₹1,10,000 |
| VNO — ISP Category C | ₹10,000 | ₹10,000 | — | ₹1,000 | — | — | ₹20,000 | ₹11,000 |
| VNO — Access (Circle/Metro) | ₹50,000 | ₹50,00,000 | — | ₹20,00,000 | ₹10,00,000 | ₹10,00,000 | ₹50,50,000 | ₹70,00,000 |
| VNO — NLD (National) | ₹50,000 | ₹1,25,00,000 | — | ₹50,00,000 | ₹10,00,000 | ₹10,00,000 | ₹1,25,50,000 | ₹1,75,00,000 |
| VNO — ILD (National) | ₹50,000 | ₹1,25,00,000 | — | ₹50,00,000 | ₹10,00,000 | ₹10,00,000 | ₹1,25,50,000 | ₹1,75,00,000 |
| VNO — VSAT (National) | ₹50,000 | ₹15,00,000 | — | ₹3,00,000 | — | — | ₹15,50,000 | ₹18,00,000 |
| VNO — PMRTS (Circle/Metro) | ₹15,000 | ₹25,000 | — | ₹10,000 | — | — | ₹40,000 | ₹35,000 |
| VNO — GMPCS (National) | ₹50,000 | ₹50,00,000 | — | ₹10,00,000 | ₹10,00,000 | ₹10,00,000 | ₹50,50,000 | ₹60,00,000 |
| VNO — Resale of IPLC (National) | ₹50,000 | ₹50,00,000 | — | ₹10,00,000 | ₹12,50,000 | ₹12,50,000 | ₹50,50,000 | ₹60,00,000 |
| VNO — Access Cat B (Districts) | ₹10,000 | ₹1,65,000 | — | ₹20,000 | — | ₹5,00,000 | ₹1,75,000 | ₹1,85,000 |
| VNO — M2M Category A | ₹50,000 | ₹15,00,000 | — | ₹1,00,000 | — | — | ₹15,50,000 | ₹16,00,000 |
| VNO — M2M Category B | ₹15,000 | ₹1,00,000 | — | ₹10,000 | — | — | ₹1,15,000 | ₹1,10,000 |
| VNO — M2M Category C | ₹10,000 | ₹10,000 | — | ₹1,000 | — | — | ₹20,000 | ₹11,000 |
Non-refundable govt cost = processing fee + entry fee (paid to DoT, not returned). PBG (Performance) and FBG (Financial) Bank Guarantees are refundable securities you must arrange (cash/collateral) — returned/adjusted on compliance. 'Funds to arrange' is the one-time outlay you must provision at grant. Figures from DoT guidelines / UL-VNO Annexure-I and are periodically revised — PodNet confirms the current values for your exact category & service area before you apply. Not legal advice.
PBG (Performance Bank Guarantee) and FBG (Financial Bank Guarantee) are refundable bank guarantees you must arrange before your ISP or VNO licence is granted. PBG covers your network rollout obligations — if you meet the milestones, DoT releases it. FBG covers financial obligations like licence fee payments. ISP authorisations require both PBG and FBG; VNO authorisations require only FBG (PBG is nil). Both are returned or adjusted on compliance — they are not government fees.
DoT licences are not freely transferable. An ISP or VNO licence can be transferred only with prior DoT approval, subject to eligibility conditions being met by the transferee. Unauthorised transfer or sub-letting is a violation and can lead to licence cancellation.
The Unified Licence is valid for 20 years (UL-VNO for 10 years). Before expiry, you apply for renewal through the DoT e-services portal with updated compliance documents and payment of the renewal fee. Under the 2026 authorisation rules, existing licences transition to the new framework in phases — licences with a definite period continue till expiry.
Recurring government costs after grant: Licence fee 8% of AGR (inclusive of USO levy ~5% of AGR), Spectrum Usage Charges where applicable, and an annual minimum licence fee from the 2nd year (10% of the entry fee per authorised service). UL validity = 20 years (UL-VNO = 10 years).
UL-VNO: no separate PBG (nil) — only FBG applies. Max combined net worth & paid-up equity for UL-VNO is capped at ₹10 crore each. For VNO-ISP, DoT prescribes no minimum equity/net worth.
Prices, entry fees, bank guarantees (PBG/FBG) and eligibility are set by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and vary by category, authorisation and service area. Figures above are indicative; we confirm the exact current requirements for your case before you apply. This page is informational and not legal advice.