UL-VNO — become a Virtual Network Operator in India
A Virtual Network Operator (VNO) offers telecom services to customers under its own brand without owning spectrum, switches or physical network infrastructure. It leases network elements and capacity from a licensed Access Service Provider under an agreement and resells services. DoT issues the Unified Licence for VNO (UL-VNO) to make this legal and structured.
DoT prescribes no separate minimum equity or net worth for the VNO-ISP authorisation; the higher thresholds apply to the full UL-VNO (all services). We confirm the current requirement for the exact authorisation you pick.
If you are new to telecom, you can first obtain the UL-VNO licence as an 'aspirant VNO' and only later execute a network element agreement with an Access Network Operator such as a UL-Access or DLDO operator. This lets you secure your licence and brand while the commercial agreement is finalised. We help you structure and time this correctly.
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.
| 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 |
PBG is nil for VNO; only FBG applies. Full breakdown: https://podnet.in/isp-licence/fees
Thinking of launching a licensed VNO brand? We will map the category, the access-operator route and the filings for you.