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Under the Telecommunications Act (the “Act”) and the Telecommunications (Dealers) Regulations (the “Dealers Regulation”), any person who wishes to manufacture, import, let for hire, sell, or offer or possess for sale any telecommunication equipment (e.g. android TV boxes, mobile phones, tablets, walkie-talkies and wireless devices etc) must obtain the relevant dealer’s licence from IMDA.  Please note that it is an offence under the Act to offer for sale or sell telecommunication equipment without the requisite dealer’s licence.  

Those found guilty of offering for sale or selling telecommunication equipment without a dealer’s licence may be subject to a fine of up to S$10,000 and/or 3 years imprisonment.

Things to note before selling telecommunication equipment

- Apply for a relevant dealer’s licence from IMDA via Online Business Licensing Services.

- There are two types of telecommunication dealer’s licence:

1. Dealer’s (Class) Licence – The licensee can sell (a) registered and approved telecommunication equipment (i.e. telecommunication equipment registered with and approved by IMDA) and (b) telecommunication equipment set out in the First Schedule of the Dealers Regulations. There is a one-time licence fee of S$50.  This licensee cannot sell non-registered telecommunication equipment.
2. Dealer’s (Individual) Licence – In addition to what the Dealer’s (Class) licensee can sell, the Dealer’s (Individual) licensee can also sell non-registered telecommunication equipment, but only for re-export purposes (e.g. sale of non-registered telecommunication equipment to tourists for use in other countries).  The licence fee is S$250 for 5 years. 

- If the telecommunication equipment offered for sale is meant for local use, register the telecommunication equipment with IMDA via https://licence1.business.gov.sg. For more information please refer to www.imda.gov.sg/EquipmentRegistrationFramework.

- The dealer’s licensee will have to ensure that the telecommunication equipment complies with the relevant IMDA technical standards before registering the telecommunication equipment with IMDA.

- If the telecommunication equipment offered for sale is not registered with IMDA, indicate clearly “For Export Only and not for use in Singapore” in the display or advertisements.

DECT Phones

In Singapore, DECT phones are allowed to operate in the frequency band 1880 MHz – 1900 MHz (or 1.88 GHz – 1.90 GHz) in accordance with the IMDA Technical Specification for Cordless Telephones and Telecommunication Systems (https://www.imda.gov.sg/-/media/imda/files/regulation-licensing-and-consultations/ict-standards/telecommunication-standards/radio-comms/imda-ts-ct-cts.pdf?la=en). However, IMDA has noticed that unregistered DECT 6.0 cordless phones (e.g. Panasonic KX-TG4021N,Panasonic KX-TGE230/ KX-TGEA20, AT&T EL51109 and other models) are being sold in Singapore via e-commerce platforms. Based on the technical specifications of these cordless phones, they operate in the frequency bands (1.92 GHz – 1.93 GHz) that are assigned for cellular mobile services and will cause radio frequency interferences to existing mobile operators’ networks (please refer to this URL for the list of prohibited telecommunication equipment: https://www.imda.gov.sg/for-community/Infocomm-regulation-and-guides/infocomm-regulation/prohibited-telecommunication-equipment). Such cordless phones cannot be registered for sale and use in Singapore. Please note that it is an offence if any person is found importing and selling prohibited telecommunication equipment. 

Where sellers request to advertise these cordless phones, they shall be advised to publish an advisory in the advertisements, to alert customers: “Not for use in Singapore. For further information, please refer to this link”.

Enquiry Contacts

- For enquiries related to licence application, please call 6211 1950.

- For enquiries related to equipment registration, please call 6211 1937.

Useful Links

- Guidelines to Application for Telecommunication Dealer’s Licence

- Guide for Registration of Telecommunication Equipment