The internet policy provides for setting up of international gateway for internet traffic by the ISPs after obtaining security clearance. At present all the ISPs have to use Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd's gateway.

The details for these security provisions were worked out by an inter-ministerial committee consisting of the representatives from the industry, an official release said here today.

According to the implementation mechanism, no permission is required for use of encryption upto 40 bit key length while for stronger encryption, the decryption key splits into two parts to be deposited with the telecom authority.

The ISPs are to provide monitoring equipment for security provisions costing upto Rs 4 lakh per gateway location or large ISP node. AlsoISPs are to provide office space and local telephone line.

Small ISPs need not provide the monitoring equipment. For ISPs having multiple nodes or national ISPs, monitoring is to be done from central location.

The guidelines and the performa for application for setting up of international gateway for internet would be made available with the Department of Telecommunication (DoT). The processing fee along with with the prescribed perform has been fixed at Rs 20,000, it said.