Radio Technologies
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Certification with the FCC / ISED
Electrical equipment marketed in the USA and Canada requires authorisation. There are two authorisation routes, SDoC and Certification. We can support these routes to compliance, including certification with the FCC and / or ISED.
Radio Technologies
Our testing covers many common radio technologies used in a wide range of products. These radio technologies include:
- Bluetooth – Classic (with EDR) and Low Energy
- Wi-Fi – 2.4 and 5 GHz WLAN
- ZigBee – DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum) & LoRaWAN (Long-Range Wide-Area Network)
- Short Range Devices (SRD) – Including Z-Wave, RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification), Induction Loop, Land Mobile Service (Analogue and Digital), NFC (Near-field Communication)
- mmWave (Millimetre Wave) – Including wireless systems such as mmWave backhaul
- Satellite Positioning – GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)
- GPS and Cellular Technologies – Including GSM 2G/3G/LTE/4G in base stations and repeaters
- Private Mobile Radio (PMR) – This is also a requirement for marine radio and fixed link equipment.
Our radio testing services include:
- UKAS accredited radiated & conducted emissions testing to 231 GHz
- Compliance and fully accredited Radio testing
- Initial Assessment (Pre-compliance Radio testing)
- Development testing
- Experienced engineers provide you with on-the-spot advice and solutions to achieve and maintain compliance
- Certifications/Approvals
- Design stage solutions
- Radio Performance Evaluation
- Antenna Testing
- Gap Analysis
- Testing & certification of Digital TV and Radio Products as one service.
Our laboratory is:
- A UKAS accredited testing laboratory No. 2360 to ISO 17025:2017
- Accredited by the FCC for the US market (Registration No.293246) and ISED (formerly Industry Canada) in Canada (registered under site Nos. 5612A-1, 5612A-2, 5612A-3 and 5612A-4)
- Recognised as a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) by the FCC (USA)
- Designated to perform compliance testing on equipment subject to SDoC under Parts 15B and 18 of the FCC’s Rules.
We are known for being reliable, prompt industry specialists working closely with our customers right from the start of each project through to delivery of the final test report.
Radio Testing Frequently Asked Questions
What is 3rd Party Certification and is Product Testing the right approach for me? We understand these can be difficult concepts for many people. We want to make the premise and process as clear and as transparent as possible, so you can decide if it's the right thing for you and your business.
Of course if your question is not covered below or you would like to talk to one of our experienced team members about your specific requirements; please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Who is the FCC?
The Federal Communications Commission (USA).
What do they do?
As an agency of the US Government overseen by congress, they regulate radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable communications, and enforce America’s communications law and regulations.
What is an RF device?
Radio Frequency (RF) devices contained in electronic-electrical products that are capable of emitting radio frequency energy by radiation, conduction, or other means. These products have the potential to cause interference to radio services operating in the radio frequency range of 9 kHz to 3000 GHz.
Almost all electronic-electrical products (devices) are capable of emitting radio frequency energy. Most, but not all, of these products must be tested to demonstrate compliance to the FCC rules for each type of electrical function that is contained in the product.
What are the FCC requirements?
If a device is subject to the FCC rules, then the type of equipment authorisation procedure required must be determined. Either Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) or Certification, or both may apply.
What is FCC SDoC Authorisation procedure?
A procedure that requires the party responsible for compliance to ensure that the equipment complies with the appropriate technical standards, the responsible party must be located in the US but does not need to file an equipment authorisation with the FCC and is therefore not listed in the FCC’s database. A test report and other information demonstrating compliance to the rules must be available on request by the FCC.
What is FCC Certification Authorisation procedure?
Certification is a rigorous approval process for RF Devices that have the greatest potential to cause harmful interference to radio services. It is an equipment authorization issued by a recognized Telecommunication Certification Body (TCB). Testing must be performed by an FCC recognized testing laboratory, Information including technical parameters, test reports etc. are posted on the FCC’s public website database.
At what point in product development should FCC authorization requirements be considered?
Regulatory compliance requirements for FCC and indeed any Country, should be considered as early in the product concept/design stage as possible. The actual FCC authorization process should begin and be completed prior to any product being mass-produced and marketed (offered for sale or lease) in the United States.
Is FCC authorisation mandatory?
FCC authorization process whether Certification or SDoC route is mandatory, however, some exceptions do exist for certain devices with respect to technical standards, for Part 15 devices see 15.103 for the list, however it is recommended by the FCC that even an exempted device should meet the specific technical standards requirements.
What is the difference between FCC and CE certification?
CE EMC requirements include emissions and immunity testing for products to be sold in Europe. The CE Mark also includes product safety testing. FCC Testing focuses specifically on EMC testing of electronic goods sold in the United States.
What needs to be RER certified?
All wireless communications and radio equipment sold or used in the UK.
What is the Radio Equipment Regulation (RER)?
The Radio Equipment Regulations were originally created to transpose the European Radio Equipment Directive (RED) into UK Law. The RER specifies the safety and performance requirements for all wireless communications and radio equipment sold or used in the UK.