[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 7, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48620-48623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23165]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[DA 99-1640]


Accreditation Requirements for Telecommunication Certification 
Bodies

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This document streamlines the Commission's equipment 
authorization requirements by allowing Telecommunications Certification 
Bodies (TCBs) to certify equipment under the Commission's Rules. The 
Commission released a public notice on August 17, 1999, listing those 
regulations and requirements.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Art Wall, Office of Engineering and 
Technology, (202) 418-2442, for Part 2 Information; and Bill Howden, 
Common Carrier Bureau, (202) 418-2343, for Part 68 Information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is the text of the Commission's Public 
Notice, DA 99-1640, released August 17, 1999. This document is 
available for inspection and copying during regular business hours in 
the FCC Reference Information Center, Room CY-A257, 445 12th Street, 
SW, Washington, DC, and is available on the FCC's Internet site at 
www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering__Technology/Public__Notices/1999/. This 
document may also be purchased from the Commission's duplication 
contractor, International Transcription Service, Inc., (202) 857-3800, 
1231 20th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036.

Summary of Public Notice

    1. In December 1998, the Commission adopted new rules to streamline 
its equipment authorization requirements by allowing Telecommunications 
Certification Bodies (TCBs) to certify equipment under parts 2 and 68 
of the Commission's Rules. This notice provides further information on 
the accreditation requirements for TCBs.
    2. The requirements for TCBs were specified in the Commission's 
Report and Order (R&O) in GEN Docket 98-68 (FCC 98-338), adopted on 
December 17, 1998, 64 FR 4984, February 2, 1999, http://www.fcc.gov/
Engineering__Technology/Orders/1998/fcc98338.pdf/. TCBs are required to 
be accredited by the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
(NIST), or NIST may allow, in accordance with its procedures, other 
appropriate qualified accrediting bodies to accredit TCBs.
    3. TCBs are to be accredited in accordance with ISO/IEC Guide 65 
(1996), General Requirements for Bodies Operating Product Certification 
Systems and the appropriate FCCf Rules. The staff of the FCC's Office 
of Engineering and Technology (OET) and Common Carrier Bureau (CCB) 
have worked closely with NIST, equipment manufacturers and test 
laboratories to develop an accreditation process that is

[[Page 48621]]

consistent with the requirements of ISO/IEC Guide 65 and the FCC Rules.
    4. Accreditation will be available for several different scopes of 
equipment subject to certification. TCBs can choose to obtain 
accreditation for any or all of the available scopes, depending on 
their needs. The scopes are defined in the attachment to this notice. 
The attachment also specifies the capabilities that must be 
demonstrated to obtain accreditation within each scope. Finally, the 
attachment clarifies certain aspects of the TCB requirements in the 
Rules.
    5. NIST will announce the administrative details for applying for 
TCB accreditation in the near future. The Commission will continue 
working with NIST to assist in the accreditation of TCBs.
    6. TCBs located outside the United States may certify equipment in 
accordance with the terms of an effective bilateral or multilateral 
mutual recognition agreement. Accreditation of TCBs outside the United 
States shall be consistent with this public notice and the attachment 
to this notice.

Procedures for Accrediting a Telecommunication Certification Body

I. TCB Designation Process and Requirements

    The process for designation of TCBs and requirements that must be 
met are contained in the FCC rules. See, in particular, 47 CFR 2.960, 
2.962, 68.160 and 68.162.
Accreditation Requirements
    TCBs shall be capable of testing equipment to a core set of 
equipment tests for each scope of accreditation, as stated below. TCBs 
must be accredited in accordance with the general guidelines in ISO/IEC 
Guide 65 (1996), General requirements for bodies operating 
certification systems. To ensure that it is capable of performing the 
tests within the scope of accreditation, the TCB must also be 
accredited to ISO/IEC Guide 25, General requirements for the competence 
of calibration and testing laboratories. Both ISO/IEC Guides are 
available through the American National Standards Institute, Customer 
Service, 11 West 42nd Street, New York, NY--10036, telephone 212-642-
4900, facsimile 212-302-1286, or e-mail to [email protected].

III. Accreditation Scopes

    TCBs will be accredited to certify one or more of the following 
scopes of equipment:
A. Unlicensed Radio Frequency Devices
    1. Low power transmitters operating on frequencies below 1 GHz 
(with the exception of spread spectrum devices), emergency alert 
systems, unintentional radiators (e.g., personal computers and 
associated peripherals and TV Interface Devices) and consumer ISM 
devices subject to certification (e.g., microwave ovens, RF lighting 
and other consumer ISM devices).
    2. Low power transmitters operating on frequencies above 1 GHz, 
with the exception of spread spectrum devices.
    3. Unlicensed Personal Communication System (PCS) devices.
    4. Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (UNII) devices 
and low power transmitters using spread spectrum techniques.
B. Licensed Radio Service Equipment
    1. Personal Mobile Radio Services in 47 CFR parts 22 (cellular), 
24, 25, 26, and 27.
    2. General Mobile Radio Services in the following 47 CFR parts 22 
(non-cellular), 74, 90, 95 and 97.
    3. Maritime and Aviation Radio Services in 47 CFR parts 80 and 87.
    4. Microwave Radio Services in 47 CFR parts 21, 74 and 101.
C. Telephone Terminal Equipment (47 CFR part 68)
    1. Telephone terminal equipment in 47 CFR part 68.
    Notes for Accreditation Scopes A, B and C: (1) The TCB is not 
required to have the capability to perform each required test, but must 
have the minimum testing capabilities specified below for each type of 
equipment.
    (2) The measurement procedures for licensed PCS devices and UNII 
devices and the procedures for determining RF exposure for hand-held 
transmitters have not been published. Accreditation and designation of 
a TCB to certify such equipment will be withheld until the appropriate 
procedures have been published.

IV. Specific Capabilities: Unlicensed Radio Frequency Devices

    The TCB must:
    A. Possess a thorough knowledge of FCC Rules contained in 47 CFR 
parts 2, 11, 15 & 18, including latest interpretations thereof;
    B. Possess a thorough knowledge of all appropriate procedures 
(e.g., ANSI C63.4-1992, FCC MP-5, etc.) for testing and evaluating 
radio frequency devices;
    C. Possess a thorough understanding of the FCC equipment 
authorization program and specifically, 47 CFR part 2, Subparts I, J 
and K;
    D. Have copies of all applicable FCC Rules and test procedures and 
be able to demonstrate an ability to obtain recent rules and 
interpretations;
    E. Be capable of evaluating the application and results of each of 
the following types of tests that are appropriate for the scope of 
accreditation:
    1. Radiated emission tests from 9 kHz to 1 GHz;
    2. Radiated emission tests from 1 GHz to 231 GHz (for devices 
having emissions on frequencies above 1 GHz);
    3. Line conducted emission tests from 9 kHz to 30 MHz;
    4. Power density measurements;
    5. RF bandwidth measurements;
    6. Frequency stability measurements;
    7. RF exposure measurements and computations, as specified in FCC 
OET Bulletin 65--Supplement C and 47 CFR 2.1091 and 2.1093;
    8. Site attenuation measurements per ANSI C63.4-1992;
    9. RF output power measurements, per 47 CFR 15.247 and 47 CFR part 
15, Subparts D and E;
    10. RF antenna conducted measurements;
    11. Processing gain for direct sequence spread spectrum systems (47 
CFR 15.247);
    12. UPCS monitoring tests (47 CFR part 15, subpart D).
    F. Be capable of evaluating test reports and associated 
documentation to determine the compliance of devices operating under 
the general provisions of part 15, as well as the following specific 
devices that are appropriate for the scope of accreditation:
    1. Swept-frequency anti-pilferage systems (47 CFR 15.223);
    2. Low power transmitters, e.g. R/C toys and baby monitors (47 CFR 
15.227 and 15.235);
    3. Remote control and security systems (47 CFR 15.231);
    4. Cordless telephones (47 CFR 15.233);
    5. Frequency-hopping & direct-sequence spread spectrum systems (47 
CFR 15.247);
    6. Cordless telephones (47 CFR 15.249)
    7. Field disturbance sensors, intrusion detectors (47 CFR 15.245);
    8. Biomedical telemetry devices (47 CFR 15.241 and 15.242);
    9. Auditory assistance devices (47 CFR 15.237);
    10. Automatic vehicle identification systems (47 CFR 15.251);
    11. Vehicle radar systems (47 CFR 15.253);
    12. Unlicensed Personal Communication Systems (47 CFR part 15, 
subpart D);

[[Page 48622]]

    13. Unlicensed NII devices (47 CFR part 15, subpart E);
    G. Be capable of performing the following core set of tests that 
are within the scope of accreditation:
    1. Radiated emission tests (9 kHz to 1 GHz);
    2. Radiated emission tests above 1 GHz that are appropriate for the 
scope of accreditation;
    3. Line conducted emission tests (9 kHz to 30 MHz);
    4. Power density measurements;
    5. RF bandwidth measurements;
    6. Frequency stability measurements (-20 deg.C to +50 deg.C);
    7. Site attenuation measurements per ANSI C63.4-1992 (30 MHz to 
1000 MHz);
    8. RF output power measurements, per 47 CFR 15.247 and Subparts D & 
E of part 15;
    9. RF antenna conducted measurements;
    H. Have detailed knowledge and equipment for electronic filing and 
access to the FCC Internet database. The grants of certification issued 
by the TCB must include the same information (e.g., grantee codes, note 
codes, FCC ID, equipment classifications, rules parts, etc.) as the 
grants issued by the FCC. The information for each grant can be 
obtained from the FCC database.

V. Specific Capabilities: Licensed Radio Service Equipment

    The TCB must:
    A. Possess a knowledge of the Commission's Rules contained in 47 
CFR parts 2, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 74, 80, 87, 90, 95, 97 and 101, 
including latest interpretations thereof;
    B. Possess a knowledge of all appropriate standards and procedures 
(e.g., 47 CFR part 2, EIA/TIA Standard 603, etc.) for testing and 
evaluating licensed radio equipment;
    C. Possess a thorough understanding of the FCC equipment 
authorization program covered in 47 CFR part 2, subparts I, J and K, 
including the required government coordination with other U.S. 
government agencies (e.g., FAA and USCG);
    D. Have copies of all applicable FCC rules and test procedures and 
be able to obtain recent rules and interpretations;
    E. Be capable of evaluating each of the following types of tests 
within the scope of accreditation:
    1. RF power output measurements (47 CFR 2.1046);
    2. Modulation characteristics measurements (47 CFR 2.1047);
    3. Occupied bandwidth measurements (47 CFR 2.1049);
    4. Spurious emissions at antenna terminals (47 CFR 2.1051);
    5. Field strength of spurious radiation measurements (47 CFR 
2.1053);
    6. Frequency stability measurements (47 CFR 2.1055);
    7. RF exposure measurements and computations, as specified in FCC 
OET Bulletin 65--Supplement C and 47 CFR 2.1091 and 2.1093;
    F. Be capable of evaluating test reports and associated 
documentation to determine the compliance of the following specific 
devices within the scope of accreditation:
    1. Cellular services (47 CFR part 22);
    2. Licensed personal communication service (47 CFR part 24);
    3. Satellite communication services--GMPCS (47 CFR part 25);
    4. Wireless communication services--WCS (47 CFR parts 26 & 27);
    5. Radio & auxiliary broadcast services (47 CFR part 74);
    6. Aviation radio services (47 CFR part 87);
    7. Maritime radio services (47 CFR part 80);
    8. Private land mobile radio services (47 CFR part 90);
    9. Fixed microwave radio services (47 CFR part 101);
    10. Personal radio services (47 CFR part 95);
    11. Amateur amplifiers under 47 CFR part 97);
    G. Be capable of performing the following core set of tests that 
are within the scope of accreditation:
    1. RF conducted and radiated power output measurements;
    2. Modulation characteristics measurements;
    3. Occupied bandwidth measurements;
    4. Spurious emissions at antenna terminals;
    5. Field strength measurements (9 kHz to 40 GHz) that are 
appropriate for the scope of accreditation;
    6. Frequency stability measurements (-30 deg.C to +50 deg.C);
    H. Have detailed knowledge and equipment for electronic filing and 
access to the FCC Internet database. (The grants of certification must 
include the same information (e.g., grantee codes, note codes, FCC ID, 
equipment classifications, rules parts, etc.) as the grants issued by 
the FCC. The information for each grant can be obtained from the FCC 
database.)

VI. Specific Capabilities: Telephone Terminal Equipment

    The TCB must:
    A. Possess a knowledge of 47 CFR part 68, including latest 
interpretations thereof.
    B. Possess a thorough understanding of all appropriate procedures 
(e.g., TIA/TSB 31B) for testing and evaluating telephone terminal 
equipment.
    C. Possess a thorough understanding of the FCC equipment 
authorization program and specifically FCC Form 730 Application Guide.
    D. Have copies of all applicable FCC Rules and test procedures and 
be able to obtain recent rules and interpretations;
    E. Possess an ability to evaluate each of the following types of 
tests:
    1. Environmental simulation measurements. Specifically, demonstrate 
ability to perform Type A and Type B surge tests. (47 CFR 68.302)
    2. Leakage current measurements. (47 CFR 68.304)
    3. Hazardous voltage measurements. (47 CFR 68.306)
    4. Analog signal power measurements. (47 CFR 68.308)
    5. Digital signal power measurements. (47 CFR 68.308)
    6. Transverse balance measurements. (47 CFR 68.310)
    7. On-hook impedance measurements. (47 CFR 68.312)
    8. Billing protection measurements. (47 CFR 68.314)
    9. Hearing aid compatibility measurements. Specifically demonstrate 
an understanding of magnetic field strength measurements (ANSI/EIA/TIA-
RS-504) and acoustics measurements (ANSI/EIA/TIA-579-1991 and ANSI/EIA/
TIA-470-A-1987)) (47 CFR 68.316 and 68.317)
    10. Additional Limitations. (47 CFR 68.318)
    F. Be capable of evaluating test reports and associated 
documentation to determine the compliance of devices operating under 
the general provisions of part 68, as well as the following specific 
devices:
    1. Data Modem with a loop-start interfaces.
    2. Single line telephone set with a loop-start interface.
    3. PBX with loop-start, ground-start, reverse battery, E&M tie 
trunk, and OPS interfaces.
    4. PBX with digital trunks that require decoding encoded analog 
signals. (T-1, ISDN Basic Rate, and ISDN Primary Rate Interfaces)
    5. CSU with a T-1 (1.544 Mbps) interface.
    6. Digital data modem with sub-rate digital interfaces.
    G. Be capable of performing the following core set of tests that 
are within the scope of accreditation:
    1. Environmental simulation measurements. Specifically demonstrate 
ability to perform Type A and Type B surge tests.
    2. Leakage current measurements.
    3. Hazardous voltage measurements.

[[Page 48623]]

    4. Analog signal power measurements.
    5. Digital signal power measurements.
    6. Transverse balance measurements.
    7. On-hook impedance measurements.
    8. Billing protection measurements.
    9. Hearing aid compatibility measurements. Specifically demonstrate 
an understanding of magnetic field strength measurements (ANSI/EIA/TIA-
RS-504) and acoustics measurements (ANSI/EIA/TIA-579-1991 and ANSI/EIA/
TIA-470-A-1987))
    10. Automatic redialing.
    H. Have detailed knowledge for conveying information to FCC 
required by FCC procedures for telephone terminal equipment.

VII. Clarification of TCB Requirements

    TCB Acceptance of Test Data and Sub-Contracting.
    A TCB may accept test data from a manufacturer or independent 
laboratory for purposes of equipment certification. The TCB shall 
review the test data and must be confident that the product meets the 
relevant requirements before it approves product. Alternatively, the 
TCB may perform the required tests itself on a contract basis with the 
applicant for certification of the product. In such situations, the TCB 
may subcontract a portion of, or all, the required testing to an 
independent laboratory. In such cases, the TCB is responsible for all 
tests performed by the subcontractor and must maintain appropriate 
oversight of the subcontractor to ensure reliability of the test 
results. A subcontractor that is accredited to ISO/IEC Guide 25 should 
not normally require any additional accreditation by the TCB.
TCB Auditing Requirements
    In the Report and Order, the Commission noted that ISO/IEC Guide 65 
requires a certification body to perform surveillance activities. The 
Commission did not specify a number or percentage of products that a 
TCB should test to satisfy this guideline, since our experience has 
shown that different levels of scrutiny are required for different 
products to ensure compliance. We will rely on TCBs to use judgment in 
complying with this guideline. In general, a TCB is expected to test at 
least several samples each year for the various types of products it 
certified. The TCB may perform other types of surveillance, provided 
such activities are no more burdensome than type testing on the grantee 
of certification. This will provide TCBs some flexibility in 
determining continuing compliance of products that they certify. If a 
product fails to comply with the FCC Rules during the auditing process, 
the TCB shall immediately notify the grantee and the FCC. A follow-up 
report shall also be provided to the FCC within 30 days of the action 
taken by the grantee to correct the situation. The TCB shall also 
submit to the FCC within 30 days of such a request, reports of 
surveillance activities carried out by the TCB. A TCB may also be 
required to test a product certified by the TCB and report its findings 
to the FCC within 30 days to support compliance investigations.
Records Retention
    The TCB shall retain for five years all documentation associated 
with the approval of a product subject to certification by the 
Commission.
Multiple Sites
    A TCB may be accredited for multiple test sites in accordance with 
guidelines established by NIST.

Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-23165 Filed 9-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P