What You Need to Know About FCC Compliance Testing

June 7, 2024 | < 1 min read

In the world of electronics manufacturing, designing a quality product is just the start of a complex journey from manufacturer to customer. Not only must manufacturers meet the needs and expectations of their customers, they must also comply with complex regulatory requirements in the country where the product is manufactured, as well as the countries where it will be distributed and sold.

Safety is at the heart of these regulations. Manufacturers must ensure that their products will not interfere with other wireless devices operating nearby or put the health and safety of people and animals at risk.

For these reasons, most countries regulate the testing of digital devices, radiofrequency (RF)/radio devices, and products with integrated wireless technologies before they are imported, marketed and sold. In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) governs this important process.

What is the FCC?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent federal government agency responsible for implementing and enforcing communications law and regulations in the United States. With oversight from U.S. Congress, the FCC regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.

The FCC certification mark, however, is recognized far beyond the borders of the U.S. If a product sold outside the U.S. is sporting the FCC label, it means that the product was either manufactured in the U.S. or manufactured elsewhere for sale in the U.S.

What is FCC Compliance Testing?
In the United States, all electrical devices must undergo testing to ensure they meet FCC requirements. Manufacturers that fail to complete the required testing are subject to costly fines and product recalls.

Independent, third-party laboratories, such as Industrial Inspection & Analysis (IIA), perform FCC compliance testing, or “equipment authorization,” to verify that telecommunications and radiofrequency (RF) devices function effectively without causing harmful interference to other devices operating nearby. FCC compliance testing also ensures that devices comply with FCC safety standards, RF emission limits and other FCC rules and requirements.

According to the FCC:

“Radio Frequency (RF) devices are required to be properly authorized under 47 CFR part 2 prior to being marketed or imported into the United States. The Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) administers the equipment authorization program under the authority delegated to it by the Commission. This program is one of the principal ways the Commission ensures that RF devices used in the United States operate effectively without causing harmful interference and otherwise comply with the Commission’s rules. All RF devices subject to equipment authorization must comply with the Commission’s technical requirements prior to importation or marketing.”

… These requirements not only minimize the potential for harmful interference, but also ensure that the equipment complies with the rules that address other policy objectives – such as human RF exposure limits and hearing aid compatibility (HAC) with wireless handsets.”

From emergency alert systems to medical equipment, FCC testing standards are based on the type of radiofrequency produced by that particular product. FCC testing requirements by device type are detailed in Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Types of FCC Approval
Depending on the type of equipment and its potential to cause interference, the manufacturer will obtain FCC approval via one of two approval procedures: Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) or Certification.

Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC): This approval method is typically used for industrial, scientific and medical equipment (Part 18 electrical devices or products) and helps to quantify the RF energy produced by a product and ensure that the product fulfills all applicable FCC technical requirements. An accredited testing laboratory may be used to perform SDoC testing, but it is not mandatory that the testing be done at an FCC-recognized accredited testing laboratory. If testing determines that a device is in compliance, the responsible party, as specified in the rules, warrants that each unit of equipment complies with the applicable FCC rules and creates a Declaration of Conformity.
Certification: Designed for electrical products that are most likely to interfere with other products, FCC product certification is the most detailed and stringent approval method. Certification is typically required for any device that can oscillate above 9 kilohertz (kHz). Under the certification procedure, equipment must be tested by an FCC-recognized accredited testing laboratory, such as IIA. Products that meet all applicable FCC technical requirements must feature an FCC ID on their label. Examples of products that require FCC certification include computer equipment, marine radars, electronic products, cellular boosters, wireless chargers, power adapters, Bluetooth® devices, WiFi routers, wireless medical telemetry transmitters, and garage door openers.

Intentional vs. Unintentional Radiators
In general, FCC certification applies to two types of products:

Intentional radiators for whom broadcasting RF energy is integral to their operation. Mobile phones and wireless alarm systems are examples of intentional radiators.
Unintentional radiators are products that can inadvertently produce RF energy while operating. A digital camera is an example of an unintentional radiator.

FCC Approval: What is a TCB?
A Telecommunication Certification Body (TCB), such as IIA, is an accredited organization with the authority to issue Grants of Certification for compliance with FCC rules and regulations.

After a product’s testing is complete, a TCB reviews test results and issues FCC approval on behalf of the FCC. The TCB also enters product information into the FCC database and provides the manufacturer with a Grant of Equipment Authorization, which allows a product to be legally marketed and sold in the United States.

As an FCC-designated TCB, IIA can test and certify to the following FCC Rules, among others:

FCC Part 15: Radio Frequency Devices
FCC Part 18: Industrial, Scientific and Medical Equipment
FCC Part 22: Public Mobile Services
FCC Part 24: Personal Communications Services
FCC Part 90: Private Land Mobile Radio Services
FCC Part 95: Personal Radio Services

A World of Experience
For 50 years, IIA’s Florida testing lab has been a leading provider of FCC compliance testing for a wide range of products. We also test and certify consumer products and RF devices for compliance with the requirements of ISED Canada, DBT UK, MIC Japan, OFCA Hong Kong, ACMA Australia, RRA Korea, IMDA Singapore, IFT Mexico, and the European Commission.

The markets we serve include medical, scientific, consumer, automotive, commercial, telecommunications, military, wireless, marine, test and measurement, aerospace, lightning and lasers, information technology equipment, radio equipment and more.

Our Florida testing lab is an A2LA accredited test laboratory in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 for various test technologies. Our scope of accreditation (0955.01) is recognized by the FCC to make a determination about applicable FCC rules and to properly test to FCC requirements and test methods.

Labs must be accredited under a different standard — ISO/IEC 17065:2012 (955.02) — to be able to certify devices. Our scope of accreditation under the ISO/IEC 17065:2012 (955.02) standard allows IIA to certify equipment tested at our Florida testing lab and at any FCC accredited and recognized test labs in the U.S. and in other countries.

Many labs only have testing capabilities, so they must outsource certification. IIA performs both testing and certification in-house. Partnering with a full-service test lab like IIA streamlines the FCC compliance testing and certification process for faster speed to market.

Regulatory Expertise
To keep pace with the ever-changing regulatory environment, IIA’s Lab Services team has established strong relationships and ongoing communications with regulatory agencies around the world. Our experts meet monthly with FCC representatives and help to shape the regulatory landscape by serving in leadership roles in industry organizations, such as the TCB Council. The Council hosts biannual meetings to promote dialogue between the FCC and TCBs, and to further improve TCB performance.

When you partner with IIA, our team of compliance experts will identify the rules and regulations applicable to your products. We then provide unbiased guidance on the most favorable and economical approach to compliance so you can increase your speed to market. This requires an expert knowledge of RF engineering and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) concepts and principles, as well as in-depth knowledge of regulations and good engineering judgment.

Don’t Take Chances with FCC Compliance
FCC compliance testing plays a critical role in the safety and quality of telecommunication devices made or sold in the United States. Navigating complex regulations requires unique expertise. As the FCC says:

“Determining all applicable technical and administrative rules requires a technical understanding of the electrical functions of the device and an understanding of the FCC rules. For assistance, we recommend that you work with one of the FCC recognized accredited testing laboratories or TCBs.”

For many manufacturers around the world, IIA is the provider of choice for fast and accurate FCC compliance testing and certification.

When you partner with a full-service provider like IIA, you gain access to decades of testing experience and regulatory expertise that will help you stay in compliance – and maybe one step ahead of the competition.

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