ACA-FCC MRA Eliminates FCC Certification Delays and FCC Fees - Boost for Australian Manufacturers
The Australian Communications Authority (ACA) and the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have ratified a mutual recognition Agreement (MRA), greatly simplifying the certification and approval of electrical/electronic products trading between the Australia and the USA. Australian EMC Test laboratories that have the appropriate NATA accreditations against the FCC Part 15 Rules may be designated as Conformity Assessment Bodies (CAB) by the ACA. The MRA was made possible by the APLAC agreement which has been driven by the ACA over the past few years. The MRA allows for recognition by the FCC of NATA endorsed reports on testing carried out in Australia to the FCC Part 15 Rules. This has been facilitated by NATA's MRA partners in the USA, NVLAP and A2LA.
EMC Technologies is the first "CAB off the rank" with both Melbourne and Sydney laboratories now designated as FCC Part 15 CABs. After an intensive assessment by NATA, EMC Technologies' Melbourne and Sydney laboratories were recently accredited for testing against FCC Part 15 Regulations. The new accreditation covers most FCC Part 15 devices and is unique in Australia. The full scope of EMC's accreditation can be viewed on the NATA website www.nata.asn.au
EMC Technologies' NATA endorsed FCC tests can now be used for FCC Part 15 authorisation of electronic devices by means of the Declaration of Conformity (DoC) route. This is much cheaper, simpler and less bureaucratic than the alternative FCC Certification process. The DoC report issued by EMC Technologies fully meets the FCC Rules without the lengthy and onerous requirement to submit test reports and extensive technical documentation to the FCC certification Body. The alternative onerous certification process whereby testing is performed in a FCC registered laboratory and the FCC issues an FCC ID number to each device manufactured, is no longer necessary if using the designated CAB who is able to provide the FCC DoC accredited testing route.
Laboratories that are simply registered or listed by the FCC are not permitted by the FCC (or NATA) to issue DoC reports. This may only be done by a CAB laboratory that is recognised by the FCC under the ACA-FCC APEC-TEL MRA. We are the only such lab in Australia/NZ
The advantages of using the FCC DoC route to compliance are:
- Save around US $1600 per product in FCC statutory fees and related charges.
- No FCC administrative processing delays, typically 2 - 3 months.
- No need to send technical descriptions, circuit diagrams and forms to the FCC. Your product goes straight to market after a NATA endorsed FCC DoC test report is obtained from EMC Technologies.
- The technical details, circuit diagrams, documentation etc are not posted on the FCC website and not available for public access.
The entire FCC authorisation process can now be performed in Australia in a few days utilising EMC Technologies unique (in Australia & New Zealand) NATA Accreditation for FCC DoC testing.
FCC registered labs may only be used for "verification" procedures not DoC approvals. It is against the FCC Rules to apply this logo after testing at a FCC registered lab.
