FCC Approves Update of Equipment Certification Rules

requirement for etching or permanent labels on the exterior of devices, and manufacturers expect the use of electronic labeling rather than permanent physical labels to result in a measurable reduction in costs,” said a news release. Commissioners also eliminated a requirement that companies file with Customs and Border Protection FCC Form 740, the FCC’s unique import declaration form for RF devices. The FCC combined two separate self-approval procedures into one, “which will help reduce confusion as to which process applies to any given product,” the agency said. “The new combined process is called the Suppliers Declaration of Conformity and will allow device manufacturers to bring products to market in a more efficient manner while continuing to ensure compliance with the equipment authorization program.” Officials said the huge increase in wireless devices necessitated a rule change. Chairman Ajit Pai said the order was about modernization: “Our decades-old rules subject new technologies, like personal computers, to a more strenuous self-approval process than what is required for more established technologies. But PCs, of course, are no longer new and unfamiliar, and they have tried and true testing procedures, yet they are still subject to the stricter and costlier self-approval process.” Julius Knapp, Office of Engineering and Technology chief, said the commission’s authorization program is 50 years old: “It has been an instrument to ensure that radiofrequency devices comply with technical rules and share airwaves without causing harmful interference.” This is "significantly easing regulatory burdens, which will allow consumers to receive products in a more efficient and timely way,” said Julie Kearney, CTA vice president-regulatory affairs.