Regulation of Communications Markets

Equipment Certification and Type Approval Regimes

Most countries regulate the connection of telecommunications and radio terminal equipment to the public network. Two core reasons lie behind this – the wish to ensure that equipment meets established technical standards for interoperability with communications networks and other devices, and the need to protect buyers, users and communications workers from sub-standard equipment.

Type Approval regimes administered by the national regulatory authority or standards organisation remain the most common method of controlling this activity. Over the past decade, however, there have been significant moves toward harmonised conformity assessment regimes, of which the European RTTE regime is perhaps the most notable.

InterConnect Communications can provide all the necessary support to establish a type approval regime that is in line with international best practice and meets the objectives and aspirations of the regulatory authority whilst not unnecessarily restricting consumer choice. Our regulatory and technical specialists have a wealth of experience in this area and can:

Advise on the best policy and legal framework, including:
- Drafting policy covering overall objectives, key elements of the regime, the basis for technical requirements, harmonisation with overseas regimes, and suitable funding arrangements;
- Reviewing existing legal provisions (e.g. the Telecommunications Law) and determining any requirements for new or amended primary or secondary legislation;
- Drafting detailed regulations addressing application procedures, fee structures, documentation requirements, compliance and enforcement issues, appeal mechanisms and post-approval activities (e.g. market surveillance);
- Assisting with implementation and transitional arrangements, through the production of detailed guidelines for prospective users, supported if necessary by workshops and other presentations. We can also advise regulatory authorities on their structure and future role and assist with the training and development of regulatory staff.
Help determine how technical standards are developed and used (with both national and international relevance), including:
- Establishing suitable technical standards for fixed-line telecommunications terminal and radio equipment, taking into account current (and likely future) market trends, radio frequency availability, and performance requirements, and preparing a national specification document referencing the most appropriate international standards;
- Determining how technical standards are issued and used and to what extent the national standards body interacts with and recognises the work of international standards organisations;
- Commenting on the abilities of in-country test laboratories compared to laboratories in other countries, and the extent to which test reports issued against testing performed in-country might be accepted elsewhere (vitally important for countries with manufacturing sectors looking to export telecommunications products).

Our services are scalable and adaptable to the individual needs of the market in question. We can review the current regime, determining and recommending ways in which this can be improved in order to meet current and future requirements, or alternatively provide a turn-key solution in the creation of an entirely new system conforming to international best practice. Markets in which we have worked include Central and Southern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

InterConnect’s proven expertise in regulatory policy and procedures together with our history of direct end-user experience of negotiating type approval procedures is, we believe, unique in the market and a valuable benefit to regulators considering developments in their equipment certification regime.

More Information?

For more information about InterConnect's certification and type approval services, please contact Phil Harris by phone on +44 (0) 1291 638400.