SGS Wireless Lab Newsletter – 202605

United States of America FCC

FAQs Released to Address Questions Regarding Foreign-Made Router Ban

On March 31, the FCC released FAQs on “Recent Updates to FCC Covered List Regarding Routers Produced in Foreign Countries” (updated April 21) to address questions received regarding the addition of foreign-made consumer routers into the Covered List. The main points are as follows:

• What constitutes “produced in a foreign country”? Production generally includes any major stage of the process through which the device is made, including manufacturing, assembly, design, and development.
• The nationality of the entity or entities producing routers is not relevant to whether such routers are considered to be “produced in a foreign country.”
• To get equipment certification for routers, applicants will need to certify that the device is not covered equipment. Applicants will need to be able to provide sufficient evidence that the routers were not produced in a foreign country to make this certification, but there is no specific documentation or evidence required.
• An entity producing routers in a foreign country is not considered “identified on the Covered List.”
• Devices deemed by the FCC to be in scope and out of scope of the Covered List:

In scope	Out of scope
Self-installable routers sold or rented through retail to consumers or small and medium-sized businesses	Analog telephone adapters (“ATAs”) that include Ethernet LAN and WAN ports
Consumer-grade portable or mobile MiFi Wi-Fi or hotspot devices for residential use	Femtocells
Residential LTE/5G CPE devices	Optical network terminals (ONTs)
Residential routers installed by a professional or ISP	Industrial, enterprise, or military equipment
Residential gateways that combine modem and router functions	Mobile phones with hotspot features

For detailed information, please search: FAQs on Recent Updates to FCC Covered List Regarding Routers Produced in Foreign Countries

 

New Rules Proposed to Ban Non-MRA Labs

On April 30, the FCC voted to advance a rulemaking proposal that would strip the recognition of test labs and TCBs in foreign countries, namely China, that lack a mututal recoginition agreement (MRA) or any other comparable reciprocal trade agreement with the US. The main points are as follows:

• The non-MRA labs and TCBs would be phased out over two years after any final rules are adopted and implemented.
  • The FCC is seeking comments on the following alternatives to an outright ban of non-MRA labs. Assess a fee, fixed or tiered, for each equipment authorization.
  • Implement additional postmarket surveillance or auditing.
  • Implement an additional waiting period for equipment testing for additional scrutiny.

In addition to the above rulemaking proposal, the FCC has also passed the following final rules:

• The PAG list will prioritize for approval equipment tested in labs located in the US or foreign MRA labs.
• Requirement to disclose the location and number of employees engaged in FCC-recognized testing.
• Revises post-market surveillance procedures, strengthens enforcement mechanisms, and establishes confidential reporting channels to raise concerns about violations or national security threats.

For detailed information, please search: New Rules Proposed to Ban Non-MRA Labs

 

 

Canada ISED

Notice 2025-DRS0008 - SAR Measurement Requirements on Camera Protrusion Released

On April 20, ISED released “Notice 2025-DRS0008 - Requirements on camera protrusion measurements for specific absorption rate compliance” to clarify the requirements on SAR assessment of camera protrusions (also known as camera bumps). As the existing referenced SAR testing standard does not contain procedures for an EUT with

protrusions, the ISED has seen the need to set clear SAR testing requirements due to the recent influx of smartphone designs that have come with camera protrusions. By expanding upon the requirements of section 5.14 of RSS-102.SAR.MEAS, the updated requirements will allow the measurement system’s probe to be positioned as close as possible to the areas near the protrusion while maintaining a consistent separation distance and SAR compliance testing to be reliably assessed in a repeatable/reproducible manner.

For detailed information, please search: Notice 2025-DRS0008