Telecom

Terminal Equipment Conformance Testing Services

Telecommunications industry requirements ensure that the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is not damaged by equipment connected to it. U.S. Tech provides clients with the experience to get your products approved quickly. U.S. Tech generates reports, conducts testing and provides application services with the appropriate agencies.

FCC & ACTA (US)
Industry Canada
ANSI/IEEE/TIA
R&TTE(EU) TBR21/CTR-21
Austel/ ACA (Australian)

Testing of Terminal Equipment to FCC and ACTA Requirements

The experience U.S. Technologies has with testing telecommunication devices to the technical requirements of CFR Title 47 Part 68 and the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments (ACTA) guarantees our clients a fast and smooth approval process. Our services include original Part 68 testing, continuing compliance testing, generation of reports and application services with the appropriate agencies to meet all requirements under the Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) process. U.S. Technologies has capabilities of testing a wide range variety of terminal equipment including:

Telephones and other equipment which must meet FCC HAC requirements
Voiceband, FAX and xDSL Modems
Multi-port Interfaces (i.e. PBX, Channel Bank)
DSx/T1 Digital Interfaces
Line Sharing Devices
Network Protection Devices
Others (Check with your representative for details)

Topics Related to FCC Part 68 and ACTA Requirements

Terminal Equipment Conformance Under The New FCC Rules
The Two Conformance Approval Processes
Requirements for Continuing Compliance
Cost versus Confidence
Hearing Aid Compatibility(HAC)Requirements

Terminal Equipment Conformance Under The New FCC Rules

In December of 2000, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its Report and Order (CC Docket No. 99-216) which substantially changed regulatory requirements for terminal equipment attaching to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The three most significant changes resulting from the new rules are:

Authority was given to the newly formed Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments(ACTA) for defining and publishing technical criteria for terminal equipment connecting to the U.S telephone public telephone network and for processing registrations and approvals of terminal equipment
The establishment of the Supplier Declaration of Conformity(SDoC) process intended to align U.S. regulatory requirements to international "harmonized" terminal attachment requirements.
A greater emphasis is being placed on compliance enforcement, particularly of Hearing Aid Compatibility(HAC) requirements, utilizing resources freed from the responsibilities assumed by ACTA.

Definition of the technical criteria for terminal equipment, with the exception of the Hearing Aid Compatibility requirements, were removed from 47CFR Part 68 and are now defined in TIA-968 which is an industry standard developed by the Telecommunications Industry Association. The requirement for all terminal equipment to comply with the technical criteria is still within Part 68 and regulated by the FCC. The Report and Order mandated that the first issue of this standard contain the identical technical criteria as was previously defined in Part 68. Updates resulting from the evolution of changing technologies will be introduced in subsequent revisions with the intent that such changes can be introduced in a matter of months, rather than years as was the case prior to the release of the Report and Order. TIA-968-A has since been issued as the first revision. Nevertheless, the requirement for terminal equipment to be tested for conformance to the technical criteria has not changed though it is no longer necessary to submit test data to the FCC. Registration of the Supplier Declaration of Conformity or TCB certification and approval of terminal equipment for compliance to the technical criteria is still enforced by the FCC, only now ACTA administers the process.

The Two Conformance Approval Processes

As an alternative to the SDoC process, terminal equipment manufacturers can have their equipment certified by Telecommunications Certifying Bodies or TCBs. The certification process is very similar to SDoC process in that the equipment must be tested for conformance to all technical criteria, test reports and construction data kept on file by the manufacturer and the equipment must be registered and approved by ACTA. The difference between certifying products through a TCB and declaring products conforming to the technical criteria via the SDoC process is:

TCB's must be accredited and audited under the same ISO guidelines as is U.S Technologies.
TCBs conduct post-market surveillance of certified products; under the SDoC process, manufacturer's must conduct their own post-market surveillance.
TCBs can revoke certification of the equipment if a model is found to be out of compliance.
Costs of TCB certification and surveillance are additional to conformance testing costs.

In either approval process, the manufacturer, assembler, or importer of the terminal equipment is the Responsible Party, and thus, is accountable in the event their product fails to meet FCC and ACTA technical requirements. The costs incurred as a result of FCC enforcement procedures, regardless of who performs the compliance testing or certification, remain with the Responsible Party.

Requirements for Continuing Compliance

Prior to the establishment of the SDoC process, continuing compliance test data was required to be submitted to the FCC once every six months. This requirement was abolished in favor of the more streamlined process of supplier declarations. On-going verification is still expected, though test data is no longer required to be submitted to the FCC. The frequency of testing is now determined by the responsible party, based on the insight they have into their products, manufacturing process and facilities used to produce them, and the quality assurance procedures they have in place to ensure continuing compliance of their equipment to 47CFR Part 68 and the technical requirements adopted by ACTA. On-going verification is implicit in a supplier's declaration that terminal equipment conforms to the technical criteria. FCC rules state that this signed document must be included with each unit shipped under its approved registration number authorizing attachment to the PSTN.

Cost versus Confidence

Terminal equipment manufacturers, whether a large corporation or a small start-up enterprise, are faced with the inevitable costs of meeting FCC and ACTA requirements. Obviously, if a manufacturer has already invested in the typically expensive test equipment needed to verify compliance of their product, if they have already developed the written conformance test procedures required by the FCC, and they employ competent personnel familiar with FCC and ACTA technical requirements who can allocate the time to perform the testing then in-house compliance testing may be the least costly. Submitting their products to TCBs and third part surveillance may provide the highest confidence that their products meet and continue to meet all FCC requirements if such confidence cannot be achieved in-house through their own testing and quality assurance processes. U.S Technologies offers a balance of low cost with high confidence without the high investment in in-house testing resources or out-sourced surveillance.

Hearing Aid Compatibility(HAC)

The requirement for terminal equipment with a handset or headset to comply with HAC requirements specified in §68.316 and §68.317 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations has received increased focus from the FCC's Enforcement Bureau since the 2000 Report and Order. The FCC has stated that statistics show that from 22% to 50% of terminal equipment tested for HAC compatibility initially fail. The volume control requirements specified in §68.317 went into effect on January 2000 yet a substantial percentage of products marketed prior to that date have not been re-tested and may not meet the requirements. These products risk revocation of their authorization to connect to the PSTN. U.S. Technologies has the specialized test equipment capable of testing products for HAC compatibility and provide manufacturers confidence their products are not vulnerable to the increased scrutiny by the FCC of handset/headset products.


Privacy Statement Legal Disclaimer	Telecom Terminal Equipment Conformance Testing Services Telecommunications industry requirements ensure that the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is not damaged by equipment connected to it. U.S. Tech provides clients with the experience to get your products approved quickly. U.S. Tech generates reports, conducts testing and provides application services with the appropriate agencies. FCC & ACTA (US) Industry Canada ANSI/IEEE/TIA R&TTE(EU) TBR21/CTR-21 Austel/ ACA (Australian) Testing of Terminal Equipment to FCC and ACTA Requirements The experience U.S. Technologies has with testing telecommunication devices to the technical requirements of CFR Title 47 Part 68 and the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments (ACTA) guarantees our clients a fast and smooth approval process. Our services include original Part 68 testing, continuing compliance testing, generation of reports and application services with the appropriate agencies to meet all requirements under the Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) process. U.S. Technologies has capabilities of testing a wide range variety of terminal equipment including: Telephones and other equipment which must meet FCC HAC requirements Voiceband, FAX and xDSL Modems Multi-port Interfaces (i.e. PBX, Channel Bank) DSx/T1 Digital Interfaces Line Sharing Devices Network Protection Devices Others (Check with your representative for details) Topics Related to FCC Part 68 and ACTA Requirements Terminal Equipment Conformance Under The New FCC Rules The Two Conformance Approval Processes Requirements for Continuing Compliance Cost versus Confidence Hearing Aid Compatibility(HAC)Requirements Terminal Equipment Conformance Under The New FCC Rules In December of 2000, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its Report and Order (CC Docket No. 99-216) which substantially changed regulatory requirements for terminal equipment attaching to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The three most significant changes resulting from the new rules are: Authority was given to the newly formed Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments(ACTA) for defining and publishing technical criteria for terminal equipment connecting to the U.S telephone public telephone network and for processing registrations and approvals of terminal equipment The establishment of the Supplier Declaration of Conformity(SDoC) process intended to align U.S. regulatory requirements to international "harmonized" terminal attachment requirements. A greater emphasis is being placed on compliance enforcement, particularly of Hearing Aid Compatibility(HAC) requirements, utilizing resources freed from the responsibilities assumed by ACTA. Definition of the technical criteria for terminal equipment, with the exception of the Hearing Aid Compatibility requirements, were removed from 47CFR Part 68 and are now defined in TIA-968 which is an industry standard developed by the Telecommunications Industry Association. The requirement for all terminal equipment to comply with the technical criteria is still within Part 68 and regulated by the FCC. The Report and Order mandated that the first issue of this standard contain the identical technical criteria as was previously defined in Part 68. Updates resulting from the evolution of changing technologies will be introduced in subsequent revisions with the intent that such changes can be introduced in a matter of months, rather than years as was the case prior to the release of the Report and Order. TIA-968-A has since been issued as the first revision. Nevertheless, the requirement for terminal equipment to be tested for conformance to the technical criteria has not changed though it is no longer necessary to submit test data to the FCC. Registration of the Supplier Declaration of Conformity or TCB certification and approval of terminal equipment for compliance to the technical criteria is still enforced by the FCC, only now ACTA administers the process. Back to Top The Two Conformance Approval Processes As an alternative to the SDoC process, terminal equipment manufacturers can have their equipment certified by Telecommunications Certifying Bodies or TCBs. The certification process is very similar to SDoC process in that the equipment must be tested for conformance to all technical criteria, test reports and construction data kept on file by the manufacturer and the equipment must be registered and approved by ACTA. The difference between certifying products through a TCB and declaring products conforming to the technical criteria via the SDoC process is: TCB's must be accredited and audited under the same ISO guidelines as is U.S Technologies. TCBs conduct post-market surveillance of certified products; under the SDoC process, manufacturer's must conduct their own post-market surveillance. TCBs can revoke certification of the equipment if a model is found to be out of compliance. Costs of TCB certification and surveillance are additional to conformance testing costs. In either approval process, the manufacturer, assembler, or importer of the terminal equipment is the Responsible Party, and thus, is accountable in the event their product fails to meet FCC and ACTA technical requirements. The costs incurred as a result of FCC enforcement procedures, regardless of who performs the compliance testing or certification, remain with the Responsible Party. Back to Top Requirements for Continuing Compliance Prior to the establishment of the SDoC process, continuing compliance test data was required to be submitted to the FCC once every six months. This requirement was abolished in favor of the more streamlined process of supplier declarations. On-going verification is still expected, though test data is no longer required to be submitted to the FCC. The frequency of testing is now determined by the responsible party, based on the insight they have into their products, manufacturing process and facilities used to produce them, and the quality assurance procedures they have in place to ensure continuing compliance of their equipment to 47CFR Part 68 and the technical requirements adopted by ACTA. On-going verification is implicit in a supplier's declaration that terminal equipment conforms to the technical criteria. FCC rules state that this signed document must be included with each unit shipped under its approved registration number authorizing attachment to the PSTN. Back to Top Cost versus Confidence Terminal equipment manufacturers, whether a large corporation or a small start-up enterprise, are faced with the inevitable costs of meeting FCC and ACTA requirements. Obviously, if a manufacturer has already invested in the typically expensive test equipment needed to verify compliance of their product, if they have already developed the written conformance test procedures required by the FCC, and they employ competent personnel familiar with FCC and ACTA technical requirements who can allocate the time to perform the testing then in-house compliance testing may be the least costly. Submitting their products to TCBs and third part surveillance may provide the highest confidence that their products meet and continue to meet all FCC requirements if such confidence cannot be achieved in-house through their own testing and quality assurance processes. U.S Technologies offers a balance of low cost with high confidence without the high investment in in-house testing resources or out-sourced surveillance. Back to Top Hearing Aid Compatibility(HAC) The requirement for terminal equipment with a handset or headset to comply with HAC requirements specified in §68.316 and §68.317 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations has received increased focus from the FCC's Enforcement Bureau since the 2000 Report and Order. The FCC has stated that statistics show that from 22% to 50% of terminal equipment tested for HAC compatibility initially fail. The volume control requirements specified in §68.317 went into effect on January 2000 yet a substantial percentage of products marketed prior to that date have not been re-tested and may not meet the requirements. These products risk revocation of their authorization to connect to the PSTN. U.S. Technologies has the specialized test equipment capable of testing products for HAC compatibility and provide manufacturers confidence their products are not vulnerable to the increased scrutiny by the FCC of handset/headset products. Back to Top

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