Gaining Approval of Wireless LAN Devices in South America

Gaining Approval in South America

A major factor in the approval process for wireless LAN (WLAN) devices is the allowed frequency band. While the 900 MHz band (902–928 MHz) is not allowed in most European countries because of conflicts with the GSM band—and while restrictions are imposed by countries such as Spain and France in the 2.4 GHz band (2.400–2.4835 GHz)—most South American countries allow the use of the full ISM band for both frequencies, similar to the situation in the United States. Unlike in the United States, however, in the majority of South American countries the certificates are issued to the local distributor or manufacturer's subsidiary instead of to the international company, which does not have an official presence in the country. (Because rules pertaining to local applicants change quite frequently depending on trade policies, manufacturers should be sure to check the latest requirements as they enter a new market. Another point to keep in mind is the country-by-country variation in rules relating to site licenses. The generic rules described in this paper apply to product approvals, for which a site license is not required. However, some countries allow the operation of WLAN devices and other transmitter products with more-relaxed parameters, such as higher output power, by issuing site licenses.)

For nonlicensed WLAN operation, South American countries can be grouped into the following four categories based on their certification processes for wireless LAN products:

Each of these categories and the countries that fall within them is discussed next. Contact information—including Web site addresses where possible—is given for each of the national agencies.

Countries Requiring Local Testing

Argentina is the only country that currently falls within this category. Since 1998, the Argentinian authority known as Comisión Nacional de Comunicaciones (CNC) has required (via Resolution 302/98) that WLAN devices undergo testing by a laboratory in Argentina for compliance with Technical Norm CNC-Q2-63-01. The technical requirements of this standard are similar to the FCC Part 15.247 requirements, with the following exceptions:

Countries Accepting FCC Test Reports

Brazil, Chile, and Colombia accept applications based on test reports demonstrating compliance with FCC Part 15.247 rules. The applications must be filed by local applicants and must include a translated version of the test report (abbreviated translations are accepted in most cases) and product documentation (such as specifications, schematics, block diagrams, user documentation, etc.). All three countries authorize products using either the 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz band. Approval times vary between one and three months.

The Brazilian agency ANATEL requires for certification an FCC Part 15.247 test report, an EMC compliance report or declaration, and proof (a copy) of the certification label that will be affixed to the product upon Brazilian approval. The agency has also indicated that safety certifications will be required for ITE products, but details of these requirements and their enforcement are not yet available.

Because the countries in this category require compliance with FCC Part 15.247 rules, a summary of its technical requirements is given in Table I.

Countries Issuing Exemptions Based on Case Studies

Countries included in this category are Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, and Peru. The agencies in each of these countries issue a letter of exemption from site license requirements for products based on applications describing the product and its intended use.

Although each country seems to evaluate applications a little differently, a general description of products that includes their specifications, intended use, and typical installation procedures (how many transceivers in an installation, whether it will be in an industrial or residential area, etc.) is adequate in most cases. Typical approval times range between two weeks and three months.

Countries Issuing Categoric Exemptions

The countries falling within this category—Bolivia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Uruguay, and Venezuela—do not have well-established regulations for WLAN products. These countries issue a one-time categoric exemption to importers based on the premise that the products will not cause harm to existing RF infrastructure in the country. The exemption normally covers all products using the same technology (such as access points, end devices using the 2.4 GHz FHSS system, etc.).

Mexico

Despite the fact that it is a North American country, Mexico is considered by many American manufacturers to fall within the same group as South American countries. Because of this—and because the country does not fit neatly into any of the four categories listed above—Mexico's WLAN approval requirements are discussed as a separate item here.

Comisión Federal de Telecomunicaciones—operating under Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT)—issues temporary approvals based on compliance of the products with Mexican standard NOM-EM-121-SCT1-1994. These approvals, called Homologación Provisional, need to be renewed two times (for a total of three years) before a permanent approval is issued. The application review process involves the technical review and recommendation of the product by an SCT-recognized engineering company. These companies usually request detailed information about the product, such as schematics, manuals, and, in some cases, test reports (showing FCC compliance, for example).

Table II lists some of the technical differences between FCC Part 15.247 and NOM-EM-121-SCT1-1994, which is being reviewed by the SCT this year.

Conclusion

The main points to remember when dealing with RF approvals in South American countries are the rapidly changing regulations (similar to other parts of the world) and the importance of local contacts. Manufacturers intending to sell products in these markets should dedicate some time to investigating the most-recent rules and cultivating reliable local contacts who will be able to help with faster approvals and ultimately shorten the time to market.

Kursat Eroglu is a senior EMC engineer with Intermec Technologies Corp. (Everett, WA). He can be reached via e-mail at kursat.eroglu@intermec.com.