Sherrie Steward

After years of product approvals at a rotary pace, wireless manufacturers just got the push-button speed they've been waiting for. Getting a telecom product to market will now be much more in the hands of manufacturers and much less in the hands of bureaucrats, thanks to a long-awaited change from FCC. Although it is still too early to know all of the effects, one thing is sure: Wireless manufacturers will be able to get their products to market much sooner than in the past.

When the first telecommunications certification bodies (TCBs) were approved last year, they were not permitted to approve products for which radio- frequency exposure to humans was a factor. Procedures for evaluating products such as cell phones varied based on product type and sometimes the individual FCC reviewer, so FCC retained authority over these approvals. With the release of much-anticipated standardized procedures, FCC has decided that it will now allow the TCBs to review these applications. TCBs have been reviewing computers and peripherals since last November. So far, the TCBs have averaged two to three weeks for approvals compared to two to three months typical at FCC.

Training of the TCBs in RF-exposure evaluation techniques, including the use of head phantoms to measure specific absorption rate (SAR), will be conducted in August in cooperation with the TCB Council. "Following training of TCBs, we anticipate allowing TCBs to start processing applications by October 2001," FCC says. "This, along with continued processing of such applications by FCC's laboratory division, will allow alternative paths to approval for equipment manufacturers, ensuring improvement in time-to-market for new devices."

Establishing the new procedures for evaluating portable devices has been a long and difficult process. IEEE has been developing recommended procedures since 1997 with the edict to reflect new data and to eliminate ambiguities in previous standards. FCC notes that this process is still not complete, but that sufficient consensus now exists among the industry experts to incorporate the bulk of the IEEE committee's work into the FCC procedure.

The procedure, defined in Edition 01-01 of Supplement C to OET Bulletin 65, allows for SAR testing using existing head phantoms until a standard head phantom as described in the guidelines becomes readily available. Once the new head phantom is available commercially, FCC says it will allow a transition period of three to six months.

FCC is encouraging use of the new guidelines as soon as possible. "The option of using a TCB to process applications for equipment authorization will be available only for applications with RF safety evaluations prepared in accordance with the new guidelines," FCC says. It seems unlikely that manufacturers will need much encouragement. In the highly competitive wireless market, getting to market first is a great incentive.

Sherrie Steward, Editor

sherrie.steward@cancom.com

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