Approval Specialists Forum and Blog

The Ministry of Home affairs, with the collaboration of CABs (Conformity Assessment Bodies) and related test laboratories is currently establishing new requirements for the certification of IP phone terminals.

 Until now, these devices were mostly handled as leased line equipment for connection to public ethernet services, with test requirements limited to the measurement of pulses and impedance. The format of their certification number was DXX-XXXX or LXX-XXXX for digital devices.

 Electrical testing (physical layer) and voice-related measurements such as audio output power are now required. The new format for the certification number will be EXX-XXXX.

 A draft version of the test requirements is currently under review by the Ministry and it will be submitted for public comments on the Ministry home page by the end of the Year.

 The publication of the final regulations is expected for February 2011, and their application for April 2011.

 IP phones already certified as leased device won’t have to be re-certified again.  The new regulations will apply to all new devices used on the Japanese market after their enforcement.

Contact Ms Chun Kim for details on our experienced and efficient Japanese approvals.

Until this month, there has been a lack of uniform approach to certification in Japan of products that combine wireline technologies such as dial up, ISDN or Broadband, and RF/Wireless devices with 802.11a/b/g, UWB or cordless phone technologies.

This has now been clarified with JATE producing an english version here.. Interpretation_Art9. 

Please direct certification questions regarding JATE to Ms Chun Kim

VCCI Council will commence enforcement of radiated disturbance limits above 1GHz for products subject to conformity verification report filing on and after October 1, 2010.

Curiously, for one year until September 2011 it is up to each member to decide whether or not they will opt in conformity assessment tests above 1GHz.

Confused ?  The VCCI are asking very nicely for companies to comply with the new limits prior to Sept 2011  ” let us ask you to positively go ahead and ship products conforming to the 1GHz+ requirement by filing conformity verification reports on and after October 1, 2010 as if there were no 1-year grace period. This is because VCCI runs its operation based on CISPR standards transposed to Japanese standard by the Information and Communication Committee, and July 2007 Japanese standard says implementation of 1GHz+ should start in 2010.”

Background for 1-year grace period

• EU Official Journal issued on August 21, 2009 states the valid period of EN55022:1998, European equivalence of CISPR22 Edition 3, is extended ubtil September 30, 2011. With this extension manufactures can select either CISPR22 Edition 3 or Edition 5 for product conformity until September 30, 2011.
• Similarly US FCC has announced that conformity assessment test can be based either on ANSI C63.4-2009 or ANSI C63.4-2003.
• Under such circumstances it is necessary for VCCI Council to establish the 1-year grace period for avoidance of creating potential technical barrier to trade against overseas product to be distributed in Japan and, at the same time, for affording Japanese manufacturers flexibility in choice of marketable products in the grace period.

(Courtesy VCCI Council).