Wireless Devices Regulatory Compliance – Recent Updates

This blog was originally posted on 8th May, 2024. Further regulatory developments may have occurred after publication. To keep up-to-date with the latest compliance news, sign up to our newsletter.

AUTHORED BY RUAN DOHERTY, REGULATORY COMPLIANCE ANALYST, AND YUKO YAMAMOTO, REGULATORY & REQUIREMENTS COMPLIANCE SPECIALIST, COMPLIANCE & RISKS

Introduction

Wireless regulations establish licensing, certification and bandwidth requirements for devices that intentionally emit radiofrequency signals in the electromagnetic spectrum.

In this blog, we take a look at recent developments in wireless devices regulatory compliance in Vietnam and South Korea.

Vietnam

The Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications issued a draft Circular approving the national Technical Regulation on specific absorption rates for mobile phones.

The Technical Regulation (QCVN 134:2024/BTTTT) establishes the limits and methods of measuring specific absorption rates (SAR) for mobile phones. It applies to entities involved in manufacturing, importing, trading and operating of mobile phones within Vietnam.

Definitions are provided for terms such as accessories, isotropic axis, linear error etc. The Technical Regulation ensures compliance with safety protocols and specifies procedures for SAR testing, including rapid SAR testing methods.

The Annexes of the Technical Regulation cover relevant standards for test equipment, reporting test results, measurement uncertainty and testing flow charts.

Comments may be submitted to the Ministry until 25 June 2024. If enacted, the draft circular and the technical regulation will enter into force on 1 July 2025.

South Korea

On 26 April 2024, the South Korean Radio Research Agency (RRA) proposed an amendment to the Notice on Conformity Assessment of Broadcasting and Telecommunications Equipment.

This amendment aims to align with an amendment to the Radio Act, which introduced self-conformity confirmation into the conformity assessment system and established requirements for overseas manufacturers to designate domestic agents and report non-conforming equipment.

The main changes of the amendments include:

Establishment of detailed procedures including writing, disclosure, document storage, change, and termination of self-conformity confirmation equipment, and reclassification of target equipment following the introduction of a self-conformity confirmation system (Article 11, Article 12, Article 18(4) and (5), Article 27(3), Annex 1, Form No. 21).
Establishment of new procedures and methods for reporting nonconformity, submitting action plans and results such as correction and collection, and disclosing information on nonconforming equipment, in cases where major defects in equipment that have undergone a conformity assessment are recognized (Article 25, Form No. 22 to 24).
Designation of a domestic agent for an overseas manufacturer and clarification of agency matters, etc. (Article 30).
When indicating that a conformity assessment has been received, it had to be indicated on both the equipment and packaging, but the marking method has been simplified so that it can be indicated on the equipment or packaging (Annex 5).

Once the proposed changes are approved, the amendment will enter into force on 24 July 2024.

Stay Ahead Of Changes In Wireless Devices Regulatory Compliance

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