Press Release

BABT has been appointed a Foreign Certification Body for Canada

Fareham, UK. Radio equipment for the Canadian market can now be certified through the British Approvals Board for Telecommunications (BABT), which has recently been appointed a Foreign Certification Body (FCB) for Canada.

European FCBs are recognised by Industry Canada through the EU-Canada MRA and can issue approval certificates in accordance with the Canadian regulations. BABT is one of a very few organisations worldwide to be able to accept applications for Canada and process them through to approval.

BABT has been operating as a FCC Telecommunications Certification Body (TCB) for several years, offering access to the US market. Now, through its appointment as a FCB, BABT provides the opportunity for one-stop-shop access to both the US and Canadian markets, saving time and money by getting product to market fast and efficiently. BABT has a wide scope of appointments that allows it to handle the approval or certification of virtually any type of radio equipment for both regions.

In addition, BABT is appointed as a Notified Body under the R&TTE Directive in the European Union, and as a Conformity Assessment Body under the EU-Australia, EU-New Zealand, and EU-Japan Mutual Recognition Agreements.

The definition of radio equipment, as far as Canadian regulatory and conformity assessment organisations are concerned, extends well beyond equipment which has radio transmission and reception as its primary function. For example, some printers and garage-door-openers have embedded radio equipment to provide remote operability.

Although Canadian Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) requirements closely match those of the United States, the Canadian Government has recently adopted a new position on spectrum management. Industry Canada is introducing a new Standard Radio System Plan standard, SRSP-512, which details the minimum technical requirements for land mobile and fixed systems operating in the band 220-222 MHz. Industry Canada is also amending RSS-119, defining requirements for radio transmitters and receivers for the land mobile and fixed services in the 27.41 MHz to 960 MHz bands.

BABT has up-to-the-minute knowledge of all such changes in rules and regulations, and has a comprehensive understanding of how these rules apply to all products within the scope of its appointments.