A CAB Experience AmericanTCB in Buenos Aires CITEL

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A CAB Experience AmericanTCB in Buenos Aires
CITEL
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A CAB Experience

• A look at the MRAs and their effect on Conformity
  Assessment, Technology and Market Access

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Goals

• Proper Conformity Assessment is Necessary to
  Maintain Public Health Safety
• Improve Communications Information Services
• Society
• Business
• Government

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Wireless Regulations Our Corner of the World

• US Federal Communications Commission
• Title 47 CFR
• Telecommunications Certification Bodies
• FCC Identifier Certification
• Canada Industry Canada
• EU RTTE (EMCSafety)
• Self-Declaration
• CE Marking
• Notified Body (CAB)
• CE Marking

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Needs Ideals

• Global competitiveness requires a level playing
  ground
• Harmonized Standards facilitate international
  trade
• MRAs provide access to Global Markets for Local
  Manufacturers
• Challenge (and opportunity) for US manufacturers
  as manufacturing base changes

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In the Beginning...

• Washington Labs
• 12 Employees
• Scope of Work
• EMC, FCC, CE Marking, Safety
• Rhein Tech Labs
• 13 Employees
• EMC, FCC, CE Marking, Safety

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Business Climate Circa 1990s (Pre-CE Marking)

• Services for Manufacturers
• FCC
• Domestic Safety
• No Foreign Access for Clients
• Radio? EMC? Safety? Forget it!
• Only large companies could afford to export

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Early MRAs

• US-EU MRA
• EMC
• Radio and Telecom
• Established trust and recognition with local
  CBs, NBs in Europe (Germany, France and UK)
• Developed mutual service offerings
• Access for US Manufacturers

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APEC Tel MRA

• Like CITEL, the APEC Tel MRA is divided into
  Phase I (testing) and Phase II (product
  approvals).
• Currently, the US has agreements for
• Phase I - Canada, Singapore, Chinese-Taipei,
  Australia, Hong Kong, Korea
• Phase II Canada, Singapore, others pending

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FCC Creates TCB Program

• A new century, a new program, FCC launches TCB
  program to speed device certifications in 2000
• Program has been very successful
• Reduce Certification time from months to days
• Certifications have risen from 2500/year to
  6000
• Increase in number of Wireless Devices has
  spurred development of new technologies
• Manufacturers (US and International) have
  benefited tremendously
• MRAs allow foreign Certifying Bodies (Singapore)
• Local Knowledge is still KEY

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TCB Program Created New Market

• 90 of Certifications are performed by private
  companies
• Wireless devices dominate
• TCB program created a NEW market to serve the
  technology sector
• Certification and Related Services
• Training
• Testing is NOT the intent of the TCB program
• TCBs must accept applications from all qualified
  submittors

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TCB Development

• Process to become a TCB
• Laboratory DNA
• Independent Review Certification
• Services for Manufacturers and Test Labs
• International Certification
• Engineering Support
• Training

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TCBs (16 in US)

• American TCB, Inc.
• Bay Area Compliance Laboratory Corporation
• CKC Certification Services
• Communications Certification Laboratory
• Compatible Electronics, Inc.
• Compliance Certification Services
• Curtis-Straus LLC
• Elite Electronic Engineering, Inc.
• Elliott Laboratories, Inc.
• Intertek Testing Services, NA Inc.
• MET Laboratories, Inc
• Northwest EMC, Inc.
• PCTEST Engineering Laboratory, Inc.
• Timco Engineering, Inc.
• TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc.
• Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

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TCBs (13 Foreign)

• Ultratech Engineering Labs Inc. (Canada)
• BABT (UK)
• CETECOM ICT (Germany)
• ETS Product Service (Germany)
• EMCC (Germany)
• NEMKO (Canada)
• Phoenix (Germany)
• RFI (UK)
• SP Technical Research (Sweden)
• Telefication (UK)
• TRL (UK)
• TUV Austria (Austria)
• TUV SUD PSB (Singapore)

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AmericanTCB

• Joint Venture to Serve Wireless Certification
  Market

FCC, IC NB (CE) Market Access for US Manufacturers
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Current Locations

• Washington, DC
• California
• Atlanta
• Taipei, Taiwan
• Shenzen, China
• Beijing, China
• Business we did not have access to before

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ATCB Structure

• 15 Employees and Contractors in 9 Locations
• Open twenty-four hours per day
• Partnerships
• Domestic
• Rhein Tech Laboratories
• Washington Laboratories
• International
• Taiwan
• Shenzen, China

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Communication Advantage
FCC, IC
Staff Management
VOIP, SKYPE
ATCB
Not Possible 10 Years Ago!
Reviewers CBs
Server
Customers (Laboratories)
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ATCB Market Access Service Locations
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Canada

• Foreign Certification Body (FCB)
• Implemented after Phase II of APEC Telecom MRA
• FCB similar to TCB Program
• ISO 65 ISO 17025 Accredited

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Singapore

• FCB program
• Mutual Recognition and Certification Authority

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MRAs Allows Connecting to International Markets

• Europe (CAB)
• CE Marking Frequency Advice
• China (Service Provider)
• Base of operations
• Japan (Partner Relationship)
• Korea (Service Provider)

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Access to Information

• Local partnerships and relationships are the KEY
  to effective services
• Cooperation with
• Regulators
• Test Laboratories
• Industry Groups
• Information from NIST, Industry Groups and
  standards liaison activities are necessary for
  new information on requirements.

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MRAs What are the Benefits?

• Increase market access for local manufacturers
• Brings products to the market faster
• Less cost to manufacturers
• Create opportunities to cooperate and compete
  globally
• Service expansion
• Allow Conformity Assessment Stakeholders to
  introduce products overseas
• Increases transparency

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MRAs What are the challenges?

• Foreign competition
• Proper Conformity Assessment from external
  conformity assessment bodies
• Market surveillance and enforcement
• Cooperation and consolidation
• Effective service requires networked services

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MRAs What are the Realities? (NOW)

• Local cooperation, with local experts that
  understand the market regulations
• Location is KEY
• Local Presence
• Local Experience
• Local Contacts
• Market forces adapt
• The best service providers, understanding the
  local conditions, operating with local talent
  succeed

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Asia Experiences The China Phenomenon

• China is the Worlds factory
• Growth gt 9/year
• Manufacturing is more sophisticated
• Engineering knowledge and execution
• How could we have known about this?

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China

• Certifications from China (FCC Line Entries)

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China Laboratory Market
Beijing Area (5) Yangtze Delta (20)
Pearl Delta (41) Others (4)
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The China Challenge

• Access to US for Chinese Manufacturers is WIDE
  OPEN for many products
• Access to China for Foreign Manufacturers is NOT
  (CCC Mark is Barrier to Entry)
• Certification is not OPEN
• However, US exports to China is growing each year
• Pressure WTO Participation
• For the US, a push for innovation
• Share the experience with US firms
• The horse is out of the barn

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Enforcement Attitude

• Time to market pressure creates atmosphere of
  fast-service, low-price
• Enforcement is difficult
• Cultural
• Accessibility
• Multi-national corporations response
• Hire independent QA contractors and trusted to
  oversee suppliers

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Looking ahead

• Respond to Customer Needs
• International Access to Product Approvals
• Develop local liaisons to implement service
• MRAs are a part of the mix

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Cooperation with Local Partners

• Reciprocal agreements for market access Increase
  cross-market trade
• Stakeholders
• Manufacturers (Market Access)
• Society (Jobs!)
• Regulators (Protect the Public)
• Labs and CABS (Service)

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Goals

• Proper Conformity Assessment
• Maintain Public Health Safety
• Improve Communications Information
• Society Quality of Life
• Business Access to Global Markets
• Government Regulators Serve the Public

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Contact Information

• Desmond Fraser, Director
• Michael Violette, Director
• AmericanTCB, Inc.
• 6731 Whittier Ave.
• McLean, VA 22101
• USA
• Mail to desmond_at_atcb.com mikev_at_atcb.com
• http//www.atcb.com
• Phone [phone]
• FAX [phone]