Mexico make changes in regulations for telecommunications products

New regulatory changes that will apply from next year, except certification NOM-001-SCFI-2018 that comes into force this year in May and that will affect all devices that are within its scope and that were previously exempt for being less than 24 V DC.

Some main points:

• The holders of the conformity certificates (CoC) must also obtain the corresponding IFT approval certificate, in case they don’t, both certificates will be canceled.
• The non-transferability of the conformity certificate, testing or inspection report is established, so they will only be valid with respect to its holder. This implies that certificates used by third parties can no longer be used to demonstrate compliance in customs and each importer must obtain their own IFT certificate and their respective CoC
• The use of digital media for communication between the conformity assessment bodies, the IFT and those interested in obtaining a certificate of conformity, testing or inspection report is established. That, is, requests will now be made through digital means for communication between conformity assessment bodies, the Institute and those interested in obtaining a certificate of conformity, inspection opinion and / or test report.
• Four certification schemes are established according to the needs identified in the matter of the present ordinance:

1) Sample by the model of products for a single batch.
2) Sample by product model and surveillance for more than one batch.
3) Sample by the family of product and surveillance models and.
4) Sample by telecommunications device or broadcasting and surveillance.

About Technical Provision IFT-012-2019: Technical specifications for compliance with the maximum limits for non-ionizing radioelectric emissions of products, equipment, devices or appliances intended for telecommunications that can be connected to a telecommunications network and / or make use of the radio spectrum. Specific Absorption Rate (SAR).
This Technical Provision has been published in the Mexico Official Gazette on February 26th, and it will take effect in 365 days.

The provision will apply to:

Products, equipment, devices or apparatus that have a radio frequency transmitter or transceiver, make use of the radio spectrum or are connected to a telecommunications network in the frequency range of 30 MHz to 6 GHz and that are used:

• Close to the head, particularly close to the ear, in the frequency range 300 MHz to 6 GHz, and / or
• At a distance less than or equal to 200 mm from the human body, in the frequency range of 30 MHz to 6 GHz.

Regarding the new official Mexican standards NOM-221-SCFI-2017 (IFT-011-2017, Part 1) and NOM-221/2-SCFI-2018 (IFT-011-2017, Part 2):

NOM certification -221-SCFI-2017 (IFT-011-2017, Part 1): Specifications of mobile terminal equipment that can make use of the radioelectric spectrum or be connected to telecommunications networks. Part 1. Equipment manufacturing identity code (IMEI) and frequency-modulated (FM) sound broadcasting receiver functionality.

NOM certification -221/2-SCFI-2018 (IFT-011-2017, Part 2): Technical specifications of mobile terminal equipment that can make use of the radioelectric spectrum or be connected to telecommunications networks. Part 2. Mobile terminal equipment operating in the 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 850 MHz, 1900 MHz, 1700 MHz / 2100 MHz and / or 2500 MHz bands.

In essence, the certification process is the same.

The same Mexican Official Standard includes the conformity assessment procedure that considers the following certification schemes:

• Certification scheme with monitoring (surveillance) of electronic equipment or system at point of sale (marketing) or factory or warehouse.
• Certification scheme with monitoring of the electronic equipment and/or system at the point of sale (commercialization) or factory or warehouse and the traceability system.
• Certification scheme based on the quality control system of the production lines.