Now that everyone is cutting the cord in one way or another, there’s a proliferation of wireless technologies. As usual, governments are trying to keep up with where the current tech is, leading to near-daily regulatory changes. This makes regulatory compliance testing essential if you want to get your wireless product or service into the global marketplace.
What is Compliance Testing?
Compliance testing ensures that a product meets industry and government standards for safety and performance. Due to the global nature of the business and differing regulations from country to country, failing to meet compliance requirements affects your ability to expand into different markets.
Wireless service isn’t just limited to internet connectivity for data transmission on your customers’ computer or mobile device]. Smart technology is running homes, cars, and businesses. This means more than just different markets. These systems often have their own protocols and compliance requirements from region to region. What’s permissible under FCC rules won’t necessarily fly in European or Asian markets. It can get confusing.
How Does Regulatory Compliance Affect Product Development?
Compliance testing should happen at the right time in the design phase for it to be relevant and cost-effective. Done too late, and you’re at risk of going over budget implementing fixes, delaying concept-to-market implementation.
What Kinds of Testing Are Required?
With the scope of signal types and technology that ranges from Mobile 2G/2.5G/3G/3.5G/4G Mobile Terminal Equipment to Bluetooth and other SRDs to Ultra-wideband (UWB), testing capabilities must be just as broad as the spectrum of signal types and broadcast platforms. Comprehensive compliance testing will involve measuring such things as:
– EIRP/ERP – Field strength – Output Power – Frequency tolerance – Tx and Rx spurious emission – Rx sensitivity – Occupied bandwidth – Adaptivity
Competitiveness in tech-based industries means reaching new markets on a global scale. It’s no longer economically feasible to do otherwise. Contracting the services of a compliance testing facility that performs customer-based testing using state-of-the-industry technology will ensure that your RF and wireless products will meet the highest standards for compatibility and compliance across a broad range of markets.