Washington, D.C., May 22, 2025 — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted new rules to strengthen the integrity of the equipment authorization system in the United States. From now on, certain testing laboratories, certification bodies, and accreditation entities will no longer be allowed to participate in the process if they are controlled by parties considered a risk to national security.
This change directly affects the procedure by which radiofrequency-emitting equipment — such as routers, IoT devices, mobile phones, etc. — is authorized for sale in the US. The FCC entrusts this task to independent bodies (known as Telecommunication Certification Bodies, or TCBs) and recognized testing laboratories.
Main measures adopted by the FCC:
🔹 Participation ban: labs, TCBs, or accreditation entities directly or indirectly controlled by parties included on government risk lists may no longer be recognized, including:
- The FCC’s “Covered List,”
- The Department of Commerce’s “Entity List,”
- The Department of Defense’s list of Chinese military entities,
- And other lists specified by US federal agencies.
🔹 New definition of “control”: includes formal or de facto control, as well as direct or indirect ownership stakes of 10% or more in the entity.
🔹 Mandatory disclosures: applicants seeking recognition as a lab, TCB, or accreditation entity must declare under oath that they are not controlled by prohibited parties, and must report any ownership stake of 5% or more.
🔹 Ongoing review mechanism: the FCC may revoke an entity’s recognition if it detects links to prohibited parties, even after it has already been authorized.
The Commission also adopted changes to improve transparency and allow for more rigorous review of entities participating in the equipment authorization system.
📎 Official source: FCC – Bad Labs Ban
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