Equipment certification privatized

FCC: Regulation a possible barrier to advancement The FCC last week eliminated government regulations regarding the formation of standards and certification procedures for certain telecom equipment, a move FCC Chairman William E. Kennard said will likely result in the largest streamlining of regulations during his tenure.

The decision eliminates the requirement that the FCC approve manufacturers' products. Instead, the order privatizes the process for standards-setting and certifying equipment such as modems, fax machines and telephones, often referred to as customer premise equipment (CPE).

Equipment will be certified by a private telecom certification body or by formally declaring that the equipment meets technical standards. Such declarations must be made to consumers and the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachment.

But the exact process for forming a standards and certification setting body is unknown because the FCC has yet to release the formal ruling detailing its decision.

The decision to privatize the process is supported by many in the industry.

"It appears that the conditions in the industry are such that [certification] could be done in a privatized manner," said Paul Hart, vice president of technical disciplines with the United States Telecom Association, which supports privatizing the process. "We are all interested in reducing the amount of regulator complexity and burdens and other processes. There's enough substance in the industry and enough expertise to essentially manage this material on its own."

The rule doesn't completely eliminate the FCC's certification role. The FCC will continue to require that CPE will not harm the public network and that service providers permit connection to the network of any equipment that is certified.

According to a statement from Kennard, the pace of change in the industry led to this decision.