[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 3]
[Revised as of October 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR68.160]

[Page 369-370]
 
                       TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
 
        CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED)
 
PART 68_CONNECTION OF TERMINAL EQUIPMENT TO THE TELEPHONE NETWORK--Table 
of Contents
 
            Subpart B_Conditions on Use of Terminal Equipment
 
Sec. 68.160  Designation of Telecommunication Certification Bodies (TCBs).

    (a) The Commission may designate Telecommunication Certification 
Bodies (TCBs) to approve equipment as required under this part. 
Certification of equipment by a TCB shall be based on an application 
with all the information specified in this part. The TCB shall process 
the application to determine whether the product meets the Commission's 
requirements and shall issue a written grant of equipment authorization. 
The grant shall identify the TCB and the source of authority for issuing 
it.
    (b) The Federal Communications Commission shall designate TCBs in 
the United States to approve equipment subject to certification under 
the Commission's rules. TCBs shall be accredited by the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under its National 
Voluntary Conformity Assessment Evaluation (NVCASE) program or other 
recognized programs based on ISO/IEC Guide 65, to comply with the 
Commission's qualification criteria for TCBs. NIST may, in accordance 
with its procedures, allow other appropriately qualified accrediting 
bodies to accredit TCBs and testing laboratories. TCBs shall comply with 
the requirements in Sec. 68.162 of this part.
    (c) In accordance with the terms of an effective bilateral or 
multilateral mutual recognition agreement or arrangement (MRA) to which 
the United States is a party, bodies outside the United States shall be 
permitted to authorize equipment in lieu of the Commission. A body in an 
MRA partner economy may authorize equipment to U.S. requirements only if 
that economy permits bodies in the United States to authorize equipment 
to its requirements. The authority designating these telecommunication 
certification bodies shall meet the following criteria.

[[Page 370]]

    (1) The organization accrediting the prospective telecommunication 
certification body shall be capable of meeting the requirements and 
conditions of ISO/IEC Guide 61.
    (2) The organization assessing the telecommunication certification 
body shall appoint a team of qualified experts to perform the assessment 
covering all of the elements within the scope of accreditation. For 
assessment of telecommunications equipment, the areas of expertise to be 
used during the assessment shall include, but not be limited to, 
electromagnetic compatibility and telecommunications equipment (wired 
and wireless).

[64 FR 4997, Feb. 2, 1999]