FYI -
I saw a question about Russian telecom approval recently, and just today I received some information in that area. I have not explored the attached links, or verified any of the information here, so anyone using it may want to do some verification themselves. Richard Richard Payne Tektronix, Inc. Product Safety Engineering V: (503) 627-1820 F: (503) 627-3838 E: richard.pa...@tektronix.com here are some links to the MinCom area: http://www.bisnis.doc.gov/bisnis/bisnis.cfm http://www.tiaonline.org/policy/regional/nis/041902NISTrend.pdf http://www.gost.ru/sls/gost.nsf/PVP/CA5400452C7991BEC32566DA004601FA?OpenDoc ument&ALT http://www.noie.gov.au/projects/international/APEC/RegOutlook/Russia.htm CERTIFICATION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT IN RUSSIA Courtesy: INazarova, US Commercial Service, US Embassy- Moscow SUMMARY: All telecommunications equipment imported into Russia must be certified for product safety and compatibility. Certification has often been referred to as a complicated, costly and time-consuming process. Recent company interviews by CS Moscow indicate visible improvements in certification procedures and price reductions for product testing; however, understanding the procedures may be difficult for new market entrants. This report briefly describes the current certification system for telecom equipment and provides contact information for the Russian certification agencies. End summary. The Russian Federation introduced the mandatory certification of telecommunications equipment in 1992 in response to growing imports of low quality and incompatible products. The system was designed to ensure the equipment's interoperability with Russian interconnected telecommunications networks (ITN). Certification was also supposed to improve customer awareness of different product features and help them make informed purchasing decisions. The existing certification procedures were developed to meet the various requirements of current legislation, including the laws on telecommunications, certification of products and services, consumer rights protection, competition and restriction of monopoly activities, licensing, standardization, and measurement unity. The telecommunications standards are identified in the technical specifications for the Russian ITN developed by the Ministry of Communications (MinCom) and the State Frequency Committee, as well as in the state and industry standards (GOSTs and OSTs) of the Russian Federation. The current regulations require that all equipment to be used in, or to access the ITN must be certified by MinCom. The focus of the MinCom testing procedures is on electromagnetic compatibility, and concern that the equipment not cause interference with existing systems. Russia regards its communications infrastructure as unique, and MinCom asserts that 40-70% of equipment supplied for certification requires adjustment of some kind for the Russian market. However, U.S. exporters report few serious problems in meeting the certification requirements. MinCom works with 41 test centers that are authorized to carry out both type-approval and quality control testing, and 14 labs that are accredited for quality control testing only. The test centers are independent, private enterprises. Some products may be tested in more than one center as they are accredited for certification of similar product lines. Gosstandart is the other agency involved in certification of telecommunications equipment. While MinCom is focused on product functionality and compatibility with the ITN, Gosstandart's primary concern is product safety and compliance with Russia's consumer protection laws. Gosstandart is working with the EU and international standards organizations to harmonize Russian standards. If a product is not designed for use in a telecommunications network, it need only satisfy Gosstandart certification. Ñomputer equipment using over 40 Volts, end-user devices and fixed line telecommunications equipment must be certified for product safety, electro-magnetic compatibility and industrial interference. In order to simplify the process for such applicants, Gosstandart and MinCom launched a one-stop-shop program, where MinCom-accredited centers carry out product testing for both Gosstandart and MinCom certificates. To date Russia generally does not recognize foreign test data. The MinCom certification process typically starts with a written application of an equipment manufacturer, reseller, and/or consumer to MinCom requesting a product certification. The Ministry reviews the application and assigns the test center. Once the center is assigned, MinCom is prohibited by law from interfering in the testing process. The equipment manufacturer can specify its preferences and request MinCom to assign the center of its choice to run the tests, and applicant's preferences are accommodated in most cases. For Gosstandart certification, the client is free to choose any accredited test center. Once the test center has completed all appropriate product testing procedures, it submits the test data to MinCom and to the client. It keeps one copy for its records in case disagreements arise. Test centers are responsible for completeness of the submitted information and for impartiality during the process. MinCom reviews the test data and decides whether a conformity certificate may be issued. MinCom also deals with certificate extension, suspension, and reinstatement and maintains a state registrar of granted certificates. Many equipment exporters complain that product testing takes a long time. Test centers counter that delays are usually the result of incomplete documentation or deficiencies in the product. If the product needs to be adapted to meet Russian standards, it may considerably lengthen the testing process. Therefore, companies are advised to check the existing standards before they submit an application for product certification and negotiate the project horizon for product testing with the assigned center. Another point of negotiations between the center and the applicant is the cost of testing. The Ministry of Communications does not charge for equipment certification, and testing fees are paid to the certification centers directly. Certification requirements and procedures are exactly the same for Russian and foreign applicants. MinCom believes that the Russian system is beneficial to equipment manufacturers as it protects them from additional, "unfounded" requirements, which might otherwise be imposed by telecom operators. MinCom is currently revising its policy in order to streamline and improve the certification procedures, and the idea of self-declaration of conformity by approved manufacturers is under active consideration. However, no specific details are yet available. For more information on certification procedures, please contact the Ministry of Communications: Ms. Lyudmila Yurasova Head of Certification Department Ministry of the Russian Federation for Telecommunications & IT Policy 7 Tverskaya Street Moscow, Russia Tel: 7-095-924-2375 Fax: 7-095-921-6037 E-mail: serti...@ptti.gov.ru Dr. Yevgeniy Belov Deputy Head, Certification Administration Gosstandart of Russia 9 Leninsky Pr. Moscow, Russia 117049 Tel: 7-095-236-3560 Fax: 7-095-237-6032 E-mail: s...@gost.ru This information is brought to you by the U.S. Commercial Service Moscow, which offers to U.S. exporters a number of services aimed at generating export sales, including identifying distributors and arranging meetings with prospective buyers during business visits to Russia. For more information on FCS Moscow serfices, U.S. companies may visit our web site at: www.usembassy.state.gov/moscow or www.usatrade.gov. We appreciate your feedback on this report. Inna Nazarova, Commercial Specialist The U.S. Commercial Service Moscow 23/38 Bolshaya Molchanovka Moscow, Russia 121069 Tel.: 7-095-737-5036 ; Fax: 7-095-737-5033 E-mail: inna.nazar...@mail.doc.gov ===== Fwded by Trevor Gunn, Acting Director- BISNIS US Dept of Commerce, Washington, DC WEB: www.BISNIS.doc.gov ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. 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