Standards & certification briefs
Independent briefs on RF, EMI/EMC, and electrical-safety standards and the certification frameworks that govern them. Tracked across FCC, ISED, CE/RED, UKCA, RCM/ERAC, IECEx, and country-specific schemes. Sourced and dated.
ISED drafts RSS-Gen Issue 6 and RSS-310 Issue 6 — the Canada radio-compliance baseline is moving
ISED put draft RSS-Gen Issue 6 and its companion RSS-310 Issue 6 out for comment in early 2026, closing May 29; the drafts shift the RSS-Gen/RSS-310 scope boundary, update the radiated-emission test-site standards, and expand electronic labelling.
Japan moves to regulate Autonomous Maritime Radio Devices — MIC council reports, rules to follow
MIC's Information and Communications Council delivered its report on technical requirements for Autonomous Maritime Radio Devices in June 2026; MIC says it will promptly develop the implementing radio-equipment rules for this ITU-defined VHF maritime device class.
CENELEC Guide 32, 2nd edition — a refreshed risk-assessment method for low-voltage equipment
CENELEC published the 2nd edition of Guide 32 on July 30, 2026, updating its safety-related risk-assessment and risk-reduction methodology for low-voltage equipment with new coverage of child-safety, transport, remote-operation, and voltage-fluctuation hazards.
IEC 60079-0 Edition 8 is published — the HazLoc gap review is no longer optional
The foundational hazardous-area equipment standard published as Edition 8.0 in June 2026, cancelling the 2017 seventh edition. New ambient-marking and electrostatic rules mean every Ex product line needs a documented gap review.
ISED finalizes the VHF maritime framework — analog must vacate the VDE bands by 2029
Canada's SMSE-006-26 decision (June 2026) sets the VHF Data Exchange transition, requiring analog maritime operations to leave the VDE-band channels by December 31, 2029 to meet the ITU Appendix 18 deadline of January 1, 2030.
FCC's seventh 'Delete, Delete, Delete' rule — obsolete provisions go unless you object by July 13
FCC 26-15 (GN Docket 25-133) is the seventh direct final rule in the FCC's deregulatory sweep, striking obsolete provisions from 47 CFR Parts 1, 73, 90 and 95. It takes effect August 21, 2026 unless an adverse comment arrives by July 13, 2026.
FCC OET (DA 26-505) seeks comment on revised post-market surveillance procedures; comments due 19 June 2026
DA 26-505 opens ET Docket No. 26-118 to comment on how TCBs should run post-market surveillance — sampling quotas, out-of-box and cross-lab testing, escalation, and the § 2.945 voucher program — implementing a directive from the Second EA Integrity R&O (FCC 26-28).
EU CRA Article 14: Vulnerability & Incident Reporting from 11 Sept 2026
From 11 September 2026, makers of products with digital elements must report actively exploited vulnerabilities and severe incidents to ENISA and national CSIRTs on a 24- and 72-hour clock.
From RED 2022/30 to the CRA: Where Radio-Equipment Cybersecurity Rules Hand Over
Radio equipment's cybersecurity duties sit under RED Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30 from 1 August 2025; the Cyber Resilience Act takes over for products placed on the market from 11 December 2027.
ISED Canada freezes new MSS licences in L and S bands pending consultation, comments close 29 June 2026
ISED's preliminary consultation SMSE-008-26 puts a hold on new commercial Mobile Satellite Service licences in the L and S bands while the framework is rewritten. Comments are due 29 June 2026.
CPSC opens a 60-day RFI on counterfeit certification markings, comments due 6 July 2026
CPSC Docket CPSC-2026-0100 seeks input on counterfeit safety-certification marks, the consumer-reliance gap they exploit, and the financial impact on accredited bodies and compliant manufacturers — under the existing 15 U.S.C. § 2068(a)(12) prohibition.
ISED Canada finalizes the 26 GHz and 38 GHz framework: Tier 5 flexible-use licences, TDD-only, auction October 2027
SPB-004-26 sets the policy and licensing framework for the Canadian mmWave bands. Existing fixed Tier 3 licensees have until 19 April 2027 to apply to transition; auction opens 19 October 2027.
FCC 26-28: fast-track PAG and new disclosure rules, effective 15 June 2026
FCC 26-28 creates a priority PAG lane for U.S. and MRA-country labs, requires test labs and TCBs to disclose employee locations, and delays the new prohibited-entity reporting pending OMB review.
FCC 26-26: EPFD limits replaced with degraded-throughput protection, effective 13 July 2026
FCC 26-26 eliminates EPFD limits in the Ku- and Ka-band downlinks NGSO FSS systems share with GSO networks, substituting a coordination-first framework backstopped by four performance criteria.
FCC 26-29: NPRM proposes to exclude Covered List entities from blanket § 214 authority, comments due 8 June 2026
FCC 26-29 opens WC Docket No. 26-82 to comment, proposing to amend 47 CFR § 63.01 to exclude Covered List entities from blanket domestic § 214 authorization, with companion questions on revocation, interconnection, and Part 15 unlicensed wireless restrictions.
EMC unit conversions: why impedance matters, and how to avoid the 20·log/10·log trap
Receivers read dBμV, limits are written in dBμV/m, power meters speak dBm, and schematics use millivolts. The conversions are not difficult, but they only work at a chosen impedance — and the dB convention changes depending on whether you are converting a voltage, a current, or a power.
IEC 60079-0 Edition 8 FDIS clears voting — what HazLoc manufacturers should do now
The Final Draft International Standard for the foundational hazardous-area equipment requirement closed voting on 27 March 2026. Publication is imminent. Here is what changes, what does not, and how to plan for the ExMC transition.