Australian Communication & Media Authority (ACMA)
The ACMA is responsible for a broad range of regulations including Radiocommunications and Telecommunications. Included are equipment regulations.
The ACMA´s Equipment Regulations
ACMA´s regulations cover equipment supplied to the Australian market that includes electronic and electrical equipment, radio transmitters and telecommunications equipment.
A supplier is defined as:
A manufacturer in Australia
• A manufacturer makes a product for sale or use in Australia.
An importer in Australia
• An importer brings a product into Australia for sale or use.
• You are an importer if you ship a product from overseas to an Australian customer.
• Importers can include Amazon and Etsy sellers.
There are 5 basic steps for suppliers, and these are:
1. check which rules to follow
2. show that the product complies
3. sign and keep records
4. register as a responsible supplier
5. label the product with the RCM.
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)
The purpose of the EMC regulation is to minimise the electromagnetic interference between electronic products to contain interference levels which would otherwise diminish the performance of electrical products or disrupt essential communications. Protection of the valuable resource of the radiofrequency spectrum is a cornerstone of the regulation.
Compliance for EMC in Australia is accomplished through demonstrating compliance to one or more applicable mandated standards.
The EMC regulations apply to suppliers of a wide range of electrical and electronic products offered for sale or use in Australia.
The rules of compliance are set out in the:
• Radiocommunications Labelling (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Notice 2017 (EMC LN)
• electromagnetic compatibility standards
• General Equipment Rules.
To show that the product complies the supplier must establish sound technical grounds that proves the product complies. This includes showing how the applicable mandatory standard is met via testing and/or technical justification. A combination of testing and technical justifications may be used to cover variants, low risk products and where products comprise an installation. Where required the supplier should include installation instructions that are required to ensure that the product complies. This could be types of connecting cables and external filters.
Telecommunications
The compliance arrangements for telecommunication equipment aim to ensure that items meet applicable technical standards as required by the legislation and are appropriately labelled prior to supply or connection to a telecommunications network. The technical standards address the personal health and safety of users and operators of telecommunications networks, the integrity of the telecommunications networks, interoperability with telecommunications networks for the supply of a standard telephone service and access to emergency call services.
Examples of telecommunications items that are identified in the Labelling Notice include:
• analogue and digital desk telephone
• 3G,4G and 5G
• National Broadband Network (NBN) modems
• Telecommunications cables
• Cat 5 and 6 patch cords
• connectors
• plugs
• sockets
The rules of compliance are set out in the:
• Telecommunications (Labelling Notice for Customer Equipment and Customer Cabling) Instrument 2015 (TLN)
• Radiocommunications Labelling (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Notice 2017 (EMC LN)
And
For devices that contain a radio transmitter:
• Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021 (the General Equipment Rules).
• Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Apparatus Licence) Determination 2015
Radio Communication
The objective of the arrangements is to manage the risk of interference to radiocommunications services while maximising the efficient use of the radiofrequency spectrum. The regulations cover both transmitters and receivers including transmitters in other products such a wi-fi and Bluetooth in digital devices. The provisions are in place to manage the risk of interference and to optimise the use of the radio spectrum. In addition, the regulations set limits for human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EME). Example of the devices covered include those using:
• 3G, 4G, 5G
• Bluetooth
• wi-fi
• DECT
• RFID
The rules of compliance are set out in the:
• Radiocommunications Labelling (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Notice 2017 (EMC LN)
• Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021 (the General Equipment Rules).
• Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Apparatus Licence) Determination 2015
And
For devices that connect to the telecommunications network:
• Telecommunications (Labelling Notice for Customer Equipment and Customer Cabling) Instrument 2015 (TLN)
Suppliers of these products must demonstrate compliance with the standards as set out in the applicable rules, prepare a compliance folder, sign a Declaration of Conformity, and apply the RCM to their products and register on the national database.
EME (Exposure to RF fields)
Human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EME) from radio transmitters is regulated by the ACMA by setting limits and defining measurement methods.
For EME, the General Equipment Rules and the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Apparatus Licence) Determination 2015 apply.
For those transmitters with integral antennas only the General Equipment Rules apply.
An integral antenna, for a device, means an antenna that is: (a) permanently attached to the device; or (b) designed to be directly attached to a fixed connection on the device, without the use of an external cable. Examples of devices with integral antennas are:
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