§  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 § 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.

   (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]