Japan MIC Guide for Radio Equipment
Technical Regulations Conformity Certification System
1.What is the Technical Regulations Conformity Certification System?
This certification system was established to achieve simplification and rationalization of administrative work for license application and to alleviate the burden borne by license applicants. In this system a person registered by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications (registered certification body) certifies specific radio equipment such as cellular telephones used in small-scale radio stations specified by applicable ordinances of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications as conforming to technical regulations prescribed in the Radio Law (Article 38-2-2 (1)) prior to the installation.
Certified specified radio equipment will be granted either a simplified license application procedure, which does not require an inspection after the completion of construction work, a blanket license that covers specified radio stations, or will not require a license, depending on the type of the equipment.
- Outline of Certification system
- i)Technical regulations conformity certification (Article 38-2-2)
Testing and certification will be conducted for each radio equipment.
- ii)Attestation of the construction design of specified radio equipment (Article 38-2-24)
Testing is conducted on one sample unit for each type of radio equipment (officially called "construction design"), for attestation of the construction design. This is called the "construction design attestation system."
→ In addition to the existing certification method targeting each individual equipment, a new attestation system for the construction design (by type) of mass-manufactured equipment was implemented according to a law on organizing laws relating to telecommunications field in order to improve efficiency, issued in May 1998.
- i)Technical regulations conformity certification (Article 38-2-2)
Examples of target equipment
Specified radio equipment fall under one of three main categories, and a registered certification body is registered for each category.
Category Example - Article 38-2-2 (1) i) of Radio Law (License not required)
→ PHS terminals, digital cordless telephone terminals, etc. - Article 38-2-2(1) ii) of Radio Law (Radio stations prescribed in Artide27-2(i),Radio Law)
→ Cellular telephone terminals, etc. - Article 38-2-2(1) iii) of Radio Law (Others)
→ Amateur radio equipment, etc. - Recognized Certification Body System (Article 38-31)
This is a system for the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications to recognize a certification body that conducts inspection of radio equipment under foreign statute, when it makes an application certifying that a specified radio equipment that is to be used in Japan complies to technical standards of the Radio Law.
2.What is the Self-Confirmation of Technical Regulations Conformity System?
- Outline of Self-Confirmation system (Article 38-33)
A manufacturer or an importer of the radio equipment, in consideration of the technical regulations, usage modes, etc. of radio equipment among specified radio equipment, as the one which rarely causes interference or other disturbance that severely jam the operation of other radio stations (special specified radio equipment), may confirm by itself that the construction type (including the methods to verify each equipment conforms to the type) of the special specified radio equipment conforms to the technical regulations.
A manufacturer or an importer shall conduct verification and shall then conduct the confirmation (self-confirmation of technical regulations conformity), only when it is deemed that the construction type of the special specified radio equipment conforms to the technical regulations specified in the preceding Chapter and that any and all specified radio equipment based on said construction type is ensured to conform to said construction type.
Upon conducting the self-confirmation of technical regulations conformity, a manufacturer or an importer may notify the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications.
Examples of target equipment
Special specified radio equipment is stipulated in Article 2 (2) of the Ordinance Concerning Technical Regulations Conformity Certification etc. of Specified Radio Equipment (Ministerial Ordinance of MPT No. 37 of 1981).
ex) digital cordless telephone terminals, Cellular telephone terminals, etc.
3.Recent revisions of the system
New scheme of conformity assessment system was introduced from January 2004.
- Certification system
Easing entry requirements for certification body. (abolishment of financial requirement etc.)
* encouraging competition among certification bodies for better certification services.
- Suppliers' declaration of Conformity (So-called SDoC)
Introduction of Self-confirmation of conformity with technical regulations.
SDoC is available for limited types of radio equipment, which are considered to rarely cause interference.
Suppliers should provid notification of self confirmation to MIC.
- Enhanced ex-post regulations
Ex-post regulations are tightened severer punishment.
Regulatory authority purchases radio equipment sold in the market and examines their conformity with technical regulations. (Market surveillance)
4.Laws and Regulations
*Official texts of these Laws, Cabinet orders, Ordinances and Notifications are in Japanese.
These are tentative translation and may be updated without notice.
Radio Law (Law No. 131 of 1950)
Radio Act - Further Information
The Radio Law covers all products which contain radio technology and emit electromagnetic waves. These products are specified in MPT Ordinance 37:
Specified Radio Equipment (SRE). Specified radio equipment means the radio equipment used for small-scale radio stations specified in the Ordinance of Technical Regulations Conformity Certification of Specified Radio Equipment, such as: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE, GSM, ZigBee, Wireless mics, RFID (2.4GHz, 920 MHz), Telemeters, Pagers, UWB radio systems, etc.
Special Specified Radio Equipment: digital cordless telephone terminals, Cellular telephone terminals, WiMAX, etc.
The full list is available here.
Most SRE must obtain third-party certification by an MIC-designated RCB. In general, consumer-operated radio equipment is categorized as SRE. However, some SRE are defined as Special Specified Radio Equipment (SSRE). These products must still be tested for compliance but are subject to a simplified procedure of self-declaration and registration with the MIC.
High-Frequency Devices (HFD): IH cooking equipment, microwaves, electrodeless discharge lamps, welders, RFID (13.56 MHz), ultrasonic devices, PLCs, other equipment over 10 kHz (including ISM, such as MRI machines, plasma devices, etc.).
Most of these products must be tested for compliance and registered by a local Japanese company with the relevant regional branch of the MIC before they can be placed on the market.
Extremely Low-Power Devices are license-exempt and do not require certification. However, compliance with the Radio Law’s interference requirements is mandatory.
The Radio Law specifies following equipment approval systems:
Specified Radio Equipment must obtain either Type Certification (also known as “Construction Design Certification”) or Batch Certification (also known as “Test Certification” or “Technical Standard Conformity Certification”).
High-Frequency Devices (HFDs) are subject to three types of Suppliers' Declaration of Conformity (SDoC):
- Specification of Type
- Confirmation of Type
- Authorization for Use
The applicable SDoC process is determined by the type of equipment. “Authorization for Use” has no marking requirements and test reports are not generally submitted to MIC. “Specification of Type” and “Confirmation of Type” require submission of test reports and affixing a label with the relevant approval number. Products subject to HFD approval may also be subject to EMC and safety testing under the PSE Mark.
Test Methods of Specified Radio Equipment (Japanese)
Searchable Database of Certified Equipment - Radio Act (Japanese)
FAQs on the Conformity Mark (English)
| Standards | Local Testing | Local Representative | Factory Inspection | Project Time |
| Radio Law | No | No | No | 3~4 weeks |
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