General FAQs

What is an "accredited test facility"?

How is conformity enforced?

How much does it cost?

Licence to Supply Radio Transmitters

How are the various standards developed?

Does the scope of the regulations include telecommunications terminal equipment (TTE)?

Does the scope of the regulations include human exposure to radio fields and electrical safety?

How can the standards referred to be obtained?

My electronic product incorporates a microprocessor and a radio transmitter. What standards apply?

If I parallel import a product that is already factory labelled with another supplier's label, am I also required to label the product?

I am declaring my radio product under Level A, and intend affixing my New Zealand Supplier Code Number as required by the regulations. If the product is already, or will be, C-tick labelled to meet Australian requirements, must I remove the C-tick before the product is supplied in New Zealand?

What are the labelling requirements in New Zealand?

What is an "accredited test facility"?

An "accredited test facility" means a test house, facility or laboratory accredited by IANZ http://www.ianz.govt.nz/ (International Accreditation New Zealand), or accredited by an organisation that has a mutual recognition arrangement with IANZ.

How is conformity enforced?

The compliance framework is in line with the international trend away from hands-on regulatory type-approval, and towards light-handed industry self-regulation. To maintain the integrity of the framework, however, regular "spot-check" auditing is undertaken, and the Ministry has a compliance policy to ensure that the legislative requirements are met. Penalties for non-conformity or misrepresentation include:

• summary conviction fines (up to $200,000)

• daily fines (up to $1000 per day)

• infringement offences (instant fines)

• banning the sale of products

• compulsory recall of products

How much does it cost?

Product suppliers must meet their own costs of ensuring that their products meet the standards. The costs incurred by the Ministry in developing and maintaining standards and in monitoring compliance with the regulations, and conformity with the prescribed standards, are met from the annual fees paid by users of the radio spectrum.

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Licence to Supply Radio Transmitters

Authority to supply (sell or otherwise distribute) radio transmitting equipment in New Zealand is obtained through issue of a licence to supply radio transmitters (in accordance with Regulation 18 of the Radiocommunications Regulations 2001). To obtain this licence a Radio 3 application form should be completed and forwarded to Radio Spectrum Management Licensing in Wellington (RSMLicensing@med.govt.nz, fax +64 978 3162, or P O Box 2847, Wellington). There is no fee for issue of this licence.  There are currently no classes of radio transmitter for which a monthly return is required.

The licence to supply radio transmitters should not be confused with the Supplier Code Number issued to persons needing to apply compliance labelling to products intended for supply in New Zealand.

How are the various standards developed?

Joint (AS/NZS) standards are developed under a co-operation agreement between Standards Australia (TE3 and RC committees) and Standards New Zealand.  Other standards, for example IEC-CISPR, ISO, ETS, EN and FCC, may be adopted by the Ministry where considered appropriate.

Does the scope of the regulations include telecommunications terminal equipment (TTE)?

Yes, but only in relation to EMC requirements. Approval to connect TTE to a network must be obtained from the network operator concerned.

Telecom Access Standard.

Does the scope of the regulations include human exposure to radio fields and electrical safety?

No. Human exposure to RF fields in the environment from radio transmitting facilities is covered under the Resource Management Act administered by the Ministry for the Environment, either through the National Environmental Standard on Telecommunications Facilities or District Plans. Compliance is the responsibility of the operator of the transmitting facility.

While there are no explicit regulations covering public exposure to RF fields from other radio products, the Ministry of Health expects exposures to comply with the relevant limits in NZS 2772.1:1999 Radiofrequency Fields Part 1: - Maximum exposure levels 3 kHz - 300 GHz. These limits are based on the 1998 International Commission on Non-ionising Radiation Protection Guidelines. The product user guide should clearly state whether any particular precautions should be taken to ensure compliance with the limits.

Electrical safety is managed through separate legislation.

How can the standards referred to be obtained?

Most of the standards referred to can be obtained from Standards New Zealand and Standards Australia (TE3 and RC committees).  The USA Code of Federal Regulations can be searched on the FCC.  ACMA Standards can be found in their Communications Legislation information.

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My electronic product incorporates a microprocessor and a radio transmitter. What standards apply?

Every electrical or electronic product must comply with an EMC Standard. If that product also incorporates a radio transmitting device then the radio device component must also comply with a Radio Standard. Note that all radio transmitters must comply with a relevant radio licence.

If I parallel import a product that is already factory labelled with another supplier's label, am I also required to label the product?

Unlike intermediate suppliers (e.g. wholesalers and retailers) of products, you are unlikely to have an agreement with the other importer who has labelled the product. As a parallel importer, therefore, you must affix your own label consisting of the C-tick, or RCM, and your own supplier identification. You must also establish a compliance folder. – under discussion with ACMA.

I am declaring my radio product under Level A, and intend affixing my New Zealand Supplier Code Number as required by the regulations. If the product is already, or will be, C-tick labelled to meet Australian requirements, must I remove the C-tick before the product is supplied in New Zealand?

You must not place the C-tick on a radio product declared to Level A (A1, A2, or A3). If, however, the C-tick is affixed to meet Australian requirements it does not have to be removed before the product is supplied in New Zealand.

A ZIP file is available which contains three versions of the C-Tick logo (GIF, PCX and TIF).

What are the labelling requirements in New Zealand?

Please see labelling requirements for further information.