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Help CenterHow to Obtain PTCRB Certification From US Carriers? How Long Does it Take? How Much is the PTCRB Listing Fee?
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How to obtain PTCRB certification from US carriers? How long does it take? How much is the PTCRB listing fee?
North American PTCRB Requirements:
Carrier Access Certification: In the United States, carrier access certification is also known as PTCRB certification testing. The PTCRB is an auditing committee established in North America in 1997 responsible for PCS type approval. A verification group was also established at the same time, primarily responsible for the certification of PCR mobile terminal models and IMEI allocation.
PTCRB certification is a quasi-mandatory type approval performed by a third-party certification body. All PCS terminal devices launched in the North American market must undergo PTCRB certification and apply for an IMEI based on the report. The term "quasi-mandatory" is used here; while "mandatory" likely refers to requirements issued by government regulatory departments, PTCRB is not government-run but rather a forum-style body. However, it is highly authoritative because distributors entering the North American market must test the products provided by manufacturers according to these requirements; hence, it is called quasi-mandatory.
PTCRB Testing Categories:
1. RF Component Testing;
2. Protocol Component Testing;
3. SIM Component Testing;
4. Audio Component Testing;
(In addition, there are OTA testing, AT command testing, etc.)
5. Field Trail Testing: An essential part of GCF certification, its implementation ensures that terminal devices can be used securely in real-world network environments. It verifies network interoperability and the performance of new network services from the end-user's perspective.
6. Application Enabler Testing: Application testing in GCF certification includes testing of MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), Video Telephony, etc.
PTCRB Certification OTA Testing Requirements:
GSM850, GSM1900, FDDBANDII, FDDBANDIV, and FDDBANDV must be tested according to the OTA testing standards issued by CTIA.
Test Standard Number:
3GPP TS51.010-1 (generally updated every 3 months)
Required Materials:
1. Documentation
2. Operation Manual
3. Schematic Diagram
4. Circuit Diagram
5. Test Prototype
6. Two units for RF testing, requiring RF interfaces and dummy batteries.
7. Two units for Audio and spurious emissions testing, requiring normal operation, using both dummy and real batteries.
8. Two units for protocol testing, requiring RF cables, a real battery, and a charger.
9. One unit for SIM testing, which may damage the casing near the SIM socket.
Field testing is an indispensable part of PTCRB certification. It involves real-world network interaction with five operators for each operating frequency band and can be conducted simultaneously with RF, Protocol, and SIM tests.
PTCRB Network Access:
Apply to become a PTCRB member/member
Membership Types:
◆Operator
◆Manufacturer
◆Laboratories
◆Observer
Fill in the relevant information on the PTCRB website and submit your membership application.
PTCRB Review:
◆Upon successful review, you will become a PTCRB member, with no annual membership fee required.
◆Members will have their products tested by a laboratory.
◆Members will submit relevant documents and test reports to the PTCRB website. See the PTCRB online certification process for details.
◆PTCRB will review the documents and test reports and issue a payment notification. The product will then be pending certification.
PTTCRB Testing Cycle:
The testing cycle depends primarily on the functions supported by the mobile phone. For example, the frequency bands supported by the phone, whether it supports GPRS Class 10, EDGE, half-rate, etc., will significantly affect the testing time. Furthermore, the testing cycle is also affected by phone modifications and debugging during the testing process. Generally, a full PTCRB test, if successful, typically takes about 4 weeks.
How many types of listing fees are there for PTCRB certification?
The following are the types of PTCRB certification listing fees (CTIA Certification Fees). CTIA will invoice the manufacturer a Certification Administrator fee of:
(1) Initial original certification, referring to certification without using a previously certified module. The PTCRB fee is US$12,500, and US$15,000 for modules with Wi-Fi. This type of PTCRB fee is mostly for mobile phones and tablets that directly use the chip on the board. (1) $12,500.00 (U.S.) for an initial certification request ($15,000 if incorporating Wi-Fi and undergoing Converged Device Testing).
(2) The PTCRB certification fee for a change based on a certified product is $3,125 (commonly known as PTCRB certification modification). The fee for a change involving uncertified Wi-Fi is $3,750.
$3,125.00 (U.S.) for a variant certification request ($3,750 if incorporating Wi-Fi and undergoing Converged Device Testing).
(3) Products using certified modules require PTCRB certification, with a fee of $1,500. This fee took effect on July 1, 2018; previously it was $3,125.
$1,500.00 (U.S.) for an Integrated Device certification request.
(4) The PTCRB certification fee for a notebook is $3,125, and for a product with Wi-Fi, it is $3,750.
$3,125.00 (U.S.) for a notebook certification request ($3,750 if incorporating Wi-Fi and undergoing Converged Device Testing).
(5) The PTCRB fee for rebranding is $3,125. If the product uses a certified module, the PTCRB fee for rebranding is $1,000. Both fees are the same regardless of whether the product has Wi-Fi.
$3,125.00 (U.S.) for "Rebranding" of a previously certified product. If the product is an Integrated Device, the fee is $1,000.00. The fee is the same regardless of whether the device incorporates Wi-Fi.
(6) For products using certified modules that have already passed certification but are subsequently rebranded, the PTCRB fee is $1,000.
$1,000.00 (U.S.) for an Integrated Device Variant certification request.
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