Sec.  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  Sec. 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]