On March 30, 2022, there was an important announcement by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding the mandatory application of a new guidance document related to radio frequency exposure. This states that beginning June 30, 2022, all certification applications for new and modified equipment must comply with the latest equipment authorization policies and procedures in effect at the time the application is submitted.
These new policies and procedures have been published in guidance document 447498 D01 General RF Exposure Guidance v07. They are based on 447498 D04 Interim General RF Exposure Guidance and replace KDB 447498 General RF Exposure Guidance v06.
Based on a comprehensive evaluation of U.S. RF exposure standards, the FCC had modified all methods for determining and achieving the established exposure limits to determine whether a particular device or application is exempt (i.e., so clearly compliant and not requiring a more thorough RF exposure analysis).
A Public Notice (ET Docket No. 19-226) issued by the FCC back in April 2020 announced that changes to the RF Exposure Standards rules would take effect on May 3, 2021. Since that date, the transition period has been running.
The FCC provides a whole series of guidance documents (KDBs), which must be followed during the course of a device approval. These KDBs can be of a general nature or describe specific requirements. Special requirements for WLAN products, for example, are described in KDB 248227 D01. General requirements for RF exposure assessment are described in KDB 447498 D01 v07, which is discussed here.
In addition, for radio equipment or radio system licensing in the U.S., the FCC's regulatory acts apply. For example, the 47 CFR § 2.1093 act defines RF exposure limits for portable radio equipment.
If you already have approvals for your products, they remain valid and do not require specific changes due to the amended requirements.
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