Based on FCC review of the information submitted by ACLASS and comments received during a public comment period, the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology determined that ACLASS has demonstrated that it possesses appropriate credentials and expertise to perform accreditation of testing labs that test equipment to FCC requirements.
"The FCC recognition of ACLASS complements our NIST-National Voluntary Conformity Assessment System Evaluation (NVCASE) recognition, and allows ACLASS and ANSI to serve telecommunications customers as a one stop-shop," Keith Greenaway, Vice President of ACLASS, said.
The U.S. government relies on the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to accredit telecommunication certification bodies (TCBs) under the FCC program that enforces rules for manufacturers of telecommunications and radio communication equipment. TCBs, in turn, process FCC approvals for telecommunications terminal equipment under FCC regulations.
TCBs are required to be accredited to both ISO/IEC Guide 65, General requirements for bodies operating certification systems - which ANSI provides - and to ISO/IEC 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories - which ACLASS provides. FCC recognition of ACLASS means TCBs can now be qualified jointly by ANSI and ACLASS.
Laboratories that are accredited by ACLASS will be entered in an FCC database of laboratories qualified to conduct FCC testing.
"The FCC recognition of both ACLASS and ANSI augments the confidence and credibility associated with our accreditations in the marketplace," Lane Hallenbeck, ANSI Vice President of Accreditation Services, said. "We are pleased to offer this additional value to those telecommunication certification bodies that are conducting multiple conformity assessment activities."
The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board provides accreditation services under the ACLASS and ANAB brands.
Under the ACLASS brand, the organization accredits ISO/IEC 17025 testing and calibration laboratories, ISO/IEC 17020 inspection bodies, ISO Guide 34 reference material producers, and ISO/IEC 17043 proficiency testing providers.
Under the ANAB brand, the organization is the U.S. accreditation body for management systems and accredits certification bodies for ISO 9001 quality management systems; ISO 14001 environmental management systems; ISO 22000 food safety management systems; ISO 28000 supply chain security management systems; ISO/IEC 20000-1 information technology service management systems; ISO 27001 information security management systems; ANSI/AIHA Z10, CSA Z1000, and BS OHSAS 18001 occupational health and safety management systems, and numerous industry-specific requirements.
The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board is a member of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), and is a signatory of the ILAC and IAF multilateral recognition arrangements. Through these arrangements, the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board cooperates with other accreditation bodies around the world to provide value to the organization it has accredited and their clients, ensuring that accredited certificates are recognized nationally and internationally. The global conformity assessment system ensures confidence and reduces risk for customers engaging in trade worldwide.
For more information about ACLASS, visit www.aclasscorp.com. For more information about ANAB, visit www.anab.org.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.
The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
For more information about ANSI, visit www.ansi.org.