If you’ve taken a close look at many appliances from around your house, you’ll see the same symbol on many of them. An F with a small c inside of a larger C, which indicates the device is FCC compliant. However, that fact on its own might raise more questions than answers. What exactly does the FCC do, and what makes compliance so important that seemingly all appliances must meet their requirements?

 

What Does FCC Compliant Mean?

To put it simply, an FCC-compliant device is one that follows the rules and regulations the FCC has laid down. The Federal Communications Commissions governs a wide range of communications devices, as well as electronics with the potential to interfere with them. This all revolves around radio frequency signals and the electromagnetic interference, or EMI that all electronic devices can produce.

The Responsibilities of the FCC

The FCC regulates communications within the United States and its overseas territories. This means that they govern services like radio, television, satellite, and cable. It works to foster investment and competition, while also managing laws that aim at ensuring the efficacy of communications equipment around the country.

Congress oversees the FCC, but it’s an independent agency that acts as the leading source of guidance on electronic and technological concerns. If you’re not familiar with the world of electronic theory and radio frequency, it might seem strange that regulations are necessary. However, the FCC plays a vital role in managing the communications landscape.

The Importance of FCC Compliance

Widespread FCC compliance helps make sure that all of the electronics and communications devices we use every day keep on working. If large numbers of people started using devices that didn’t adhere to FCC guidelines, the consequences could be disastrous. This is because of the dangers of unchecked radio interference and runaway electromagnetic interference in general. All electronic devices produce some amount of EMI, and high amounts of EMI can interfere with any technology.

Highly sensitive instruments are the most susceptible to EMI, such as airplane navigation aids; this is why you turn off your electronics during takeoff. As an example of the importance of FCC compliance, someone with an unregulated device with unsafe EMI levels could jeopardize the lives of everyone who’s flying on the plane. In a world where our lives are more and more dependent on technology, FCC compliance helps keep us all safe every day. On a more mundane note, high levels of household EMI can interfere with your personal phone, internet, and television services.

Assessing FCC Compliance

As a consumer, you know that a device is FCC compliant when it has the famous logo on it somewhere. The process by which an appliance or instrument earns that logo can vary depending on exactly what it is, but basic steps remain the same. In short, it’s necessary that the manufacturer sends them to a certified lab that’s capable of precise, reliable EMI testing.

Only at the end of this procedure does the company earn the right to label their product with the FCC logo, denoting that it follows important regulations. If you need to prove FCC compliance for your products, consider hiring Compliance Testing.

FCC Compliance Testing

The name of our business is what we do; we offer fast, efficient compliance testing for all sorts of technologies. Our company specializes in fast, efficient testing and certifications procedures that can get your products to market quickly. Get in touch with us to learn more about how our compliance testing services can help you.