To implement the Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Deepening the Reform of the Management System of the Electronic and Electrical Industry (Guo Ban Fa [2022] No. 31) and to optimise the certificate format and code rules for radio transmission equipment type approval, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has recently revised and published the Certificate Format for Radio Transmission Equipment Type Approval and the Coding Rules for Radio Transmission Equipment Type Approval Codes, effective from 1 December 2023.

With the entry into force of the new certificate format and coding rules, the Notice of the Ministry of Information Industry on Strengthening the Management of Radio Transmission Equipment (Xin Bu Wu [1999] No. 363) and the Notice of the General Office of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Changing the Format of Radio Transmission Equipment Type Approval Codes (Gong Xin Ting Wu [2009] No. 9) are repealed at the same time.

Interpretation

(1) Why revise the certificate format and codes?

In 1999 the former Ministry of Information Industry issued the Notice on Strengthening the Management of Radio Transmission Equipment (Xin Bu Wu [1999] No. 363), which specified the type approval certificate format and the type approval code format. In 2009 the General Office of MIIT issued the Notice on Changing the Format of Radio Transmission Equipment Type Approval Codes (Gong Xin Ting Wu [2009] No. 9), and the revised type approval code has been used ever since.

In recent years, with the reform of the management system of the electronic and electrical industry and the optimisation and adjustment of type approval, in particular since September 2022 when the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Deepening the Reform of the Management System of the Electronic and Electrical Industry and MIIT's Provisions on the Administration of Radio Transmission Equipment were successively introduced, a series of measures benefiting enterprises, including allowing applicants to compile type approval codes themselves, have been clarified. It has therefore become necessary to revise the certificate format and coding rules accordingly.

The revised Certificate Format for Radio Transmission Equipment Type Approval and Coding Rules for Radio Transmission Equipment Type Approval Codes, together with the development of standards for electronic type approval certificates, improve the certificate format and refine the rules for applicants to compile type approval codes themselves. They are a concrete measure implementing the reform spirit of the Party Central Committee and the State Council on streamlining administration, delegating power, improving regulation and upgrading services. They help enterprises plan production in advance and shorten time to market, help strengthen in-process and post-event supervision, and help accelerate the implementation of electronic type approval certificates.

(2) What has changed in the new certificate compared with the old one?

The type approval certificate is now in the form of a main page plus annexes, and the content of the certificate has increased accordingly. The changes are mainly:

· First, the equipment technical information in the new certificate is clearer. With the expansion of new radio technologies and applications and the spread of converged terminal devices, the old certificate format could not reflect the relevant information; in the new certificate the main information such as the certificate holder and equipment name appears on the main page, while specific information such as technical parameters appears in the annexes, making it easier to state different technical systems and their corresponding technical parameters in full.

· Second, information on contract manufacturers is added. The old certificate contained only the name of the applicant and did not cover contract manufacturers; the new certificate adds Annex 2, containing the equipment manufacturer's information, enterprise attributes and address, making it easier for applicants to subsequently change the relevant information and for supervision and inspection of enterprise production capacity.

· Third, the new certificate format meets the requirements of electronic certificate standards, accelerating the transition from paper type approval certificates to electronic certificates.

(3) What has changed in the type approval code?

Previously, under the Notice on Changing the Format of Radio Transmission Equipment Type Approval Codes (Gong Xin Ting Wu [2009] No. 9), the code format was CMIIT ID: XXXX Y Z NNNN, with a total of 10 digits (maximum 11), where XXXX represents the year (4 digits), Y the equipment type (1 digit), Z the place of origin (1 digit) and NNNN the serial number (4 digits, maximum 5).

The revised Coding Rules change the format to CMIIT ID: AA B CC DDD EEEE, where CMIIT ID remains unchanged and the type approval code totals 12 digits: AA is the year code (2 digits), B the equipment code (1 uppercase letter), CC the territorial code (2 digits), DDD the enterprise code (3 digits, containing at least one digit) and EEEE the self-defined code (4 digits, first a capital letter or digit, then three digits).

The main changes in the new type approval code are: first, the old code was obtained together with the certificate after approval, whereas the new code is obtained in advance when the applicant submits the application; second, the number of digits increases from 10-11 to 12; third, an enterprise code type is added; fourth, the year code is reduced to 2 digits; fifth, the equipment code types are reduced from 10 to 8; sixth, the single-digit place of origin is changed to a two-digit territorial code to make it easier to identify the applicant's place of registration; and seventh, the serial number position becomes a self-defined code that applicants can compile themselves according to the rules. For example, 23C11AA1A001 indicates a public network mobile communication device produced in 2023 by an enterprise in Beijing (code AA1), with A001 as the self-defined code for that device.

(4) How should enterprises compile their own codes, and what should they note?

Under the revised Coding Rules, applicants may compile type approval codes themselves. When doing so, enterprises should note the following:

· First, self-compiled type approval codes shall comply with radio management laws and regulations, shall not violate public order and good customs, and shall not create ambiguity.

· Second, the self-defined code part is generated and defined by the applicant according to the rules; applicants should strengthen management of self-defined codes and avoid submitting duplicate or invalid codes. Once the type approval application has been accepted, the applicant may not change the type approval code.

· Third, the year code is the year in which the application is submitted; where the application and the certificate are not in the same year, the year of submission still applies.

· Fourth, where the applicant chooses not to compile a self-defined code, the system will generate one at random.

· Fifth, the type approval code is obtained when the application is submitted, but it only takes effect after the certificate is obtained; enterprises may only manufacture and sell the relevant radio transmission equipment after obtaining the type approval certificate.

(5) Do existing type approval certificates and codes remain valid after the new rules are published?

After the new certificate format and coding rules come into force, old certificates and the existing codes (CMIIT ID numbers) remain valid during the certificate validity period and need no adjustment. Where an old certificate needs to be extended or changed, the applicant may submit an application in accordance with the relevant radio management provisions, and the CMIIT ID number will remain unchanged after the new certificate is obtained. For newly applied-for equipment, new-format type approval certificates and codes will be issued under the new rules.