Homologation of Fibre Equipment

Optical fibre equipment are essential elements for the high speed networks and all these types of equipment used in Brazil must be homologated by the Brazilian telecommunications agency Anatel.

In this article we will cover the basic requirements for the approval of this equipment that is used in Brazil.

Fibre equipment that must be homologated with Anatel

According to Anatel guidelines, all equipment that is involved in telecommunications are required to go through an approval procedure called Homologação. The homologation ensures that products sold in Brazil are in accordance to the minimum standards of quality, function and safety required by Anatel.

All elements in a fibre network are within the definition of a telecommunication product as per definition of Anatel, so each of these elements are required to be homologated separately following testing procedures and norms defined by the Brazilian agency. OCDs are independent organisations appointed by Anatel which assists manufacturers and importers to obtain the homologation of fibre equipment in Brazil. One of the most renowned OCDs is Master Certificações, which has been in this market for over 15 years.

Anatel divides the products into different categories according to its purpose within the network, and the elements of a fibre network are placed into categories I and III.

Fibre equipment in Category I

Category I comprises of products required to access telecommunication services such as terminals and also some of the cables.The elements that belong to a fibre network that you will find under this category are the passive optical equipment such as the optical network terminals known as ONT as well as the drop fiber optical cable for spans of 80 meters, compact optic fibre for indoor use and micro cables.

Fibre equipment in Category III

Category III are related to equipment that provides support to the telecommunication services and ensures its reliability and electrical safety and electromagnetic compatibility. The vast majority of the equipment of the fibre network are listed under this category which are:

• Splitters
• Optic fibre cables
• Dielectric core self-supporting aerial cable
• Marine terrestrial optical cables
• OPGW cables
• Fibre optic termination boxes
• Fibre optic cable connectors
• Fiber optic splice enclosure
• Optic fibres of the types MM, SM, DS, NZD and BLI
• Optical multiplexer (WDM/CWDM/DWDM)
• Optical line termination (OLT) / Optical network unit (ONU)
• Optical line terminal with and without integrated multiplexer
• STM-1, 4, 16, 64 optical interface

Even though the equipment is grouped into the same category, Anatel sets different procedures for approval for each of the elements in the network described above. The procedures are defined according to the technical specifications of the product and the OCD will be able to provide you with detailed information regarding the tests required to issue the conformity certification for your product.

Homologation standards for fibre equipment

Generally speaking, the standards used by Anatel to evaluate equipment that is part of fibre network follows a combination of international standards such as ITU-T, IEC, ASTM, along with the norms set by Anatel.

Homologation process for fibre equipment

The homologation process is started either by the manufacturer or importer of the products in Brazil and the first step to obtain the homologation of any equipment is to select an OCD, which is the third party institutions appointed by Anatel to evaluate products, indicate the testing procedures required for the specific category of the product, and finally issues a certification based on tests conducted by a laboratory accredited by Inmetro.

Based on the technical specifications of the product, the OCD will recommend to the applicant one or more laboratories that will be able to conduct the tests required by Anatel in order to certify the product. According to Brazilian regulation, the majority of laboratory tests must occur in Brazilian territory, however depending upon the technology used and the equipment, the choice of the laboratory will be determined by the OCD. Therefore the OCD will also indicate the number of samples necessary to perform the tests, as well as any additional documentation necessary in order to finalise the homologation process.

Based on the laboratory reports, the OCD will issue a Certificate of Conformity for the evaluated equipment and will request the product to be registered on Anatel’s databases.

After these steps, product suppliers are provided with a finalised version of the Anatel identification seal and the Anatel identification code to mark each product.

Homologation Renewal

The renewal process is also conducted by the OCD, which will determine which documents and new laboratory tests are necessary for the renewal process. Generally speaking, category I fibre equipment, requires homologation renewal annually, and category III must request a renewal of the homologation when any hardware or technology is modified within the equipment.

Obtaining an Anatel homologation in Brazil

The Brazilian company Master Certificações is an OCD accredited by Anatel to conduct the certification procedure for any equipment that requires Anatel homologation, and handles the entirety of the process from requisition of documents to the emission of Certificates of Conformity.

Master is specialised in assisting foreign product suppliers to bring their products to the Brazilian market in compliance with the country’s regulations. Master Certificações is entitled to certify over a hundred types of telecommunication products, including mobile phones and their components, broadband connection equipment, restricted radiation equipment and radio transmitters.