Some of the information on this web page has been provided by external sources. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability or currency of any information supplied by external sources. Users wishing to rely upon this information should consult directly with the source of the information. Content provided by external sources is not subject to official languages, privacy and accessibility requirements.
1. Introduction
The Government of Canada and Singapore have agreed, through an exchange of letters, to implement Phase I and Phase II of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for Conformity Assessment of Telecommunications Equipment (APEC-TEL MRA).
The MRA between Canada and Singapore covers:
- the recognition requirements of testing laboratories and the acceptance of test reports generated by recognized laboratories; and
- the recognition requirements of certification bodies (CBs) and the acceptance of product certification results issued by recognized CBs.
2. Regulatory authority in Singapore
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is the regulatory authority for telecommunication and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in Singapore.
2.1 Standards available for IMDA recognition
The list of Line Terminal Equipment Standards and Radio-communication Equipment Standards can be downloaded from IMDA’s website.
Where applicable, the requirements to comply with International Standards IEC 60950-1 or IEC 62368-1 (for equipment safety) and IEC CISPR 32 are defined in the Technical Specifications as part of the conformity assessment requirements together with the telecommunications part.
3. General requirements for Canadian CABs
Canadian CABs must meet the General Requirements for Designation as a Canadian Conformity Assessment Body (CAB).
4. Application requirements and processes for Canadian CABs
Online designation application forms as well as lists of required documentation can be found for:
- Phase I (Testing Laboratories): in section 7 of DES-LAB, Procedure for Designation and Recognition of Canadian Testing Laboratories
- Phase II (Certification Bodies): in section 5 of DES-CB, Procedure for the Designation of Canadian Certification Bodies (CB)
The following additional documents are required for CBs:
- a copy of the CB’s associated testing laboratory Scope and Certificate of Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 referencing the relevant IMDA technical specifications
- the Scope and Certificate of Accreditation for each testing laboratory listing the relevant IMDA technical specifications
The recognition procedures for foreign testing laboratories and certification bodies are described in the IMDA Scheme document, Recognising Foreign Testing Laboratories and Certification Bodies for Conformity Assessment.
Once Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) receives an application and confirms its completeness, ISED will forward a designation request to IMDA, who, under the terms of the MRA, has up to 60 days to respond.
Upon recognition by the foreign regulatory authority, ISED will assign a unique CAB ID and issue a recognition letter to the CAB. The recognition letter will state the standards or specifications for which recognition has been granted, and the recognized CAB will be added to ISED’s list of Conformity Assessment Bodies.
For renewals, recognized CABs shall update their recognition expiration date by submitting their renewed or extended ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO/IEC 17065 Scope(s) of Accreditation and Accreditation Certificate(s) through DES-LAB Application for Designation or Recognition of a Canadian Testing Laboratory or DES-CB Application for Designation of a Canadian Certification Body.
5. About the APEC-TEL MRA
The initial signing of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Conformity Assessment of Telecommunications Equipment (APEC-TEL MRA) took place on May 8, 1998. Participation in the APEC-TEL MRA is voluntary and includes two phases: Phase I for mutual acceptance of test reports and Phase II for certification of product approvals.
6. For more information
For more information about the Canada-Singapore MRA, please contact MRA Admin.