Telecommunications, radiocommunications, EMC and EMR - a summary of labelling requirements

Under the Telecommunications Act 1997 and the Radiocommunications Act 1992, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is responsible for technical regulation, including making mandatory requirements for appropriate labelling, of:

• specified electrical and electronic devices.

Labelling requirements for these items are published in the relevant labelling notices (see relevant labelling notices below). Each notice lists the types of items covered. In addition, each labelling notice also details the applicable standards and the required level of compliance. Australian manufacturers or importers or their authorised agents (suppliers) need to satisfy the requirements before these items are sold or supplied in Australia.

Compliance labels 

A compliance label applied to an item by the supplier indicates that it complies with the relevant labelling notices and the applicable standards.

For telecommunications customer equipment and customer cabling, the A-Tick compliance label consists of the A-Tick compliance mark and information that identifies the supplier. This information may include the supplier code number issued by ACMA, or the Australian Company Number, or any other information detailed in the Telecommunications Labelling Notice.

In the following example, the A-Tick compliance label shows the A-Tick compliance mark and the supplier code number N####:

Radiocommunications devices or specific electrical and electronic devices must comply with the requirements of the relevant labelling notices or these items cannot be sold or supplied to Australia.

• the Radiocommunications Devices (Compliance Labelling) Notice No. 1 of 1996 to indicate compliance with the radiocommunications regulatory arrangements, or the Radiocommunications (Compliance Labelling – Electromagnetic Radiation) Notice 2003 to indicate compliance with the EMR regulatory arrangements.

Under the EMC regulatory arrangements, the C-Tick is the compliance label that must be applied to a product before it can be supplied in Australia. It is also the compliance mark for non-telecommunications radio products that have to meet electromagnetic radiation (EMR) regulatory arrangements. For telecommunications products, EMR is covered by the A-Tick compliance mark.

The example below is the C-Tick compliance mark with a supplier code N###:

Suppliers must obtain permission from ACMA to be able to use the A-Tick or the C-Tick compliance marks. Application forms are available in the relevant labelling notices. Suppliers already registered to use the C-Tick compliance mark are considered to be registered to use the A-Tick compliance mark, and vice versa. However, suppliers should notify ACMA of their intention to use each compliance mark.

Holders of AUSTEL permits or Telecom Australia authorisations are also considered to be registered to use the A-Tick compliance mark. However, to enable the ACMA database to reflect current information, ACMA has asked these suppliers to re-register to use these marks.

Regulatory Compliance Mark

The Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) is a trademark owned by Australian and New Zealand regulators. The RCM may be used as an alternative mark to the C-Tick compliance mark, but is not an alternative to the A-Tick. Therefore, the RCM cannot be used as a substitute for the A-Tick compliance label for telecommunications customer equipment or customer cabling.

that are covered by the RCM standard AS/NZS 4417. There are various parts of this standard that specify the conditions for use of the RCM Mark.

Suppliers who intend to use the RCM for other than telecommunications customer equipment or customer cabling must register with Standards Australia. They must also notify ACMA of their intention to use this trademark. 

The label below is an example of the RCM with the supplier code number N###: