TELECOM ACCESS STANDARDS NEWSLETTER NO. 151

September 2004

CONTENTS
1. TELEPERMIT APPLICATIONS AND GRANTS
2. NEWSLETTER NOTIFICATION
3. POTENTIAL RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS REGULATIONS NON-COMPLIANCE
4. CHANGES IN EMC COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS
5. TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICE
6. CALLER TUNES
RETURN TO MAIN INDEX



1. TELEPERMIT APPLICATIONS AND GRANTS

As announced in Newsletter No. 150, we have adopted the practice of sending grant letters in .pdf format by email, rather than printing and posting them. This seems to be working well and no one has yet demanded paper copies.

We have noticed one problem, however. Quite a few applications are being received on very old copies of our Telepermit Application form. This is causing some confusion in that they may have been addressed to office premises we left some years ago or to staff members who are no longer with Telecom, let alone Access Standards.

The other problem is that these old forms do not have a space to insert email addresses of the proposed Telepermit holder.

Telepermit applicants are asked to make sure they download and complete the latest version of the Application form, especially as regards inserting their correct email address.


2. NEWSLETTER NOTIFICATION

Those interested in seeing these Newsletters as soon as they are published, rather than waiting till they next access our website, are reminded that they can contact Richard Brent to have their names added to our mailing list for letting them know as soon as new information has been published.

The contact address is richard.brent@telecom.co.nz.


3. POTENTIAL RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS REGULATIONS NON-COMPLIANCE

From time to time, small cordless devices which comply with overseas radio regulations are imported into New Zealand. For example, some may be designed to operate in the US ISM (Instrumentation, Scientific and Medical) band, which is 902 – 928 MHz. This does not align with either the NZ ISM band frequency allocations of 915 – 928 or the NZ cordless telephone band of 864 – 868 MHz.

The low frequency end of the US ISM operating band is allocated in New Zealand to Vodafone for their GSM mobile phone band, which extends from 890 MHz to 914.8 MHz. Thus, any use of products using the US ISM band will obviously be of some concern to Vodafone in view of any potential interference with their services.

Ensuring compliance with the Radiocommunications Regulations is the role of the Ministry of Economic Development, rather than part of Telecom’s Telepermit process. Nevertheless, we do not want to inadvertently grant Telepermits for products, and later find that the product concerned breaches these regulations.

The US conditions are given only as one example of this problem, but prospective importers of any intentional radiating devices are advised to check the operating frequency of their products to make sure that they do not conflict with NZ regulations. This applies whether they are from the US or any other country.

Details of NZ requirements are published on the Ministry’s website http://www.med.govt.nz/rsm.


4. CHANGES IN EMC COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS

We recently received had an enquiry from a supplier of telecommunications CPE regarding compliance with what is understood to be a future EMC requirement.

The equipment concerned fully meets AS/NZS CISPR 22:2004, but does not meet a requirement for "conducted disturbance on telecommunications ports", which will apparently come into effect mid-2005. However, the supplier was concerned that they might still have some of that product still available for supply when the new requirements come into force.

To make sure we were clear about our response, we asked the MED “what is the status of unsold product at the date the new requirement comes into force?”

They responded that the legislative changes made through issue of new legislation, or Notices issued under the legislation, have traditionally "grandfathered" acceptance of products that were on the market and meeting the legislative requirements at the time of introduction of a new requirement. In effect, there has been no differentiation between product that has already been purchased, and any of the same product that is still being offered for supply.

The usual transitional provision is that, as long as it complied with the earlier requirements, any product which has already been manufactured at the time that a Notice comes into force can continue to be used or offered for sale.

However, such transitional provisions are NOT to be used to continue the manufacture of a product that no longer meets the applicable Standard.


5. TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICE (TRS)

Most of the CPE for the TRS has now been granted Telepermits and this side of the project seems to be pretty well in place. We have also granted Telepermits to a number of other devices which are suitable for handicapped, hearing or sight-impaired users.

Those items which connect directly to the TRS have been given Telepermits in the new PTC 215-series, but there are also products such as ringing flasher units, loud ringers and other aids, which will continue to be Telepermitted in the PTC 210-series.

In due course, we will draw up a list of these items and publish this in a future Newsletter.

The TRS is planned to come into operation on November 15.


6. CALLER TUNES

Telecom Mobile is introducing “Caller Tunes” – a service which has proved very popular in overseas markets. This allows a Telecom cellphone customer to select a specific tune that will be heard by his/her callers. The service does NOT apply for calls to PSTN customers.

This tune will be heard only on national calls. Incoming international calls will hear traditional ring-back tone. To avoid any confusion for national callers, suddenly being confronted by musical tones ring-back tone will also be heard in the “background”.

There are many auto-calling systems in service on the Telecom network, such as those automated diallers used by marketing organisations to call a block of telephone numbers in sequence and either step onto the next number if they detect busy tone or connect an operator if they detect ringing tone or an answer signal. How these systems actually operate is determined by the designer, but it is unlikely that many call mobile phones and could get confused by “Caller Tunes”.

Nevertheless, it is suggested that any operators of auto-dialling systems checks whether they suffer any interference from Caller Tunes. At least for the first few months, the proportion of mobile customers who take up this service option is not likely to be high and this gives plenty of opportunity for such operators to check for problems and do something about them if they are found.



Doug Burrus
Manager
Access Standards