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Regulatory Updates: April 2026

by | Apr 6, 2026 | FCC, ISED, Newsletter

Do you have any interest in International Approvals (IA)?

ACB is excited to announce the expansion of our International Approval services. Our dedicated IA team provides streamlined certification support. Let us know your countries of interest and we will have our IA specialist get in touch.

Email IAservice@acbcert.com

In This Issue

April 2026 Regulatory Updates – Key Highlights (View Full ACB Newsletter [PDF])

  1. New 6GHz GVP Rules
  2. Information from FCC Daily Digest
  3. FCC Updates to Covered List (UAS)
  4. FCC Updates to Covered List (Routers & FAQs)
  5. Latest KDB Draft Activity
  6. KDB Sharing Session
  7. ISED Consultation

1. New 6GHz GVP Rules

6GHz GVP 新规

Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band; Expanding Flexible Use in Mid-Band Spectrum Between 3.7 and 24 GHz,

SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) adopts rules allowing unlicensed geofenced variable power (GVP) devices to operate in the U-NII-5 and U-NII-7 portions of the 6 GHz band (5.925-7.125 GHz) at up to 11 dBm/MHz EIRP power spectral density and 24 dBm EIRP. GVP devices must use geofencing systems to prevent harmful interference to licensed microwave links and radio astronomy observatories. The geofencing systems will calculate exclusion zones where GVP devices cannot operate on specified frequencies. Each GVP access point must have a geolocation capability to determine its location and avoid operating on prohibited frequencies within the exclusion zones. Client devices must operate 6 dB below the access point’s authorized power. These rules permit the GVP devices to operate at higher power than very lower power 6 GHz band unlicensed devices.

DATES: This rule is effective April 27, 2026.

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2. Information from FCC Daily Digest

来自 FCC Daily Digest 的信息

The following item(s) of interest have been published in the FCC Daily Digest:

IN THE MATTER OF CVC TESTING TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD. DESIGNATION NO. CN1363.
The Office of Engineering and Technology withdraws the recognition of CVC Testing Technology Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen) as an accredited test laboratory. (Dkt No 25-273). Action by: Office of Engineering and Technology. Adopted: 2026-02-25 by ORDER. (DA No. 26-187). OET. DA-26-187A1.pdf

IN THE MATTER OF CVC TESTING TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. DESIGNATION NO. CN1282.
OET withdraws the recognition of CVC Testing Technology Co., Ltd. as an accredited test laboratory. (Dkt No 25-272). Action by: The Office of Engineering and Technology. Adopted: 2026-02-12 by ORDER. (DA No. 26-147). OET. DA-26-147A1.pdf

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3. FCC Updates to Covered List (UAS)

2026年3月18日, FCC 更新 Covered List

On Mar. 18, 2026, the FCC issued a Public Notice and News Release about a further update to Covered List concerning UAS and UAS critical components. The Covered List now includes:

“Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and UAS critical components produced in a foreign country -except, until January 1, 2027, (a) UAS and UAS critical components included on the Defense Contract Management Agency’s (DCMA’s) Blue UAS Cleared List, and (b) UAS and UAS critical components that qualify as “domestic end products” under the Buy American Standard, 48 CFR 25.101(a), and (c) devices which have been granted a Conditional Approval by DoW or DHS-and all communications and video surveillance equipment and services listed in Section 1709(a) (1) of the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (Pub. L. 118-159).”

On March 18, 2026, the FCC received its first Conditional Approvals. The full list can be found at https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist#conditional-approvals. UAS and UAS critical components that have received Conditional Approvals are not prohibited from obtaining equipment authorizations.

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4. FCC Updates to Covered List (Routers & FAQs)

2026 年 3 月 31 日，FCC 对关于近期对外国路由器的 FCC 相关更新的常见问题进行了说明

◆ FAQs on Recent Updates to FCC Covered List Regarding Routers Produced in Foreign Countries（Updated 3/31/2026）

2026年3月23日, FCC 更新 Covered List (Update to the FCC Covered List to include routers)

On March 23, 2026, the FCC issued a Public Notice and updated FAQ about a further update to the Covered List concerning routers. The Covered List now includes:

“Routers produced in a foreign country, except routers which have been granted a Conditional Approval by DoW or DHS.”

For purposes of the associated National Security Determination, the term ‘Routers’ is defined by NIST IR 8425A to include consumer-grade networking devices that are primarily intended for residential use and can be installed by the customer. Routers forward data packets, most commonly Internet Protocol (IP) packets, between networked systems.

The Executive Branch interagency body has established a process in which entities producing routers in a foreign country can request DoW and DHS to evaluate whether their routers do not pose unacceptable risks to national security, and, if so, receive Conditional Approvals that would exempt the routers from the Covered List. Guidance on submissions for Conditional Approvals is found in Annex A to the National Security Determination. The full list can be found at https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist#conditional-approvals.

Routers that have received Conditional Approvals are not prohibited from obtaining equipment authorizations. Prohibitions on certain Class I permissive changes to Covered Routers have been waived.

Reference: FCC Updates Covered List to Include Foreign-Made Consumer Routers

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5. Latest KDB Draft Activity

最新的 KDB 草案相关活动

Below please find the most recent DRAFT KDB activity by the FCC. These materials are for your reference and comment as indicated in the notice:

Post a comment on this document

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6. KDB Sharing Session

At the TCB Council Spring 2026 Workshop on April 14-16 there will be presenting the popular “KDB Sharing” session once again. Ahead of the workshop, if you have any recent KDB responses from the FCC that you feel are worthy of sharing with the greater community, or inquiry e-mails from ISED, please help by e-mailing them to Greg Czumak: qczumak@acbcert.com (please copy admin@tcbcouncil.org). Please note that Greg will be preparing slides from the KDBs, so please supply the information as soon as possible.

View more about the TCB Council Spring 2026 Workshop here: https://www.tcbcouncil.org/spring-2026

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7. ISED Consultation

ISED 征询意见- RSS-Gen, issue 6 and RSS-310, issue 6

ISED CONSULTATION – RSS-Gen, issue 6 and RSS-310, issue 6. CONSULTATION – RSS-Gen, issue 6, General requirements for compliance of radio apparatus and RSS-310, issue 6, Licence-exempt radio apparatus: category II equipment.

The Department is seeking comments on both of these consultations:

  • RSS-Gen, issue 6: “General requirements for compliance of radio apparatus”. This standard sets out the general requirements applicable to licensed and licence-exempt radio apparatus.
  • RSS-310, issue 6: “Licence-exempt radio apparatus: category II equipment”. This standard sets out the requirements for licence-exempt radio apparatus that is exempt from certification.

The main changes are listed in the Preface of each document. Both draft documents along with the form to provide comments are available on the Radio Advisory Board of Canada (RABC) website.

Comments are due no later than May 29th, 2026.

View Full ACB Newsletter [PDF]

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