Invitation to consider the need for type-approval of radio apparatus

[Peter.L.]

Good Day,

I have been quiet for a long period of time, having retired from Icasa in March 2013, but have not totally abandoned my interest in aviation. A new Government Gazette, number 40309 dated 28 September 2016, has just been published by ICASA asking for input from the marketplace and other interested parties on the possible exemption of radio apparatus, including aeronautical equipment, from the requirement for expensive type-approval prior to the apparatus being made available to the local market.

The Government Gazette, number 40309 dated 29 September 2016, included the following:

"The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (“the Authority”)
hereby invites, in terms of section 4B (2) of the Independent Communications
Authority of South Africa Act, Act No. 13 of 2000 (“ICASA Act”), interested
persons to submit their written representations on the Discussion Document
on exemption of equipment from Type Approval."


This could potentially affect aeronautical, maritime and amateur radio equipment (with a likely increase in landed cost to be passed on to the consumer - you!) which are manufactured to and comply with published international standards and have mostly already been type-approved by competent authorities overseas. It is well worth obtaining a copy of the gazette from http://www.opengazettes.org.za and reading through it with a view to a representation by the aviation industry in favour of eliminating the type-approval requirement for aeronautical apparatus.

Regards,

Peter

[Randmental]

To add on what Peter said, here are the notice from the SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE which have similar concerns.

ICASA STARTS TYPE APPROVAL CONSULTATION PROCESS

On 20 September, ICASA published a discussion document on Equipment Type Approval Exemption and has invited written representation with the closing date of 2 December 2016.

Type approval is a very important issue for the amateur radio fraternity and has been on the agenda of the SARL/ICASA liaison committee for the past few years. Some two years ago, the League submitted a document to ICASA asking that all amateur radio equipment, including homebrew equipment, be excluded from the regulations promulgated on 26 August 2013, which required that all radio equipment had to be type approved. The South African Radio League will review its original proposals in terms of the ICASA discussion document, published last week. The League will also have preliminary discussions at the next SARL/ICASA liaison meeting scheduled for 17 October 2016.

The Government Gazette is available on http://www.icasa.org.za.

[ebribur]

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