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Standards & bodies

FCC certification

Authorization from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission that a device's radio emissions meet its rules, required before a transmitter can be sold in the United States.

Any product that intentionally radiates radio energy, which includes every Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular or LoRa device, needs FCC equipment authorization before it is marketed in the United States. Intentional radiators go through certification with an accredited test lab and a telecommunication certification body; digital devices that only radiate unintentionally follow a lighter self-declaration path. The grant is tied to a specific hardware design and antenna configuration.

For IoT teams the practical shortcut is a modular approval: an IoT module certified by its vendor can be integrated into a product with reduced testing, provided the integration follows the module’s conditions. Changing the antenna or the enclosure can void that. FCC approval is separate from CE marking in Europe and similar schemes elsewhere, so global products budget time and cost for each market.

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