The CTIA to Introduce the "Battery Safety Certification Program" for Cell Phones
October, 2006: Washington, D.C.
Due to several incidents where cell phone batteries have burst prompted safety concerns surrounding the robustness of cell phone batteries. In response to such concerns as well as carrier demands, the CTIA has created the “Battery Safety Certification Program.”
Last April, the IEEE created a standard to ensure rechargeable lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries used within cell phones to be stronger and more reliable. The IEEE 1725, “Standard for Rechargeable Batteries for Cellular Telephones,” provides standardized requirements for verifying battery safety and quality to improve end-user experience.
The “Battery Safety Certification Program” will require all cell phones to be compliant with IEEE 1725. The program will be implemented in two phases: 1) transitional, 2) mandatory.
In the transitional phase, the certification program is voluntary and is not required for PTCRB approval. Those who decide to comply with the program must show documentations from the manufacturer that they are in compliance with IEEE 1725. This transitional phase is scheduled to start October 16, 2006.
The certification program will become a requirement sometime in 2007 for PTCRB approval. During the mandatory phase, battery systems are required to undergo testing by an accredited third party test lab. Also, all cell phones must have their batteries certified before being released to the U.S. or Canada.
CETECOM Inc. is heavily involved within the CTIA working group for battery acceptance testing. We will keep you updated on the certification program.
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