WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT ROLES IN THE MRAs?
Regulatory Authority (RA) The RA is a government agency responsible for telecom systems and products within its territory. The RA develops and publishes technical regulations, including conformity assessment requirements, in the public interest. In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission serves as the RA. Designating Authority (DA) The DA is a government entity responsible for designating competent conformity assessment bodies (CABs) within their jurisdiction in accordance with procedures. NIST is the U.S. DA under portions of the U.S.-EU MRA, as well as the APEC Tel and CITEL MRAs. Accreditation Bodies (ABs) MRAs rely on accreditation as a basis for establishing technical competence and building regulator confidence. ABs are responsible for accrediting competent CABs in accordance with international standards and to the importing party’s technical requirements. In the United States, NIST currently recognizes the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVL
