The Radio Equipment Inspection and Certification Institute (MKK) conducts various types of tests of PHS equipment in Japan, which are: Technical Standards Conformity Tests; Conformance Tests; and Certification for PHS Equipment.
The Technical Standards Conformity Test confirms whether or not manufactured PHS equipment conforms to the technical regulations mandated in the Radio Law in Japan. If the equipment passes, the cell stations (CSs) concerned are granted radio station licenses without any further inspection, and personal stations (PSs) are allowed to operate without license.
The Conformance Test ensures the air interface between PSs and CSs is in accordance with the ARIB Technical Report provided by the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB). Currently, MKK is confirming the public-mode functions of PSs, based on the Technical Reports ver. 1 and ver. 2 (for 32 kbps data communications, country code, etc.) showing the Test Items and Conditions for Public PS Compatibility Confirmation (RCR TR-23) set by the Association. Additionally, MKK is preparing tests for private CSs and PSs under the provisions of ARIB-established testing methods, ARIB TR-T5 for CSs and ARIB TR-T2 for PSs respectively.
The Certification of PHS Equipment confirms the necessary performance of PHS equipment to be used outside Japan at the request of the governments or administrations concerned. In the case of Singapore, for example, under the Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) between the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore (TAS) and Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) Japan , MKK proves the performance of equipment and confirms that the equipment passes the Technical Standards Conformity Tests and the Conformance Test, and that the control channel of the equipment satisfies the requirements of the TAS. MKK then notifies the TAS regarding the certification.
The number of the Technical Standards Conformity Tests has been rapidly increasing in proportion to the dissemination of PHS equipment. Fig. 1 shows the accumulated numbers and the change. The statistics show that the number of private-use personal stations is low, as these PSs are exclusively private system use use only. Almost all public PSs have private mode. The number of Conformance Test is shown in Fig. 2. The number of tests based on the ARIB Technical Report ver. 2 is likely to increase, as the public data transmission services started in April 1996.