UL NEBS FASTRACK On-site Witness Test Accreditation

NEBS (Network Equipment-Building System) certification is widely recognized and highly regarded in the Telecom industry. Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) and other telecom network service suppliers and producers have been paying great attention to the NEBS test because the reliability of the telephone system is a national security issue and a basic requirement of consumers.

UL has been providing NEBS services to the North American telecommunications industry since 1992. To obtain witness-testing accreditation, manufacturers need to set up the required laboratory equipment and to comply with the ISO 17025 requirements. Moreover, engineers are required to have profound knowledge about NEBS and good techniques on test operations.

“Building a qualified laboratory that meets all NEBS requirements is a huge investment. In China, we found that many enterprises are having difficulties in mastering NEBS testing techniques. Some even have limited understanding of NEBS and the related standards,” said Ralph Tang, General Manager of Consumer Products, UL Asia Pacific.

To assist Chinese telecommunication equipment manufacturers in saving time and money while demonstrating conformity with the NEBS requirements, UL has launched the UL NEBS FASTRACK On-site Witness Test Program (FASTRACK) in Greater China.

“In the FASTRACK program, UL provides not only expert advice on setting up a NEBS laboratory, but also a more flexible on-site witness testing solution,” said Eric Leung, General Manager of Consumer Sector, UL Greater China.

Two leading telecom equipment providers in China — Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and ZTE Corporation — realized the benefits of gaining NEBS accreditation and the importance of market globalization. In 2008, both companies joined the program and successfully obtained the UL NEBS FASTRACK On-site Witness Test accreditation.

Here are the process of the FASTRACK program in general:

“UL NEBS FASTRACK On-site Witness Test accreditation helped Huawei reduce certification time and testing costs for global market access,” said Mr. Wang Lun, manager of Reliability Laboratory of Huawei. “We are greatly impressed by the outstanding and professional support from the UL technical team. They helped us improve the safety performance of our products.”

“ZTE has chosen UL not only because of its professionalism and expertise but also its dedication in safety, which extends and delivers beyond certification,” said Mr. Xu Feng, General Manager of ZTE. “UL advised us on the whole process of laboratory set-up. Our engineers were also invited to UL’s laboratory in North Carolina for technical discussions.”

UL NEBS Seminar in Taiwan

In mid 2008, UL organized the first UL NEBS seminar in Greater China to discuss compliance strategies and share industry know-how with major telecommunications equipment manufacturers from Taiwan. About a hundred industry representatives attended the seminar. Matthew Marotto, UL Global NEBS Program Development Manager, provided a briefing on NEBS compliance requirements and shared knowledge with participants.

Know more about:
• Profiles of UL NEBS customers