NATA's Role

Telecommunications equipment classified as requiring testing to compliance level 3 in the Australian Communications and Media Authority's (ACMA) Telecommunications Labelling (Customer Equipment and Customer Cabling) Notice 2001 (Telecommunications Labelling Notice) (as amended from time to time) must have testing to Australian-technical standards done by a Recognised Testing Authority (RTA). The Telecommunications Labelling Notice is the legal instrument which mandates the Australian telecommunications regulatory arrangement.

The Telecommunications Labelling (Customer Equipment and Customer Cabling) Notice 2001 is available on ACMA's website at http://www.acma.gov.au

ACMA has determined the National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) as an accreditation body as per section 409(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cth). NATA's role is to determine RTA's as per section 409(2) of the Act.

Laboratories are determined on the basis of their accreditation by:

• NATA
• an accreditation body with whom NATA holds a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA)

A number of test houses, including overseas laboratories, have been determined by NATA to be RTA's for the purposes of the Telecommunications Act 1997. Determinations are made specifically for any Standard listed in the Telecommunications Labelling Notice requiring testing at compliance level 3. Hence, to be determined, a laboratory must have one or more of these standards identified in its scope of accreditation.

Telecommunications equipment must also satisfy the Australian EMC regulatory arrangement. This requires a test report against AS/NZS CISPR 22 from an accredited laboratory (or European and international equivalents). Telecommunications equipment may also be required to satisfy the Australian EMR and radiocommunications requirements also regulated by the ACMA. It should be noted, however, that there is no requirement for EMC, EMR or radiocommunications testing laboratories to be determined as RTA.

More information about ACMA's technical regulatory regimes is available on the ACMA website at http://www.acma.gov.au

RTA List

In some instances, laboratories have exclusions listed in the scope of accreditation. These are tests to clauses in the standard which the laboratory cannot perform as part of their accreditation and hence, for which the laboratory's RTA status does not apply. The exact nature of these exclusions should be checked with the laboratory.

It is also recommended that an endorsed test report (one containing the logo of the accreditation body and some reference to the accreditation) be specified in the purchase order. The endorsement will assist ACMA auditors in identifying that the testing has been performed under the laboratory's scope of accreditation.

For more information on determination as an RTA or to advise of any omissions or errors in the list, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Download RTA List

The latest Recognised Testing Authorities list is available as an Acrobat Reader file. Download the file.