The Global Certification Forum, known as GCF, is an active partnership between
mobile network operators,
mobile device
A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physica ...
manufacturers and the test industry. GCF was founded in
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
, and its membership has been responsible for creating an independent certification programme to help ensure global interoperability between mobile devices and networks.
The GCF certification process is based on technical requirements as specified within dedicated test specifications provided by the 3GPP, 3GPP2, OMA, IMTC, the
GSM Association
The GSM Association (commonly referred to as 'the GSMA' or ''Global System for Mobile Communications'', originally ''Groupe Spécial Mobile'') is an industry organisation that represents the interests of mobile network operators worldwide. More ...
and others. The current GCF membership includes mobile network operators, more than 40 leading terminal manufacturers and over 65 test equipment manufacturers, test laboratories and other organizations from mainly a test environment.
Recognized Test Organizations
Recognised Test Organisations (RTO) are GCF Members that have demonstrated they possess the experience, qualifications and systems to assess mobile phones and wireless devices against GCF's Certification Criteria.
The Conformance and Field Trial RTOs
are organisations to ensure quality compliance for devices per technical standards (e.g. 3GPP) and in industry guidelines for live networks (e.g. GSMA TS.11), respectively.
A GCF-certified device is much more likely to perform its best as it would be configured to fit the “DNAs” of the network connected and have resolved any issue before its product launch. Therefore GCF certification enhances the commercial success of a model as well as its brand owner in the fiercely competitive mobile market.
From 1 January 2013, it became a requirement that all device testing associated with GCF Certification must be undertaken by an RTO. The scheme recognises Test Organisations in three distinct disciplines: Conformance Testing, Field Trials and Interoperability Testing. To become an RTO, an organisation must submit a declaration confirming that it understands GCF procedures and has the ability to conduct testing in accordance with GCF rules and the relevant RTO requirements.
From 1 January 2015, GCF took over all certification activities previously handled by the
CDMA Certification Forum (CCF).
The current CEO is Lars Nielsen.
See also
*
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdicti ...
*
PTCRB
{{Infobox Organization
, name = PTCRB
, image = PTCRB.png
, size =
, caption =
, motto =
, formation = 1997
, purpose = Certification of Wireless ...
, which provides the framework for
GSM
The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is a standard developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to describe the protocols for second-generation ( 2G) digital cellular networks used by mobile devices such ...
Mobile Equipment (ME) Type Certification in North America.
References
External links
Official website
Mobile telecommunications standards
Mobile phone standards
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