Equipment meeting RED standards are accepted and approved in Congo. For ARPTC, this decision is logical because Congo and Europe are in the same region according to the division made by the ITU. Moreover, the agency requires a sample before approval.
The Regulatory Authority of the Post and Telecommunications of Congo (ARPTC), authorizes all certified and approved equipment in the European region and that are marked CE. Radio Equipment Directive (RED) being a European standard is no exception to this standard. RF equipment, radio transmitters and digital TV are included in the RED standard in Congo. This Directive ensures a single market for radio equipment by setting up essential requirements for safety and health, electromagnetic compatibility and efficient use of radio spectrum.
The ARPTC also authorizes the standards of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which are American standards. Apart from American and European standards, ARPTC does not accept any other standard for the approval of telecommunications equipment. It is to be mentioned that for the purpose of the practice of import licensing in Congo, ARPTC requires the presentation of a sample that is not returned to the importer even after the tests have been carried out. It is to be mentioned that exempting an importer from showing a sample falls within the power of the Agency.
The Import licensing process is an activity that consists in ensuring that telecommunications equipment dealers abide by the standards approved by a regulatory authority. For that reason, each regulator determines their own regulation, even though in most cases, the agencies align with internationally- accepted