The DRC has become the first African market to commercially launch DRC Direct-to-Cell satellite-to-mobile service, run by Airtel Congo with SpaceX's Starlink and supervised by regulator ARPTC. Compatible LTE Android smartphones connect straight to Starlink satellites where terrestrial coverage ends, with no dish or extra terminal. For device makers, the story is handset eligibility and existing ARPTC homologation duties rather than a new certification regime.

The Ofcom drone spectrum consultation, opened on 16 July 2026, sets out how the UK may authorise new spectrum for drone control links and drone detection radar. Ofcom proposes time-limited access to 450 MHz and the 5030-5091 MHz band for control links, plus a new licence for detection radar at 24 GHz and 16 GHz. The consultation is open for responses until 30 September 2026. Here is what the proposals mean for equipment manufacturers, importers and test labs seeking UK marke

On August 20, 2026, the FCC modified the FCC Covered List power inverters entry following a second Department of War determination. The update narrows the listing to utility-interactive inverters under UL 1741, exempts inverters eligible for the Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credit, and tightens the connectivity test to cover devices designed or configured to accept wired or wireless remote-communication components. Manufacturers face revised equipment-authorization

Pakistan telecom equipment certification is now mandatory. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has notified the Telecommunication Equipment Standards Regulations, 2024 through SRO 1110(I)/2026, requiring all telecom equipment manufactured, imported, sold or used in Pakistan to meet international technical, safety and electromagnetic standards. Manufacturers and importers must now obtain a Certificate of Compliance backed by accredited-lab test reports before market