Canada RSS-247 DFS Certification: Amendment 1 Explained
Canada RSS-247 DFS Certification: ISED Amendment 1 Sets 5600–5650 MHz Timing for 5 GHz Wi-Fi
Canada RSS-247 DFS certification has a new detail to watch. On 8 October 2026, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) published Amendment 1 to RSS-247 Issue 4, the standard for digital transmission systems, frequency hopping systems and licence-exempt local area network (LE-LAN) devices. The amendment updates section 7.3.6.3 on dynamic frequency selection (DFS) and adds timing values for devices that use the 5600–5650 MHz band.
Background: RSS-247 Issue 4 and the 5600–5650 MHz band
RSS-247 Issue 4 was published on 24 July 2025 and replaced Issue 3 from August 2023. Its biggest technical change was removing the restriction on operating in 5600–5650 MHz, a range shared with weather radars. Issue 4 came into force on publication, with a six-month transition during which ISED accepted applications under Issue 3 or Issue 4.
Equipment under RSS-247 is Category I. It needs a technical acceptance certificate from ISED's Certification and Engineering Bureau or a certificate from a recognized certification body.
DFS has been the condition for using 5600–5650 MHz from the start. Section 7.3.6.1 accepts either FCC KDB Procedure 905462 or the ETSI EN 301 893 test procedure for the 5 GHz DFS bands. In 5600–5650 MHz, though, only ETSI EN 301 893 may be used. Devices tested with the KDB procedure have to stay within 5250–5350 MHz, 5470–5600 MHz and 5650–5725 MHz.
In August, we covered ISED's move to ETSI EN 301 893 V2.2.1 for DFS testing, with V1.8.1 no longer accepted for new applications after 20 July 2026. Amendment 1 is the next step for products that use this band.
ISED also published RSS-Gen Issue 6 on 30 July 2026, with Amendment 1 following on 15 September 2026. ISED says the RSS-247 change follows that publication.
Key Changes in the Canada RSS-247 DFS Certification Rules
ISED describes Amendment 1 in one line: it "updated section 7.3.6.3 following the publication of RSS-Gen Issue 6." In the current text, two requirements now apply specifically to devices whose emission bandwidth falls completely or partly in 5600–5650 MHz:
Channel availability check: 10 minutes when the ETSI EN 301 893 test procedure is used. Elsewhere, the device may use a channel if no radar is detected within 60 s, and the check applies only in controller mode.
Channel closing transmission time: 1 s when the ETSI EN 301 893 test procedure is used. The general rule stays at 200 ms from the start of the channel move time, plus up to 60 ms of intermittent control signals over the rest of the 10 s period.
Everything else in section 7.3.6.3 reads as before. Devices must still monitor the operating channel in service, stop transmitting within 10 s of detecting radar, and keep a flagged channel unused for 30 minutes. Client devices without radar detection only need to meet the channel move time and channel closing transmission time.
The detection thresholds in Table 2 don't change either: -62 dBm for devices below 200 mW e.i.r.p. with a power spectral density under 10 dBm/MHz, and -64 dBm for devices from 200 mW to 1 W.
What This Means for Manufacturers
For most 5 GHz products, nothing changes. The amendment matters if your access point, router or client device operates in 5600–5650 MHz, either across its full emission bandwidth or with a channel that overlaps the band edge.
DFS test plans for these products should use the 10-minute channel availability check and the 1 s closing time.
Test reports should show the ETSI EN 301 893 procedure for this band, since the KDB route isn't accepted there.
Products that avoid 5600–5650 MHz can keep the KDB 905462 route, as long as their channel plan stays out of the band.
If firmware enables or disables these channels by region, the Canadian configuration needs to match what was tested.
Anyone working on RSS-Gen Issue 6 updates can plan both changes together before the RSS-Gen transition ends.
ISED hasn't set a separate transition period for Amendment 1, so check with your certification body how it treats applications already in progress.
Certification Impact Summary
Area | Before | After | Impact level |
Channel availability check, 5600–5650 MHz | General 60 s rule in section 7.3.6.3 | 10 minutes with the ETSI EN 301 893 procedure | High (products using the band) |
Channel closing transmission time, 5600–5650 MHz | 200 ms + 60 ms aggregate | 1 s with the ETSI EN 301 893 procedure | Medium |
DFS test procedure in 5600–5650 MHz | ETSI EN 301 893 only | Unchanged | Low |
DFS bands outside 5600–5650 MHz | 60 s CAC, 10 s move time, 30 min non-occupancy | Unchanged | Low |
Radar detection thresholds (Table 2) | -62 dBm / -64 dBm | Unchanged | Low |
Transition | Issue 4: six months from 24 July 2025 | Not stated for Amendment 1 | To be confirmed |
Timeline and Required Actions
Key Dates
Date | Milestone |
24 July 2025 | RSS-247 Issue 4 published, with a six-month transition |
20 July 2026 | ETSI EN 301 893 V1.8.1 no longer accepted for new DFS applications |
30 July 2026 | RSS-Gen Issue 6 published, with a one-year transition |
15 September 2026 | RSS-Gen Issue 6 Amendment 1 published |
8 October 2026 | RSS-247 Issue 4 Amendment 1 published |
To be confirmed | Transition arrangements for RSS-247 Amendment 1, if any |
Required Actions for Manufacturers
List every 5 GHz product for Canada whose channel plan touches 5600–5650 MHz.
Check that DFS testing for those products follows ETSI EN 301 893 V2.2.1.
Update test plans to the 10-minute channel availability check and 1 s channel closing transmission time.
Confirm the Canadian firmware configuration matches the tested channel plan.
Ask your certification body how Amendment 1 applies to applications already submitted.
Plan RSS-Gen Issue 6 updates alongside this change.
Conclusion
Amendment 1 is a small change on paper, but it lands on the band that's hardest to get right in Canada. If your products use 5600–5650 MHz, align your DFS testing now so your next ISED application doesn't come back with questions. Contact our team for support with Canadian radio certification.
