Cellular Testing (AS/CA S042) In Australia – An Overview

April 2025

In December last year we developed a compliance news article highlighting the importance of emergency call testing in Australia for mobile devices.

You can find the December article here: Emergency Call Testing in Australia: Ensuring Safety and Compliance with Comtest – Comtest Group

In addition to emergency calls, there are a few more requirements within the AS/CA S042 standards that all mobile devices must adhere to. Regardless of capability, there are clauses in each standard that may apply to your device.

AS/CA S042.1:2022

This standard primarily concerns voice capable devices. Any device capable of dialling must strictly follow the emergency call requirements detailed in the December article. It’s important to note here that there are some limited devices for which emergency dialling may not be applicable – for example, a telematics unit that can only dial a preset call centre (not the public emergency call service) is exempt from the emergency call requirements.

Mobile devices designed to be held to the ear (such as a phone) must meet the limits for maximum sound pressure. This limit is 120 dB(A) and is tested by playing a series of tones between 400 and 4000 Hz, with each tone slowly rising in volume. This is referred to as a Stepped Pulse Stimuli and is a requirement for non-cellular voice devices as well, such as VoIP phones. The output of the mobile phone is recorded and analysed using a simulated ear, which accurately mimics how a human would hear the sound.

The stepped pulse is used in place of a constant tone or sweep as many devices incorporate Automatic Gain Control, which may purposely limit the test tones.

Additionally, this standard includes requirements for all cellular devices regarding device identifiers. All devices must implement an IMEI or PEI according to the relevant ETSI standards.

AS/CA S042.4:2022 (LTE)

This standard covers 3G, LTE, and OFDMA WMAN (WiMAX) devices. With WiMAX and 3G networks shut down, LTE is the only active technology still covered by this standard.

The requirements here cover all devices’ interoperability with the networks at the radio level. Networks in Australia utilise LTE bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 26, 28, 38, 40, and 42, and requirements for each are based on the European and North American (FCC) rules. Any device already tested in both these regions is likely to pass the Australian assessment.

Band 5 is (currently) the only band requiring FCC testing, with band 26 to be adopted by a future revision of the standard. Testing for all other bands is covered within ETSI EN 301 908-1 and EN 301 908-13. It is expected that any device incorporating a pre- approved module is tested for radiated emissions to prove continued compliance with the ETSI standard.

The standard is broken down into requirements for specific LTE subsets, including Single Carrier, Carrier Aggregation, Cat M1, NB-IoT, and V2X. Each supported technology requires testing to the relevant rules.

AS/CA S042.5:2022 (5G)

This standard covers 5G NR devices and is split into FR1 (below 7 GHz) and FR2 (24 to 71 GHz). Australian networks are currently operating on bands n1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n26, n28, n40, n76, and n258. The standard also provisions for n81, n82, n257, and n261, though these are not currently in use. Much like LTE band 26, band n26 will be adopted by a future revision of the standard.

As the European standard (EN 301 908-25) has not been finalised, the Australian requirements call for testing to ETSI TS 138 101. This is a minimum standard, and testing to the draft EN 301 908-25 standard almost always is sufficient.

What does this mean for your product?

Any cellular product intended for sale in Australia must be compliant with the relevant AS/CA S042 standard. This includes (but is not limited to) voice capable products, products with limited dialling capabilities, data only products, products with limited network service, fixed, and mobile devices.

While the European and North American test suites are a basis for our standards, all products must still be completely assessed to AS/CA S042.1:2022, S042.4:2022 (if they support LTE), and S042.5:2022 (if they support 5G), and will incorporate an assessment of the ETSI and FCC test reports you may have already.

Comtest Laboratories can assess cellular products for AS/CA S042.4:2022, AS/CA S042.5:2022, is NATA accredited to perform AS/CA S042.1:2022 testing completely, including emergency calls, maximum sound pressure, and satellite-based products.

Contact us on +61396455933 or visit our website www.comtestgroup.com.au to learn more about our comprehensive range of services and how we can help you achieve compliance excellence.