New Changes to the Cellular Standards

The new (2025) versions of AS/CA S042.1, S042.4, and S042.5 were published today. Following this publication, there is a 12-month transition period during which equipment may be tested or assessed to either of the 2022 or 2025 standards.

What’s new in AS/CA S042.1:2025?

The S042.1 standard primarily covers requirements for emergency dialling and acoustic safety. The major change to the 2025 version is the inclusion of Emergency Cell Broadcast requirements for the upcoming National Messaging System (NMS). This system is based largely on the existing European (EU-Alert) and North American requirements and is expected to be active in mid-2027.

What does this mean for my product?

We would expect most mobile phones to already be compliant with EU-Alert requirements, so there shouldn’t be much more needed here. The Australian standard puts in additional requirements to EU-Alert such as alert tones based on the North American rules, and how information is presented to the user.

For now, you only need to provide a declaration to the relevant European and North American rules, as well as our Australian additions. We expect, with the rollout of the NMS in 2027, these requirements may be revisited for future devices.

What’s new in AS/CA S042.4:2025 and AS/CA S042.5:2025?

The big change to S042.4:2025 is the removal of 3G (UMTS) requirements. With the shutdown of 3G by all telecommunication providers in Australia, this section is no longer relevant. S042.4:2025 also adds requirements for Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), though no requirements for emergency calls or alerts over NTN are introduced.

With the publication of the European harmonised standard for 5G NR (EN 301 908-25), the S042.5:2025 standard incorporates new requirements based on this. As with previous versions of the S042 standards, if your product is compliant in Europe, it’s very likely to be compliant here.

The new standards also include requirements for band 26, which was recently implemented by Australian networks due to its crossover with existing band 5. Being a North American band, our requirements are based on FCC rules.

Can Comtest still assess my product?

At Comtest Laboratories, we are fully capable of testing your product to the 2025 standards. Contact us today to discuss how we can help getting your mobile phone, tablet, or other cellular product approved.

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.