Lots of things can prevent a device from connecting to a cellular network, but one thing is designed to ensure success: certification. By proving that they meet operator and regulator requirements for data throughput, voice quality, antenna performance, RF safety, and more, certified devices get the green light to connect.
Certification is a requirement for every type of cellular device, from smartphones to asset trackers. Certification has been around for decades, but it’s continually evolving as cellular technology evolves. Here’s a rundown of how certification works, the role of pre-certification, some major recent changes, and why one key aspect will always be the same.
How Certification and Pre-Certification Work
In the U.S., certification testing involves operators, the FCC, and authorized third parties, and includes field and lab environments. In 1997, mobile operators established the PTCRB program to define test specifications and processes to ensure device interoperability. The PTCRB certification process has six steps:
Each operator has its own set of requirements for performance and for the bands where it owns licenses. All of those are continually evolving as operators make changes, such as getting licenses for new bands or adding network support for new technologies.
For example, 3GPP Release 13 introduced LTE NB-IoT. AT&T requires NB-IoT devices to have modules and antennas that support bands 24 and 12. Operators also have performance requirements — measured in total radiated power (TRP) and total isotropic sensitivity (TIS) — that NB-IoT and Cat M1 devices must meet in order to use their networks. These requirements tend to be less stringent than those for other LTE standards. (For more insights, see “Choosing the Right LTE Standard for IoT Applications.”)
Pre-certification is exactly what it sounds like: a preliminary battery of tests to ensure that the module, antenna system, or module-antenna combination will pass the PTCRB tests. It’s crucial for getting new devices to market on time and on budget by identifying issues that would cause failure during the PTCRB tests, requiring redesign and retesting. (For a deeper dive, see “Why Cellular Pre-Certification is Critical and How to Successfully Navigate the Process.”)
Both pre-certification and certification also give enterprises, first responder agencies, and other customers the confidence that their devices will connect right out of the box. This aspect is more important than ever now that internet connectivity is a fundamental requirement for so many enterprise, industrial, and consumer IoT devices. Hence the PTRCRB’s IoT Network Certified™ program.
One example is an air conditioner with an embedded IoT module for remote diagnostics. By certifying that module for use with every major U.S. operator, the AC manufacturer can ensure that it will always be able to establish a network connection at every customer home. This also eliminates the need for HVAC contractors to manually configure the connection when installing the AC unit.
What’s New
The air conditioner example is helpful for understanding one of the new technologies that’s now part of the certification process: the electronic SIM (eSIM), which replaces the traditional physical chip. An eSIM can be provisioned and reprovisioned for any mobile operator, so it’s a good fit for single-SKU IoT modules that could be used anywhere in a country, continent, or the world.
The PTCRB and IoT Network Certified Certification programs are updated quarterly to reflect changes in 3GPP and CTIA standards. (To download the latest update, visit https://www.ptcrb.com/get-certified/#documents and select “PTCRB NAPRD03.”) For example, the September 2025 update added tests for 5G RedCap, which debuted in 3GPP Release 17.
Other noteworthy changes in 2025 include:
- Test data for certified chipsets now can be reused. This reduces both cost and time to market for new products.
- Pre-certified chipsets are now available. These also help reduce development costs and time to market. The first chipset was announced in April 2025: Sony’s Altair ALT1350, which includes LTE-M/NB-IoT and NTN.
- Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) don’t necessarily require full recertification anymore. Minor changes such as software/firmware updates might not need retesting if the total design still meets PTCRB benchmarks.
The GSMA SGP.32 standard provides the framework that facilitates these eSIM capabilities. Taoglas engineering services can help device OEMs and systems integrators with active and over-the-air (OTA) testing to verify these capabilities. This process can use either a test SIM or a method to control the eSIM. In both cases, the SiM/eSIM does not need to be loaded with an operator profile to conduct the tests. During active testing (TRP and TIS), the device’s radio module is connected to a call box that acts as a base station. Based on the frequency bands supported by the radio module, TRP and TIS measurements can be performed. These tests are conducted inside an anechoic chamber and do not require a connection to a live (OTA) network.
What Hasn’t Changed
Standards come and go, while operator and regulatory requirements evolve over time. But one thing never changes: The antenna system will always play a fundamental, critical role in the device’s ability to support those standards and meet those requirements.
That role highlights the importance of choosing an antenna partner that has both the expertise and specialized test equipment necessary to take a product from the drawing board to successful certification. For example, an expert partner can provide certification guidance at the start of product development to avoid retesting and redesigns. That’s key for getting the product to market on time and on budget. An expert partner also can provide strategic guidance, such as the latest pre-certified chipsets and how they can be used to streamline product development, and adding support for new technologies such as NTN.
Since 2004, Taoglas has been that trusted partner for thousands of device OEMs and systems integrators. Our antenna design and testing services include 2G through 5G, NTN, GNSS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and more, as well as specialized networks such as FirstNet.
To learn more, visit https://www.taoglas.com/design-and-test-service-workflows.
