Bluetooth SIG to Announce TCRL-2 in December and Other New Policies
TTA Information and Communications Testing and Certification Research Institute to Provide Protocol Conformance Testing from January Next Year

Recently, Bluetooth technology, which has finalized mesh standards, has also enhanced its testing and certification services, establishing itself as a representative wireless communication technology in the Internet of Things era.

In this regard, the Korea Information and Communications Technology Association (TTA) Information and Communications Testing and Certification Research Institute announced its plan to expand Bluetooth testing and certification services. Currently, the TTA Information and Communications Testing and Certification Research Institute can conduct Bluetooth 2.1 to 5.0 RF/RF-PHY conformance testing, and can perform Bluetooth protocol conformance testing and Bluetooth profile interoperability testing. However, Bluetooth 5.0 version protocol conformance testing and others are available from January next year onwards.

The TTA Bluetooth Test Facility (BQTF) is an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited testing laboratory that has held the Bluetooth International Accredited Test Facility credential since May 2003 and obtained the CTIA Bluetooth International Accredited Test Facility qualification in 2009.

Regarding certification policies, the Bluetooth SIG announced TCRL (Test Case Reference List) 2017-1 in June and also disclosed the Mesh Model. Since TCRL 2017-2 is scheduled to be announced in December, users requiring Bluetooth testing and certification can refer to the new regulations. Additionally, the Bluetooth SIG has announced a new tool, BLS (Bluetooth Launch Studio), which will replace the certification tool and is scheduled to be serviced within the second half of this year. While there are no major changes in functionality, the UI has been modified and cloud features have been strengthened.

In this manner, the Bluetooth SIG plans to strengthen its testing and certification capabilities and services in the future. Accordingly, new BQTF/BRTF/BQC programs will also be announced. The Bluetooth Certification Expert (BQE) designation will be changed to BQC and must be renewed annually. The current BQE list will be removed and the BQC list will be updated.

During a Bluetooth technology seminar hosted by the association, Jung Ji-ye, a senior researcher at the TTA Information and Communications Testing and Certification Research Institute, stated, "Bluetooth RF and profile testing and certification typically takes about three weeks depending on debugging issues, while protocol testing and certification usually takes two to three months," adding that related companies should refer to this in their development schedules.

Meanwhile, Bluetooth technology version 5.0, which is currently announced by the Bluetooth SIG, has intellectual property rights regardless of whether the technology or logo is used, so certification must be obtained for use. For Bluetooth certification, membership with the Bluetooth SIG is required as a basic requirement, which includes Associate membership, Adopter membership, and IIP membership for startups and small and medium-sized enterprises, and the prescribed certification procedures must be followed.

There are separate costs for membership registration, and IIP membership can receive discounts if the company has never been certified or has annual sales of 1 billion won or less. Testing and certification costs are divided into three major categories: testing costs and listing costs (registration fees) are mandatory, while BQE review costs are separate. The scope of certification also differs significantly by end product, subsystem, and component, so it is necessary to confirm how far certification needs to be obtained according to the purpose for which the product will be developed and sold.