What is EN 301 893 Certification Compliance

What is EN 301 893 Certification?

EN 301 893 certification compliance refers to the completion of a radio frequency (RF) spectrum assessment for 5GHz Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) / Wireless Access Systems (WAS) equipment in accordance with the ETSI EN 301 893 standard. It serves as harmonized standard evidence for Article 3.2 of the eu red directive (2014/53/EU), which mandates the "effective and efficient use of the radio spectrum to avoid harmful interference." Ultimately, it supports products in affixing the ce mark and entering the European Union (EU) / European Economic Area (EEA) market.

It primarily covers 5GHz RLAN/WAS devices operating in bands such as 5150–5350MHz and 5470–5725MHz, and involves requirements like transmit power, occupied bandwidth, out-of-band/spurious emissions, DFS, TPC, and channel access adaptivity.

If a product features 5GHz WiFi (e.g., routers, APs, network cards, smart terminals, IoT gateways, etc.), this standard is almost always used when applying for EU CE-RED.

Which Products Require EN 301 893 Compliance?

As long as a device uses and transmits via 5GHz WAS/RLAN in Europe, it typically needs to be evaluated under EN 301 893. Typical products include:

1.Wireless routers, enterprise APs, and Mesh nodes

2.5GHz WiFi modules / network cards / repeaters

3.5GHz WLAN functions in laptops, tablets, and mobile phones

4.Point-to-point / point-to-multipoint 5GHz bridges, indoor and outdoor backhauls

5.Smart home devices, cameras, industrial gateways, POS machines, medical terminals, and other products with 802.11a/n/ac/ax/be 5GHz capabilities.

6.Devices supporting 5725–5850MHz: V2.2.1 incorporates Sub-band 4, but whether it can be used at high power in a specific country depends on the member state's frequency allocation and installation conditions.

Note on Inapplicability / Separate Judgment: 2.4GHz-only WiFi falls under EN 300 328; 6GHz WiFi 6E falls under EN 303 687, etc.; UWB, cellular, and NFC each have their own separate standards.

EN 301 893 Testing Requirements

The difficulty in 5GHz compliance lies not in "whether it can connect to WiFi," but in "whether it will interfere with radar and other radio services." The routine evaluation items are as follows:

Operating Frequency Bands and Power Limits

The main frequency bands covered by the standard are:

1.5150–5350MHz: Usually for indoor RLAN scenarios; power limits for some sub-bands differ from outdoor limits.

2.5470–5725MHz: DFS band, requiring coexistence with radar.

3.5725–5850MHz: Treated as Sub-band 4 in V2.2.1; whether it is open, along with its power tiers and indoor/outdoor conditions, must be confirmed according to the target country's regulations.

Power is evaluated based on the entire device's EIRP / Power Spectral Density (PSD), not just the chip's "nominal 23dBm." Antenna gain, feeder loss, different channel bandwidths, and different sub-bands will all affect the conclusion.

Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS)

Used for DFS scenarios related to 5470–5725MHz and 5250–5350MHz, with the purpose of avoiding weather, military, and radar systems:

1.Conducting a Channel Availability Check (CAC) before enabling a new channel (commonly requiring at least a 60-second listen).

2.Stopping transmission and switching channels according to standard timing sequences after detecting radar during operation.

3.Entering a Non-Occupancy Period (NOP) / lockout period for radar-occupied channels (commonly around 30 minutes, depending on the version and device role).

4.Master, Slave, and Client roles have different requirements; not all terminals need to independently perform a full suite of radar detection.

Transmit Power Control (TPC)

1.When TPC is implemented, the control range is usually at least 6dB (descriptions may vary depending on the version/scenario).

2.When TPC is not implemented, relevant frequency bands may adopt alternative power reduction solutions according to the standard.

3.Objective: To reduce cumulative interference with radar and other WAS/RLANs.

Adaptivity / Channel Access

Devices must have a Listen Before Talk (LBT) or equivalent channel assessment mechanism to avoid "channel grabbing." V2.2.1 adds or refines requirements regarding energy detection thresholds, adjacent channel selectivity, MRU/Puncturing, and multi-channel transmission masks.

Transmitter RF and Spurious Emissions

1.Frequency stability, nominal / Occupied Bandwidth (OBW).

2.In-band transmission mask (spectrum mask), ACLR / adjacent channel leakage.

3.Out-of-band spurious emissions, out-of-band unwanted emissions (e.g., segmented limits for 30MHz–1GHz, 1GHz–higher bands).

4.Multi-antenna, MU-MIMO, 160MHz, 320MHz, and Puncturing configurations must be covered.

Receiver Performance

1.Receiver blocking, adjacent channel selectivity, and receiver spurious emissions.

2.For high-throughput WiFi, Packet Error Rate (PER) / throughput degradation under weak signals must also be checked, rather than just testing the transmission.

EN 301 893 Compliance Process within CE-RED

This standard only covers the RF spectrum layer. The overall CE process for 5GHz products usually proceeds as follows:

Determine RED Scope: Having wireless transmit/receive functions usually brings the product under RED 2014/53/EU.

List of Standards:

1.5GHz RF: EN 301 893 (version based on the EU Official Journal citation at the time of market placement).

2.2.4GHz Coexistence: EN 300 328.

3.EMC: EN 301 489-1 + EN 301 489-17 (WiFi / Broadband transmission).

4.Safety: EN 62368-1 (IT / AV / Communication equipment).

5.Health Exposure: Assess SAR / en 62479 / en 62311, etc., based on the product's usage distance.

6.Cybersecurity: If RED Article 3.3(d)(e)(f) is involved, assess according to new requirements like the en 18031 series.

Pre-testing + Formal Testing of Samples: Laboratories issue reports in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025; 5GHz testing heavily focuses on DFS, power, spurious emissions, and adaptivity.

Technical File Compilation:

1.Product description, models, photos, hardware/software versions.

2.Schematics / PCB layouts / BOM / Antenna specifications.

3.Frequency bands, channels, power tables, country code restriction logic.

4.RF / EMC / Safety / Health / Cybersecurity reports.

5.Risk assessment, user manuals, labels, draft DoC.

Conformity Assessment Path:

1.Module A (Internal Production Control / Self-Declaration): If all harmonized standards are applied and cover all essential requirements.

2.Module B+C, H (Notified Body / NB Intervention): If not fully covered, no harmonized standards exist, or specific RED Annex III requirements are triggered.

Sign eu doc + Affix CE Mark: The Declaration of Conformity (DoC) lists the red directive, standard versions, and manufacturer/authorized representative. Technical files are usually kept for 10 years.

Continuous Maintenance: Changing antennas, modifying RF firmware, adding channels, replacing PA/FEM, or entering new member states all require a re-evaluation of standard versions and their spectrum impact.

How to Choose Between EN 301 893 V2.1.1 and V2.2.1

1.Continued Production of Old Models: Check the EU Official Journal transition period, the version cited in the original DoC, and target country acceptance.

2.New Models / WiFi 6, WiFi 7, MRU, Puncturing, 5725–5850MHz: Prioritize designing according to V2.2.1; however, confirm the Official Journal list and mandatory dates before placing the product on the market.

3.Exporting to Multiple European Countries: In addition to EN standards, check each country's specific restrictions on 5GHz sub-bands, outdoor use, SRD (Short Range Devices), and radar protection bands.

FAQ

Q1: Is EN 301 893 a mandatory certification?

It is not a "standalone mandatory certificate," but it is the primary harmonized path for 5GHz RLAN to comply with RED Article 3.2. If you do not adopt it, you can use other technical justifications to prove compliance, but the burden of proof is much heavier.

Q2: Do I need EN 301 893 if I only use 2.4GHz?

No. 2.4GHz typically falls under EN 300 328; dual-band products require both standards.

Q3: If the 5GHz module comes pre-certified from the factory, does the terminal still need to be tested?

Module reports can be reused, but the terminal's antenna, power, enclosure, country codes, and overall EMC/Safety must still be evaluated.

Q4: Do all products require DFS testing?

It is only performed in applicable sub-bands / device roles. Scenarios like indoor pure Ad-hoc in 5150–5250MHz are judged based on standard versions and roles; it cannot be generalized.

Q5: What are the cycle time and cost for CE-RED?

A simple 5GHz single-device RF + EMC + Safety testing usually takes several weeks and costs starting from over $2,000 USD. Costs will be higher for multi-model / multi-band products or if Notified Body (NB) intervention is required.