What is European Operator GCF Certification?

GCF is the abbreviation for the Global Certification Forum, which is an international organization. Its members consist of 142 operators, 33 terminal manufacturers, testing agencies, and test equipment suppliers. The GCF organization coordinates mobile phone conformance testing standards and defines a testing system used to ensure mobile phones meet network deployment requirements. At the same time, all member operators agree to this testing system. In other words, GCF approval means that all member operators approve the mobile phone, eliminating the need for additional testing in the future.

What is a GCF Member?

GCF adopts a membership system for companies and organizations participating in the GCF certification scheme and testing. This means that an entity must become a GCF member to access the GCF certification management system and participate in the GCF certification scheme and testing.

GCF members are divided into four main categories:

• Operator

• Manufacturer

• Observer

• Client Vendor

Note: Testing laboratories generally belong to the Observer members.

What is an RTO?

Before January 1, 2013, testing laboratories could conduct GCF certification testing as long as they were GCF members. However, after January 1, 2013, GCF established the testing laboratory recognition scheme: RTO (Recognised Test Organisations). A laboratory needs to become an RTO to conduct GCF certification testing. Therefore, current testing laboratories cannot provide GCF testing services simply by being GCF members; they must become RTO laboratories.

Currently, RTO laboratories are divided into three main categories:

• Conformance Testing

• Interoperability Testing

• Field Trials

Because GCF certification includes these three main categories of testing, GCF's RTO laboratory recognition is also divided into three main categories. For example, becoming a Conformance Testing RTO does not necessarily mean becoming a Field Trials RTO; they require separate recognition. In addition, these three major categories of testing are further divided into various sub-category tests, so even if a laboratory becomes an RTO for a major category, it does not necessarily possess all the testing capabilities of that major category.

What are the Main Test Contents of GCF Certification?

1) Conformance Testing

• GSM portion: Mainly includes RF, Protocol, Audio, SIM/STK, etc.

• WCDMA portion: Mainly includes RF, RRM, Protocol, Audio, USIM/UICC/USTK, GPS, etc.

• LTE portion: Mainly includes RF, RRM, Protocol, USIM/UICC/USTK, GPS, etc.

• OTA Testing: TRP (Total Radiated Power), TIS (Total Isotropic Sensitivity). (Because OTA testing methods differ significantly from other conformance testing methods, many laboratories classify OTA as a separate major category, which has no impact on the testing itself).

2) Interoperability Testing

• MMS - Multimedia Messaging Service

• POC - PTT (Push-to-Talk) Over Cellular

• VT - Video Telephony

• DM - Device Management

• SUPL - Secure User Plane Location

• RCS - Rich Communications Suite

3) Field Trials

• Mainly includes RC, BM, GPRS, PS, SIM, USIM/UICC, T2T, SMS, NI, etc.

GCF Certification Can Be Divided Into Two Methods:

(1) Certification Certificate Method

This method involves listing product model information on the GCF or PTCRB website. GCF or PTCRB members can query the product's certification information through the GCF or PTCRB website. The certification certificate method of GCF or PTCRB requires the completion of all conformance and end-to-end testing, and then uploading the test reports to the GCF or PTCRB website. As long as it passes the audit, it will be displayed on the website.

• Advantages: Very high level of recognition for the product among various operators.

• Disadvantages: Due to the massive amount of testing, the testing costs will be relatively high.

(2) Test Report Method

Testing can be conducted according to the customer's requirements, and the customer can specify the test contents. Usually, customers will request the completion of a small portion of the RF, Protocol, SIM, and Audio tests within the conformance testing.

• Advantages: Flexible customization of test contents, and testing costs will be relatively low.

• Disadvantages: Recognition is not as high as the certificate method; it is usually testing specified by a specific operator. After the testing is completed, only a test report is provided, and it cannot be listed on the GCF and PTCRB websites.

Materials to be Provided for GCF:

GCF testing and certification require the provision of PICS/PIXIT.

• PICS: Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement

• PIXIT: Protocol Implementation Extra Information for Testing

PICS/PIXIT is used to describe the various functions and parameters of the sample. The required testing contents can be selected based on this document.

GCF Official Website: http://www.globalcertificationforum.org