Regulatory Compliance News

Canada Regulates Unlicensed 6 GHz Wireless Hardware Under Technical Standard RSS-248

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) maintains Radio Standards Specification RSS-248, setting mandatory equipment authorization rules for license-exempt Radio Local Area Network (RLAN) devices operating across the 5925–7125 MHz frequency band. Covering advanced Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) hardware, the standard establishes technical constraints for maximum output power, spectral density, unwanted emissions, and operational restrictions. By authorizing the full 1200 MHz of contiguous spectrum in the 6 GHz band, Canada provides expanded network capacity for high-throughput consumer electronics, enterprise access points, and industrial IoT deployments while maintaining strict co-existence mechanisms to protect primary incumbent fixed microwave links and satellite services.

Under RSS-248, ISED categorizes 6 GHz equipment into distinct operational classes, each subject to tailored power limits and deployment rules. Low-Power Indoor (LPI) access points and indoor subordinate devices are capped at a maximum Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (E.I.R.P.) of 30 dBm (with an e.i.r.p. spectral density limit of 5 dBm/MHz) and must be powered via a wired connection without weatherized enclosures or battery power. Low-power client devices operating under LPI access points are restricted to a maximum e.i.r.p. of 24 dBm (-1 dBm/MHz e.i.r.p. spectral density). For high-power outdoor and indoor coverage, standard-power access points and fixed client devices operating up to 36 dBm e.i.r.p. must interface with approved Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) systems to dynamically avoid interfering with incumbent licensed receivers.

To further accommodate evolving short-range hardware, ISED updated the framework through RSS-248 Issue 3, formally introducing Very Low-Power (VLP) device requirements. Operating across the entire 5925–7125 MHz spectrum at a maximum e.i.r.p. of 14 dBm (-8 dBm/MHz spectral density), VLP devices can operate both indoors and outdoors—unlike LPI hardware—enabling mobile use cases such as augmented reality (AR) headsets, connected vehicles, and portable peripherals. The updated regulation also reinforces software security mandates, requiring original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to implement cryptographic or hardware-coded protections that prevent unauthorized third-party modification of RF parameters, power levels, or contention-based protocols.

Compliance with RSS-248 is mandatory for manufacturers, importers, and distributors seeking Category I equipment certification and listing on ISED's Radio Equipment List (REL). Technical construction files submitted to Foreign Certification Bodies (FCBs) must contain accredited laboratory test reports demonstrating compliance with designated output power limits, occupied bandwidth, and out-of-band emission masks evaluated under standard ANSI C63.10 methodologies. Additionally, non-VLP devices must include explicit user manual warnings prohibiting operation on aircraft, oil platforms, trains, automobiles, maritime vessels, and unmanned aircraft systems. Ensuring strict adherence to RSS-248 parameters and software security controls guarantees seamless North American market access and safeguards shared spectrum integrity.