Radiocommunications equipment installed in motor vehicles
It is important to know that all radiocommunications equipment in motor vehicles must fulfil the legal requirements applicable in Switzerland, regardless of whether the equipment was installed as original or retrofitted.
Anyone who imports a motor vehicle for personal use or who is active on the motor vehicle market must ensure the compliance of vehicles that they place into road circulation, import or equip, including with regard to radiocommunications equipment. Such equipment includes:
- remote door-locking systems
- tyre pressure sensors
- vehicle immobilisers
- alarms
- radar proximity sensors
- wireless hands-free kits (for mobile phones)
- vehicle tracking systems
OFCOM's monitoring of this type of installation has that market participants often lack important information. We would therefore remind participants that all radiocommunications equipment intended for motor vehicles, whether installed as standard by the manufacturers or retrofitted, must comply with the provisions of the Ordinance on Technical Requirements for Road Vehicles (RVTRO; SR 741.41) and the Ordinance on Telecommunications Installations (FAV; SR 784.101.2).
When importing a motor vehicle, make sure that all of the vehicle's radiocommunications equipment is compliant and uses the frequencies allocated to it in Switzerland. If this is not the case, you must take the equipment out of service or replace it with equipment that complies with Swiss regulations. It should be noted that the import of vehicles covered by an EU type approval does not pose a problem.
If you are importing new radiocommunications equipment intended to be installed in a motor vehicle, check that it can be used in Switzerland. Indicators of compliance: it must be accompanied by a declaration of conformity with the Ordinance on Telecommunications Installations (FAV; SR 784.101.2) or the European Radio Directive (RED; 2014/53/EU1) and bear a "CH" or "CE" conformity mark. A link to the other elements of compliance can be found below under Further information. If you are unsure about the vehicles or equipment that you would like to import, you should ask the seller for confirmation that they meet Swiss requirements.
As part of its surveillance activities, OFCOM carries out conformity checks on radiocommunications equipment. If it finds non-compliant equipment, it can:
- prohibit the radiocommunications equipment from being placed on the market;
- require the radiocommunications equipment to be taken out of service.
