What is DECT technology?
It concerns cordless telephones for terrestrial lines. The DECT Technology (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication; originally Digital European Cordless Telephony) has massively spread in Europe and by the end of 2005, it completely replaced original cordless telephones CT1, CT1+ and CT2. DECT Technology usage is not limited to cordless telephones only, but can be used also to operate other cordless devices. The European DECT operates on the frequency band 1880-1900 MHz which is free for this kind of use all across Europe.
What makes the DECT 6.0 device different and risky?
DECT 6.0 is American variant of the European DECT (despite Americans claim that the European DECT is derived from the American system). Again, it is a technology of cordless telephones for terrestrial line, but the radio signal transition between the receiver and the base connected to the terrestrial line is on a different frequency. However, the used frequency band 1920-1930 MHz is in all Europe used for UMTS*, i.e. for mobile operators’ networks. This is why operating cordless telephones DECT 6.0 causes hamper of the UMTS networks.
*Universal Mobile Terrestrial System. It is a system of standard for mobile phones which is a successor of the GSM System used by mobile operators in the Czech Republic.
How and why DECT 6.0 devices conquer the European market?
Originally, final users were buying the DECT 6.0 device privately during their stay or business trip in USA. But the development of the internet made this product much more available through direct purchases in American e-shops (however some e-shops still restrict limit possibilities of direct sale to Europe), in internet shops mediating purchase in American e-shops for a commission and exceptionally is offered also in ordinary shops.
Reason to the increased users’ interest in these devices in their price is that DECT 6.0 devices are competitive! But the main reason to the spread of DECT 6.0 is their marking which indicates, both in consumer and seller, the impression that it is a newer version of DECT (in the same way as it is a habit to mark new versions of software with numbers for example...).
Findings and actions taken by the Czech Trade Inspection Authority:
It concerns cordless telephones for terrestrial lines. The DECT Technology (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication; originally Digital European Cordless Telephony) has massively spread in Europe and by the end of 2005, it completely replaced original cordless telephones CT1, CT1+ and CT2. DECT Technology usage is not limited to cordless telephones only, but can be used also to operate other cordless devices. The European DECT operates on the frequency band 1880-1900 MHz which is free for this kind of use all across Europe.
What makes the DECT 6.0 device different and risky?
DECT 6.0 is American variant of the European DECT (despite Americans claim that the European DECT is derived from the American system). Again, it is a technology of cordless telephones for terrestrial line, but the radio signal transition between the receiver and the base connected to the terrestrial line is on a different frequency. However, the used frequency band 1920-1930 MHz is in all Europe used for UMTS*, i.e. for mobile operators’ networks. This is why operating cordless telephones DECT 6.0 causes hamper of the UMTS networks.
*Universal Mobile Terrestrial System. It is a system of standard for mobile phones which is a successor of the GSM System used by mobile operators in the Czech Republic.
How and why DECT 6.0 devices conquer the European market?
Originally, final users were buying the DECT 6.0 device privately during their stay or business trip in USA. But the development of the internet made this product much more available through direct purchases in American e-shops (however some e-shops still restrict limit possibilities of direct sale to Europe), in internet shops mediating purchase in American e-shops for a commission and exceptionally is offered also in ordinary shops.
Reason to the increased users’ interest in these devices in their price is that DECT 6.0 devices are competitive! But the main reason to the spread of DECT 6.0 is their marking which indicates, both in consumer and seller, the impression that it is a newer version of DECT (in the same way as it is a habit to mark new versions of software with numbers for example...).
Findings and actions taken by the Czech Trade Inspection Authority:
The Irish surveillance authority in the field of telecommunication pointed at this problem at an international meeting of surveillance authorities supervising radio and telecommunication terminal equipment – ADCO RTTE. In the consequence to this alert, also the Czech Trade Inspection Authority detected a significant occurrence of these telephones in the Czech market network.
Offering branded cordless telephones and headsets DECT 6.0 was found by the inspectors all the way in classical shops and distributed by an authorized dealer. Nevertheless, controls proved that it is the European DECT and that the authorized dealer “just” used the American marking DECT 6.0 as a marketing tool having incorrectly guessed that the DECT 6.0 is a marking for a new version of the European DECT – and the final sellers adopted the marking. In this case, the CTIA issued measures to remedy.
However, an internet seller was found declaring intermediating of DECT 6.0 telephones purchases in US e-shops. After CTIA’s alert, the contacted subject providing import of these products took action to stop importing of these products to the Czech Republic. The e-shop itself is however operated by another subject who has not stopped offering the DECT 6.0 telephones. Therefore controls will continue.
International activities of the CTIA in cooperation with the CTA (ČTÚ?):
At the last ADCO RTTE meeting in March 2011, the Czech Republic informed about its findings and initiated steps to launch negotiations concerning change of DECT/DECT 6.0 marking in a way that would more precisely inform about the devices’ use for concrete regions – e.g. DECT EU/DECT US.
CTIA recommendations:
The suggested change of marking and the whole situation in the market cannot be expected immediately, but first after a longer period of time. This is why the Czech Trade Inspection Authority recommends to potential buyers of the DECT 6.0 device to ask for information on the frequency in which it is operated and not to buy devices marked DECT 6.0.
Except for hampering, as result of using wrong frequency band, also problems at the interface with terrestrial public network can appear concerning the DECT 6.0 telephones. American interface can differ significantly from the European interface. According to the Directive 1999/5/ES (NV 426/2000 Coll.) the producer or importer is obliged to provide information on which networks the device can be connected to.
Note:
Offering branded cordless telephones and headsets DECT 6.0 was found by the inspectors all the way in classical shops and distributed by an authorized dealer. Nevertheless, controls proved that it is the European DECT and that the authorized dealer “just” used the American marking DECT 6.0 as a marketing tool having incorrectly guessed that the DECT 6.0 is a marking for a new version of the European DECT – and the final sellers adopted the marking. In this case, the CTIA issued measures to remedy.
However, an internet seller was found declaring intermediating of DECT 6.0 telephones purchases in US e-shops. After CTIA’s alert, the contacted subject providing import of these products took action to stop importing of these products to the Czech Republic. The e-shop itself is however operated by another subject who has not stopped offering the DECT 6.0 telephones. Therefore controls will continue.
International activities of the CTIA in cooperation with the CTA (ČTÚ?):
At the last ADCO RTTE meeting in March 2011, the Czech Republic informed about its findings and initiated steps to launch negotiations concerning change of DECT/DECT 6.0 marking in a way that would more precisely inform about the devices’ use for concrete regions – e.g. DECT EU/DECT US.
CTIA recommendations:
The suggested change of marking and the whole situation in the market cannot be expected immediately, but first after a longer period of time. This is why the Czech Trade Inspection Authority recommends to potential buyers of the DECT 6.0 device to ask for information on the frequency in which it is operated and not to buy devices marked DECT 6.0.
Except for hampering, as result of using wrong frequency band, also problems at the interface with terrestrial public network can appear concerning the DECT 6.0 telephones. American interface can differ significantly from the European interface. According to the Directive 1999/5/ES (NV 426/2000 Coll.) the producer or importer is obliged to provide information on which networks the device can be connected to.
Note:
Except for the American version DECT 6.0 there is another DECT 6.0 model – for Latin America, operating in the inconvenient band 1910-1930 MHz. Presence of these telephones in the Czech Republic has not been proven.
Pictures: Examples of the DECT and DECT 6.0 use.
Pictures: Examples of the DECT and DECT 6.0 use.