We frequently get questions about NOMs, which communicate the Mexican government’s requirements for electronic and electrical equipment (and other products) to be legally sold in Mexico.

These Normas Oficiales Mexicanas (“Official Mexican Standards”) are always evolving, meaning manufacturers, importers, labs, and product certification consultants like LARCG must keep up with the changes.

We’ve lately been asked to explain NOM-196-SCFI-2016. This NOM applies to all equipment with analog technology that connects to the public telecommunications network (PSTN) through an RJ11 connector. If a product has an RJ11 port or an internal PSTN modem, there’s a good chance NOM-196 applies.

If a product’s telephony gateway has RJ11 ports but does NOT connect directly to the public network, then NOM-196 does NOT apply. NOM-196 also does not cover products with IP telephony signals.

NOM-196 Covers These Products

• Multifunction printer with fax card
• Wired phone
• Cordless phone
• “Piggy-bank” or multi-line telephone
• Point of sale terminal (very rare that there is service with this kind of equipment)
• Switch with analog trunk
• Switch with digital trunk (in this case in particular for any test it is an “NA”)
• Caller ID products
• Call blocker products
• Modem or modem card (PSTN)

(Note that NOM-208 certification is much like NOM-196, except NOM-208 covers BT/WiFi products and NOM-196 covers analog products.)

There are three steps: the product undergoes IFT-004 testing, then it receives NOM-196 certification, and then IFT certification.

In the official definition, IFT-004 testing verifies “the mechanical robustness of the equipment, as well as the electronic composition, compatible with a public telecommunications network, so that it does not generate interference when making any calls and can perform the data transmission correctly.”

We have more to tell you and look forward to speaking with you.