Telecommunications Standards Summary – September 2025

Looking back at September 2025, the Telecommunications, Audio and Video Engineering sector saw the release of two pivotal standards, adding new technical guidance and regulatory clarity to key areas: microduct technology for optical fibre networks and electromagnetic field (EMF) standards for increasingly common combined radio products. For industry professionals—whether engaged in design, compliance, procurement, or network operations—staying current with these developments ensures the highest levels of performance, efficiency, and regulatory alignment. This comprehensive overview reviews the month’s publications, extracts essential details, and provides analysis to support your ongoing standards management.

Monthly Overview: September 2025

September 2025 was a steady yet influential month for standardization within Telecommunications, Audio and Video Engineering. While the number of standards published was concise, the themes covered represent central challenges in today's telecommunications landscape: scalable deployment of fibre optic infrastructure and the safe integration of multi-function, connected electronic products for both commercial and consumer environments.

Unlike prior months that included system-level revisions or broad adoption of digital codecs, September’s output leaned into guidance and technical reports. This reflects a growing industry focus on implementation support and detailed best practices—especially for emerging technologies or regulatory environments still in flux. The two standards released, IEC TR 63431:2025 and CLC/TR 50734:2025, illustrate this evolution toward actionable, scenario-driven guidance: one delves into the nuances of microduct deployment for fibre optics, while the other addresses the practicalities of EMF compliance for products integrating multiple radio devices or wireless modules.

Overall, this approach heralds an industry determined not only to innovate but also to facilitate smooth, safe, and efficient implementation—bridging the gap between high-level requirements and day-to-day engineering and operational realities.

Standards Published This Month

IEC TR 63431:2025 – Optical fibre cables – Microduct technology – Guidance

Optical fibre cables – Microduct technology – Guidance

Published: 2025-09-08

Scope and Context: This technical report offers a comprehensive guide for organizations considering or deploying microduct technology within optical communication networks. Expanding on the microduct sections of the established IEC 60794‑5 series, it provides much-needed practical insights into microduct design types, assembly methods, colour coding, repair solutions, and environmental performance expectations. The report also incorporates references to relevant standards and in-use practices, making it an invaluable resource for network designers, cable manufacturers, and installation contractors.

Key Requirements & Specifications:

• Differentiates between microduct types (outdoor, indoor), including protected vs. unprotected and thick-walled vs. thin-walled options.
• Outlines assembly types (single, bundled, over-sheathed) with guidance on selection based on deployment scenario: duct-installed, direct bury, aerial, and in-building installations.
• Clarifies size and dimensional standards (with reference tables for both protected and unprotected microducts), crucial for compatibility and system integration.
• Establishes protocols for colour coding and identification (using RAL and IEC 60757 schemes), supporting system reliability and error reduction.
• Sets out installation methods—pushing, blowing, pulling, and surface mounting—detailing the structural and testing considerations unique to each.
• Provides insight and recommendations for microduct properties such as burst pressure, tensile strength, long-term temperature performance, shrinkage, and repair techniques (e.g., gel wrap repair kits).

Who Needs to Comply and Benefit:

• Telecom network operators and infrastructure companies—for network upgrades and new builds, especially where rapid, minimally invasive deployment is essential.
• Cable and microduct manufacturers—to ensure products meet prevailing practices and facilitate smooth integration with existing networks.
• Installation and maintenance contractors—gain clarity on best practices for practical deployment and post-installation servicing.

Broader Landscape Fit: This report does not replace formal standards but acts as a bridge between generic system specifications and daily operational realities. By supplementing IEC 60794-5 and referencing ITU-T documents and European standards, it ensures global relevance and applicability.

Notable Features/Changes:

• Inclusion of detailed test methods for both installation and long-term performance (pressure, temperature, physical integrity).
• Guidance on in-building fire safety for microducts, reflecting rising regulatory expectations in dense or public environments.
• Advice on hybrid assemblies and non-traditional deployment scenarios (above ground, aerial, and flat-formed bundles).

Key highlights:

• Delivers actionable guidance on microduct technology use and selection.
• Bridges specification and field practice with tested recommendations.
• Supports future-proof fibre optic network design and maintenance.

Access the full standard:View IEC TR 63431:2025 on iTeh Standards

CLC/TR 50734:2025 – Application of EMF standards to combined products

Application of EMF standards to combined products

Published: 2025-09-05

Scope and Context: CLC/TR 50734 offers vital clarity on demonstrating conformity with electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure requirements for complex, combined products—particularly those integrating multiple wireless radios, or hybrid radio/non-radio modules. As more products—ranging from sophisticated consumer Hi-Fi receivers to industrial IoT modules—incorporate wireless functionality, the standard bridges the application gap between harmonized EMF standards and practical market needs under the Radio Equipment Directive (RED) 2014/53/EU.

Key Requirements & Specifications:

• Defines and classifies combined products (at least one element is a radio device) and outlines the scenarios in which the Radio Equipment Directive applies to all or only part of the integrated system.
• Guides manufacturers on performing EMF conformity assessments by leveraging existing evaluations on each component product and identifies when and how to conduct additional assessments (especially for simultaneous operation or when modules are combined in new ways).
• Stipulates procedures for exposure limit selection based on user type (general public or worker) and typical/reasonably foreseeable operating conditions, including bystander exposure.
• Clarifies use of the Exposure Ratio (ER) and Total Exposure Ratio (TER) concepts when evaluating the cumulative EMF effect from multiple RF sources in a product.

Who Needs to Comply and Benefit:

• Manufacturers of consumer electronics, smart appliances, industrial equipment, and IoT devices—especially those integrating multiple connected modules.
• Product designers needing to demonstrate health and safety compliance for European market entry.
• Certification and compliance professionals, ensuring proper risk assessments for EMF.

Broader Landscape Fit: The report aligns closely with implementation of RED Article 3(1)(a) (protection of health and safety), referencing supporting EU guidance and harmonized standards such as EN 62479 and EN IEC 62232. It fills a crucial, formerly grey area in compliance—providing a structured approach for manufacturers navigating the evolving landscape of connected product certification.

Notable Features/Changes:

• Detailed case studies and diagrams illustrating product category decision logic (permanently integrated vs. removable modules).
• Emphasis on simultaneous transmission assessment and aggregate EMF exposure, a growing concern with advanced connected systems.
• Terminology aligned with current ETSI and IEC vocabularies, promoting cross-standard consistency.

Key highlights:

• Critical guidance for EMF conformity of combined and multi-radio products.
• Helps streamline regulatory approval for fast-evolving connected equipment markets.
• Addresses simultaneous RF transmission and exposure aggregation challenges.

Access the full standard:View CLC/TR 50734:2025 on iTeh Standards

Common Themes and Industry Trends

Several overarching themes emerged from September 2025’s standards:

• Focus on Implementation Guidance: Rather than new requirements, both standards deliver actionable, detailed best practices—supporting safe, manageable adoption of advanced technologies.
• Enabling Scalability and Interoperability: Microduct guidance enhances the scalability of fibre deployments with modularity, easier repair, and compliance with colour/identification schemes. EMF standardization for combined products supports the seamless integration of wireless modules into a diversity of consumer and B2B products.
• Addressing Multi-Technology Environments: As networks and products become more complex, the ability to reliably combine various systems and maintain compliance (both with technology specifications and health/safety legislation) becomes increasingly vital.
• Alignment with Broader Regulatory Trends: Both standards reinforce the international trend toward harmonization—especially across European and global markets—by referencing established directives (RED) and widely used foundational standards (IEC 60794, EN 62479, EN IEC 62232).

Notably, these publications also respond to specific industry pressures:

• Accelerated 5G and fibre broadband rollouts require scalable, cost-effective physical infrastructure.
• Rapid proliferation of IoT/connected devices puts pressure on manufacturers to balance functionality, flexibility, and regulatory compliance—especially regarding radio emissions and occupant safety.

Compliance and Implementation Considerations

For organizations impacted by these September 2025 standards, the following practical guidance and priorities are recommended:

1. Assess Impact Area:

• Identify whether your product or deployment scenario falls under either standard: Are you responsible for fibre network design or installation? Are you producing or integrating combined/connected radio products?

2. Update Design and Procurement Specifications:

• Use IEC TR 63431’s microduct selection tables and construction types to inform procurement and design of new physical network elements—specification compliance and field repair/ease are paramount.
• Confirm that products described or sourced align with recommended colour coding and dimensional tables.
• For combined products, document modular integration clearly, and classify product types according to CLC/TR 50734’s definitions, especially regarding the applicability of RED requirements.

3. Strengthen Testing and Conformity Assessment:

• Plan for required microduct performance testing (e.g., pressure, tensile, temperature performance), with reference to real-world simulation and repair protocols.
• For EMF, build processes around leveraging existing assessment data for constituent components, but always consider the need for aggregate and simultaneous operation testing.
• Document conformity assessment approach for regulators and internal stakeholders.

4. Implementation Timeline:

• IEC TR 63431 and CLC/TR 50734 are guidance-focused technical reports, not normative standards; however, their recommendations may be used by customers, partners, or regulators as part of due diligence or best available practice. Prioritize implementation where infrastructure upgrades or new combined product releases are planned.

Resources for Getting Started:

• Leverage the full texts via iTeh Standards for access to tables, diagrams, and referenced normative documents.
• Join or consult with industry groups and standardization bodies involved in IEC TC86A and CLC/TC 106X for latest interpretations and updates.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from September 2025

September 2025 delivered pivotal guidance to the Telecommunications, Audio and Video Engineering sector—supporting the industry’s ongoing transformation toward densified fibre networks and proliferating connected devices. Both IEC TR 63431:2025 (microduct technology) and CLC/TR 50734:2025 (EMF for combined products) exemplify the sector’s evolving need for highly practical, harmonized guidance that bridges innovation with compliance.

Recommendations for Professionals:

• Stay Proactive: Even non-normative guidance reports such as these often guide procurement, design, and compliance reviews—get ahead by reading and integrating these practices early.
• Build Internal Expertise: Equip engineering and compliance teams with both the technical context and the regulatory perspective supplied in these documents.
• Leverage Industry Resources: Engage with peers, working groups, and relevant standards platforms to stay abreast of technical updates and interpretations.

Why Staying Current Matters: Competitive differentiation, regulatory alignment, and the avoidance of costly reworks or non-compliance hinge on early adoption of technical best practices outlined in current standards. By staying current with monthly overviews and leveraging resources like iTeh Standards, organizations ensure they are well-positioned to manage both today’s projects and tomorrow’s challenges.

Ready to explore further? For complete versions and the latest updates, visit iTeh Standards and search for the standards referenced above.