Anatel opens public consultation for standardization of cell phone chargers.

The hunt for the right cables to charge your cell phone may have its days numbered. The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) invited the society to comment on and made available the Public Consultation 45/2022, which receives contributions until August 26. This consultation presents the proposal to make the USB Type-C model model standard in mobile cell phones, defining the technical requirements to assess the conformity of the cable charging interface in these devices.

The proposal is based on the recent project of the European Parliament that aims to include requirements to standardize the cable charging interface of different equipment, including mobile phones, which should be part of a harmonized charging interface, based on the USB Type-C standard. This type of standard was chosen because it is already widely used by most manufacturers worldwide, in addition to meeting the internationally recognized series of European standards EN IEC 62680-15.

In the meantime, a committee of U.S. parliamentarians showed interest in the rule and also asked the U.S. Department of Commerce to adopt a similar approach to the European one, and thus create a comprehensive strategy that contributes to the reduction of unnecessary costs to consumers, mitigates electronic waste and makes the process of purchasing new electronics more integrated and easier due to the standardization of charging for all devices.

Standardization is a topic that has been addressed for some time.

Anatel’s technical area, attentive to the movements of the international market, evaluated the issue and presented a proposal with a similar approach for application in the national market, covering mobile phone chargers whose implementation is subject to the updating of the current technical requirements at the Agency for the evaluation of mobile phones and chargers for mobile phones.

It is worth mentioning that the standardization of mobile phone charging interfaces is not a new topic, having already been the subject of studies and contributions by Anatel in international forums. In 2019, for example, agency officials submitted and obtained approval of contributions to recommendation L. 1000 – Universal power adapter and charger solution for mobile terminals and other hand-held ICT devices, which establishes requirements for a universal charger and power source in mobile terminals. The recommendation in question indicates the USB Type-C interface as the standard connector and protocol for the power supply in mobile terminals.

How does the project work in Europe?

The countries that make up the bloc have provisionally agreed that new electronic devices must use a USB Type-C (USB-C) charger by 2024. The new rule will cover a range of devices that includes: mobile phones, tablets, headphones, video games, speakers, among others. All such portable devices will have to use a USB-C cable, regardless of the manufacturer.

The only difference is that notebook manufacturers will have 40 months to make the change after the measure goes into effect, which for other gadgets is immediate. The project also includes a plan for the customer to decide at the time of purchase whether or not they want the electronic devices to come with chargers.

Most companies already adopt this type of standard for their devices, but Apple, which is a giant in the segment, has an exclusive standard, the Lightning connector. According to a representative of the brand, told to BBC News “strict regulation that requires only one type of connector stifles innovation instead of encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world”.

However, for most consumers, having a universal charger will make life much easier.