IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 for Telecommunications Equipment: Routers, Modems, and DECT Phones

Home and office routers, broadband modems, DECT cordless phones, and VoIP equipment were registered under IS 13252 and must migrate to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 by November 2028.

Products Covered

• Wi-Fi routers (home, mesh, enterprise-grade)
• Broadband modems (DSL, cable, fiber ONTs)
• Combination modem-routers (provided by ISPs)
• DECT cordless phones and base stations
• VoIP adapters and IP phones
• LTE/5G CPE (Customer Premises Equipment)
• Powerline networking adapters

Telecom Port Safety — Annex TNV

Routers, modems, and VoIP equipment connect to the telephone network — DSL lines, fiber, or telephone lines. These network connections can carry transient overvoltages from lightning strikes on the telecom network — potentially thousands of volts. IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 Annex TNV (Telecommunications Network Voltage) specifies:

• Isolation between the telecom port and the mains/user-accessible circuits
• Overvoltage protection: TVS diodes on the telecom port to clamp surge voltages
• Longitudinal and metallic port voltage limits that must be maintained even under worst-case telecom fault conditions

Power Supply Safety

Routers and modems are powered 24/7 — often via external AC adapters or built-in SMPS. Thermal evaluation at continuous steady-state operation (not just initial power-on) is essential. Many ISP-provided modems fail thermally after years of continuous operation — inadequate thermal design in a 24/7 appliance.

Fiber ONT Safety

Fiber Optical Network Terminals (ONTs) convert optical fiber signals to electrical LAN signals. The optical fiber port itself is low voltage and carries no electrical hazard, but the ONT's power supply and PCB must meet IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 requirements. The SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) module laser must be classified — typically Class 1 eye-safe at the output port.

WPC Type Approval

All wireless routers, mesh nodes, and DECT phones require WPC type approval from DoT in addition to BIS CRS. Initiate both processes in parallel. ISP-provided equipment must be approved by both BIS and WPC before it can be supplied to subscribers.

Migration Timeline

IS 13252 → IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 by November 2028. ISPs deploying large quantities of CPE equipment should plan migration portfolios for their router/modem fleets. House of Testing handles IS 62368 telecom equipment testing.