The “Network Access License” is mandatory for telecommunication equipment in China. This obligatory license is applicable to telecommunication equipment which is connected to the public telecommunication networks. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is responsible for this kind of certification. The MIIT is also responsible for the maintenance and interconnection of the public telecommunications network in China.

The first three product categories requiring NAL were publicized in June 2001. In the meantime, there are around 25 product categories that include approximately 300 different kinds of telecommunication devices. The devices are further subdivided into two main groups: The basic and the high-end equipment.

Affected products need to obtain the NAL necessarily before being imported into China. Currently, there are in total 14 authorized laboratories in China that carry out NAL approval procedure. These laboratories are all accredited by the “Certification and Accreditation Administration” (CNCA) and specialized in testing a certain product group.