Guidance on Testing for Multimedia Equipment in Vietnam according to QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT

In Vietnam, multimedia equipment (MME) plays a vital role in digital infrastructure, simultaneously serving work, study, and entertainment in both domestic and corporate environments. This poses increasingly strict quality control requirements, especially regarding electromagnetic compatibility. Accordingly, Guidance on Testing for Multimedia Equipment in Vietnam according to QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT is a mandatory requirement to ensure that equipment operates stably and does not affect surrounding radio systems.

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Table of contents

I. Status of Multimedia Equipment usage in Vietnam

Information technology equipment groups such as Laptops, desktop computers, and tablets are being used in all social activities. The market is shifting from individual ownership needs to high-configuration devices serving graphics, artificial intelligence, and remote work. Due to the use of high-clock-rate microprocessors, this equipment group is considered a potential source of electromagnetic interference, requiring compliance with testing requirements under Guidance on Testing for Multimedia Equipment in Vietnam according to QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT to avoid affecting Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile networks in the same environment.

In addition, the broadcasting and television equipment group is also undergoing a clear transition from traditional receiving devices to integrated smart systems. Televisions integrated with DVB-T2 and Smart TVs are increasingly popular thanks to the high rate of households using fiber-optic Internet. Signal decoding devices such as set-top boxes are still widely used, although the market is under strong competitive pressure from IPTV devices.

Overall, the multimedia equipment market in Vietnam is developing strongly. However, along with this, a large number of counterfeit, imitation, or sub-standard goods that cause signal degradation and interference with other radio equipment are still being sold rampantly. This sets increasingly high requirements for controlling conducted emissions and radiated emissions of multimedia products. Compliance with Guidance on Testing for Multimedia Equipment in Vietnam according to QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT contributes to limiting “electromagnetic pollution” in residential areas and ensures stability for the rapidly developing telecommunications, Internet, and television infrastructure in Vietnam.

II. Guidance on Testing for Multimedia Equipment in Vietnam according to QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT

1. Scope of Application

QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT applies to multimedia equipment (MME) with a rated AC or DC supply voltage not exceeding 600 V. This includes the following equipment:

Information technology equipment: Equipment having one (or a combination of) primary functions such as entry, storage, display, retrieval, transmission, processing, switching, or control of data and/or telecommunication messages, and which may be equipped with one or more ports;
Broadcast receiver equipment: Equipment containing a tuner intended for receiving broadcast services;
Or combinations of these devices.

According to Circular No. 29/2025/TT-BKHCN, multimedia equipment falling under one of the HS codes listed below must satisfy the technical requirements of Guidance on Testing for Multimedia Equipment in Vietnam according to QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT.

ORD	Product Name	HS Code	Product Description
1	Information Technology Equipment
1.1	Desktop Computer	8471.41.10 8471.41.90	Equipment designed to be contained in the same housing, comprising at least a central processing unit, an input unit, and an output unit, whether or not combined.
1.2	Laptop and Portable Computer	8471.30.20	Portable automatic data processing machines, weighing not more than 10 kg, consisting of at least a central data processing unit, a keyboard, and a display.
1.3	Tablet	8471.30.90	Portable automatic data processing machines, weighing not more than 10 kg, consisting of at least a central data processing unit, a keyboard, and a display (excluding Laptops, notebooks, and subnotebooks).
2	Broadcasting and Television Equipment
2.1	Television signal decoding equipment (Set Top Box) in satellite television networks (excluding DVB-S/S2 digital satellite television signal decoding equipment)	8528.71.91 8528.71.99	Television signal decoding equipment for satellite television in analog form, without information interaction functionality.
2.2	DVB-S/S2 digital satellite television signal decoding equipment	8528.71.91 8528.71.99	Receiving equipment used to receive and decode Free-To-Air (FTA) satellite television signals using DVB-S and/or DVB-S2 technology, supporting SDTV/HDTV, without information interaction functionality.
2.3	Television signal decoding equipment (Set Top Box) in digital cable television networks	8528.71.11 8528.71.19 8528.71.91 8528.71.99	Signal decoding equipment in digital cable television networks. The equipment may or may not have information interaction functionality with the service provider.
2.4	Television signal decoding equipment (Set Top Box) in IPTV networks	8528.71.11 8528.71.19 8528.71.91 8528.71.99	Signal decoding equipment in IPTV networks (television via internet connection). The equipment may or may not have information interaction functionality with the service provider.
2.5	DVB-T2 digital terrestrial television signal decoding equipment (Set Top Box DVB-T2)	8528.71.91 8528.71.99	Digital terrestrial television signal decoding equipment using DVB-T2 technology, without information interaction functionality.
2.6	Televisions with integrated DVB-T2 digital terrestrial television reception functionality (iDTV)	8528.72.92 8528.72.99	Television receiving equipment with DVB-T2 digital terrestrial television signal decoding functionality. Designed to be connected to video equipment or a display screen, in color, not battery-operated, and not using cathode-ray tubes.

2. Technical Requirements

QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT stipulates technical requirements for electromagnetic compatibility for multimedia equipment (MME) to establish appropriate requirements ensuring that radio services operate normally in the frequency range from 9 kHz to 400 GHz. Accordingly, the equipment mentioned above must ensure requirements for radiated emissions and conducted emissions.

(1) Classification of Test Equipment

Prior to testing, it is necessary to determine the equipment type to apply the appropriate limit levels:

Class B Equipment: Equipment intended primarily for use in a residential environment and broadcast receiver equipment. These devices must satisfy the requirements given in Table 4, Table 5, Table 6, Table 7, Table 10, Table 12, and Table 13, using the limits defined in Table 1 and Table 8 specified in QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT.
Class A Equipment: All other multimedia equipment not belonging to Class B. These devices must satisfy the requirements given in Table 2 and Table 3, Table 9, and Table 11, using the limits defined in Table 1 and Table 8 specified in QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT.

(2) Requirements for radiated emissions: Includes requirements for the highest measurement frequency and radiated emissions limits (Below 1 GHz).

(3) Requirements for conducted emissions: Conducted emissions are evaluated on the power ports and signal ports of the equipment, including AC power ports, wired network ports, and TV/FM tuner ports.

3. Testing Costs and Lead Time

Costs and lead time for testing multimedia equipment according to QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT are publicly listed by Phuc Gia®. You may view the Quotation for Testing and Certification Services for electrical, electronic, telecommunications, and information technology equipment at our Quotation for Testing/Certification Services section or contact Phuc Gia® for detailed consultation.

4. Where to conduct Testing for Multimedia Equipment according to QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT?

4.1. Regulations on qualified testing and certification bodies

Pursuant to Article 5 of Consolidated Document 02/2020/VBHN-BTTTT – Regulations on declaration of regulation conformity and certification of regulation conformity for specialized information technology and communications products and goods, measurement and testing units serving certification and declaration are regulated as follows:

The measurement and testing unit serving certification of regulation conformity activities must be a designated or recognized testing unit.

The measurement and testing unit serving declaration of regulation conformity activities must be a designated or recognized testing unit, or a unit that has registered testing activities under Decree No. 107/2016/ND-CP dated July 01, 2016, of the Government, which stipulates conditions for conformity assessment service businesses.

Measurement and testing units shall be responsible before the Regulatory Authority for the accuracy of measurement and testing results. Measurement and testing results do not have the value to replace a Certificate of Regulation Conformity or a Declaration of Regulation Conformity.

4.2. Phuc Gia® – A prestigious testing organization for telecommunications and information technology equipment in Vietnam

Phuc Gia Laboratory Corporation (Phuc Gia®) has been designated by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) to perform testing for telecommunications and information technology equipment according to 24 Vietnam Technical Regulations for many important equipment groups in the fields of telecommunications and information technology. This serves the quality management of products and goods with the potential to cause unsafety under the Ministry’s management responsibility, pursuant to Decision No. 2899/QĐ-BKHCN and Decision No. 228/QĐ-BTTTT. Accordingly, Phuc Gia® is designated to conduct Guidance on Testing for Multimedia Equipment in Vietnam according to QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT.

Phuc Gia® is also the first unit to be accredited by all three accreditation bodies (BoA, AOSC, VACI) as meeting the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard. The testing facility has a scale of up to 5,000 $m^2$ , equipped with synchronous and modern measurement and inspection equipment, serving testing for electrical safety, EMC, Energy Efficiency, RF, SAR, and many other technical categories.

Along with that is a team of nearly 100 staff, engineers, and technical experts who are strictly selected and intensively trained, meeting the rigorous requirements of testing, certification, and conformity assessment activities in various technical fields.

Buồng thử nghiệm ICT - Trung Tâm Thử Nghiệm Kiểm Định Phúc Gia — ICT Testing Chamber

Trung Tâm Chứng Nhận Phúc Gia — Phuc Gia Certification Center

In conclusion, following the official Guidance on Testing for Multimedia Equipment in Vietnam is the most effective way to ensure that digital devices meet national electromagnetic compatibility standards. This Guidance on Testing for Multimedia Equipment in Vietnam, which centers on the requirements of QCVN 118:2018/BTTTT, is mandatory for products like laptops, tablets, and smart TVs. By adhering to the Guidance on Testing for Multimedia Equipment in Vietnam, manufacturers can successfully navigate the Conformity Assessment Activities required by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC).

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