Does DECT Forum certification replace RED radio compliance?

No. DECT Forum certification is a voluntary interoperability and logo programme run by an industry association. In the EU, a DECT product still needs RED compliance: article 3.2 radio (EN 301 406 for classic DECT and ULE, EN 301 406-2 for DECT-2020 NR+), article 3.1(b) EMC (ETSI EN 301 489-6 covers DECT, but it is not cited in the Official Journal under the RED, so it gives no presumption of conformity), article 3.1(a) safety and exposure, and article 3.3 cybersecurity (EN 18031) for internet-connected products.

Which harmonised standard covers DECT-2020 NR+, and is it complete?

EN 301 406-2 V3.1.1, cited in the Official Journal by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/893 of 14 May 2025, with two restrictions. It gives no presumption of conformity for the receiver minimum performance criterion on equipment that cannot run a throughput and packet error rate test, and none for transmitter unwanted emissions, because it does not define objective testing conditions for them. For those aspects the manufacturer has to show compliance another way, which in practice means a notified body.

What is the difference between classic DECT and DECT-2020 NR+?

Classic DECT (ETSI EN 300 175) is the cordless telephony system, with GFSK modulation, 1.728 MHz carriers and 10 ms TDMA frames of 24 slots; ULE is its low-power IoT extension. DECT-2020 NR (marketed as NR+, ETSI TS 103 636, first published 2020) is a new OFDM radio interface with mesh networking, accepted by ITU-R as an IMT-2020 technology in October 2021 and included in Recommendation ITU-R M.2150-1. They share the 1880-1900 MHz band in Europe but do not interoperate over the air.

What do the CAT-iq levels add?

CAT-iq 1.0 (ETSI TS 102 527-1) brings wideband HD voice and caller identification. CAT-iq 2.0 (TS 102 527-3) adds multiple lines, call waiting and transfer, phone book and call list synchronisation. CAT-iq 2.1 (TS 102 527-5) adds three-party conference, call intrusion, caller ID blocking, answering machine control, SMS and power-saving modes. CAT-iq Data (formerly 3.0) adds light data and software update over the air, and CAT-iq IoT (formerly 4.0) adds ULE smart home connectivity on the base.

Is the DECT band the same worldwide?

No. Europe, South Africa, most of Asia, Australia and New Zealand use 1880-1900 MHz (10 carriers). The United States and Canada use 1920-1930 MHz, marketed as DECT 6.0 (5 carriers). Japan uses J-DECT in 1893-1906 MHz, Taiwan 1880-1895 MHz, Korea 1786-1792 MHz, Brazil 1910-1920 MHz, and other Latin American countries 1910-1930 MHz. Each variant needs its own radio approval.

Does a DECT ULE device work with Matter?

Not directly. Matter runs on IPv6 over Thread, Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and DECT is not one of its transports. The integration path is a Matter bridge: a ULE base or gateway exposes its HAN-FUN devices as Matter endpoints. The bridge then needs CSA Matter certification and radio approval for both its DECT side and its Wi-Fi or Thread side.

DECT Forum certification: classic DECT, ULE, CAT-iq, NR+

Hugues Orgitello updated 7 Oct 2026 10 min read

DECT has two certification tracks that are often confused: the DECT Forum logo programmes, which prove interoperability, and radio approval, which is the legal requirement. Since May 2025 the second track has a detail that matters for anyone building on DECT-2020 NR+: the European harmonised standard for NR+, EN 301 406-2, was listed in the Official Journal with two restrictions. On the receiver criterion for equipment that cannot run a throughput test, and on transmitter unwanted emissions, it gives no presumption of conformity. This guide covers both tracks from the texts: the restricted citation, the CAT-iq levels and their ETSI specifications, the band plan country by country, the US rules for DECT 6.0, and how a DECT ULE fleet reaches a Matter home.

TL;DR:

DECT Forum certification (CAT-iq, ULE, and an NR+ programme in development) is voluntary and never replaces radio approval.
EU radio: EN 301 406 for classic DECT and ULE; EN 301 406-2 for NR+, cited with restrictions by Decision (EU) 2025/893; EN 301 489-6 for EMC, an ETSI standard not cited under the RED (Decision (EU) 2022/2191 as amended), so it confers no presumption of conformity; EN 18031 for connected products since 1 August 2025.
Bands differ by region: 1880-1900 MHz in Europe, 1920-1930 MHz (DECT 6.0) in the US and Canada, other bands in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Latin America.
Classic DECT and NR+ share the European band but do not interoperate over the air.

Two tracks: logo programme and radio approval

	DECT Forum certification	Radio approval
Nature	Voluntary, industry association	Legal requirement for placing on the market
Proves	Interoperability with other certified products for a profile	Compliance with spectrum, EMC, safety and, where relevant, cybersecurity rules
Profiles or rules	GAP, CAT-iq, ULE / HAN-FUN, NR+ (programme in development)	RED in the EU, FCC Part 15 Subpart D in the US, national rules elsewhere
Output	Logo use and listing	EU declaration of conformity and CE marking; FCC ID; national approvals

The DECT Forum is the industry association behind DECT, based in Bern, Switzerland. It maintains the CAT-iq profiles, promoted ULE (whose certification was run by the ULE Alliance, an organisation the Forum initiated), and its working groups are developing an NR+ certification programme. It has no regulatory status: it is not a notified body under the RED and its logo carries no presumption of conformity.

Classic DECT and DECT-2020 NR+

	Classic DECT	DECT-2020 NR (NR+)
Specification	ETSI EN 300 175 series	ETSI TS 103 636 series, first published 2020
Physical layer	GFSK, 1.728 MHz carriers, 10 ms TDMA/TDD frames of 24 slots	OFDM, several channel bandwidths
Topology	Base and handsets	Mesh, multi-hop
Typical use	Cordless voice (GAP, CAT-iq), low-power home IoT (ULE)	Industrial and large-scale IoT, metering, private networks
ITU status	ETSI standard	Accepted by ITU-R as an IMT-2020 technology in October 2021, in Recommendation ITU-R M.2150-1
EU harmonised standard (radio)	EN 301 406 V2.2.2 is the reference listed in Decision (EU) 2022/2191; ETSI has since published EN 301 406-1 (V3.1.1, 2022)	EN 301 406-2 V3.1.1, cited with restrictions by Decision (EU) 2025/893

NR+ is often described as "non-cellular 5G": it meets IMT-2020 requirements for massive machine-type and low-latency use without a mobile operator or a 5G core. The two families do not interoperate over the air; a product that needs both must carry both stacks.

The restricted citation of EN 301 406-2

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/893 of 14 May 2025 added EN 301 406-2 V3.1.1 to the list of harmonised standards under the RED, with two notices:

It does not define an objective receiver minimum performance criterion (clause 4.4) for radio equipment that does not support a throughput test and packet error rate test, so there is no presumption of conformity for that criterion on such equipment.
It does not define objective testing conditions for transmitter unwanted emissions, so there is no presumption of conformity for that parameter.

For an NR+ product, applying EN 301 406-2 therefore does not cover article 3.2 entirely. The uncovered aspects have to be demonstrated by other means, which under the RED means involving a notified body for those aspects (Annex III or Annex IV route). This is the point most NR+ project plans miss, because module vendors usually quote the standard without the notices.

CAT-iq levels

Profile	ETSI specification	Adds
CAT-iq 1.0 "HD Voice"	TS 102 527-1	Narrow-band and wideband (G.722) audio, calling line and name identification
CAT-iq 2.0 "Multi Line"	TS 102 527-3	Multiple lines, call waiting and transfer, phone book, call lists, headset, handset locator, synchronisation
CAT-iq 2.1 "Green"	TS 102 527-5	Three-party conference, call intrusion, caller ID blocking, answering machine control, SMS, power-saving modes
CAT-iq Data (formerly 3.0)	TS 102 527-4	Light data services, software update over the air
CAT-iq IoT (formerly 4.0)	TS 102 939	ULE smart home connectivity on the base

CAT-iq profiles make mandatory many features that the underlying ETSI standards leave optional, which is why a CAT-iq 2.0 handset from one vendor works in full-feature mode on a CAT-iq 2.0 base from another.

ULE and HAN-FUN

ULE (Ultra Low Energy) extends classic DECT for battery-powered sensors and actuators with long sleep periods. HAN-FUN is the application protocol above it that defines device types (door sensor, smoke detector, smart plug). ULE runs in the same band as DECT voice, so in Europe it benefits from the 1880-1900 MHz allocation reserved for DECT rather than the shared 2.4 GHz ISM band.

Does DECT work with Matter?

Not natively, and the distinction matters when a residential gateway has to serve both worlds.

Matter is an application layer that runs on IPv6 over Thread or Wi-Fi, with commissioning typically assisted by BLE. DECT is not one of those link layers. No variant of the family carries Matter natively: not classic DECT, not CAT-iq, not ULE, not DECT-2020 NR+.

HAN-FUN and Matter answer the same question for different fabrics

HAN-FUN and Matter occupy the same layer of the stack. Both define what a device is to the rest of the network, so that a door sensor from one vendor behaves like a door sensor to a controller from another. A ULE sensor exposes HAN-FUN object types; a Matter device exposes Matter clusters. A controller speaking one does not understand the other, and no certification programme bridges the two by itself.

The bridge is the integration path

Matter defines a bridge device type whose purpose is to expose non-Matter devices to a Matter fabric. A DECT ULE base station or residential gateway can act as that bridge, presenting its HAN-FUN devices as Matter endpoints to the home's controllers.

This is the backward compatibility answer for an installed base: alarm and telemonitoring fleets already deployed on ULE reach a Matter home without the sensors being replaced. It is also where the certification work concentrates, because bridging moves the obligations rather than removing them:

Element	Matter certification	Radio certification
ULE sensor behind the bridge	Not required, it never joins the fabric	RED in the EU, FCC Part 15 in the US, for the DECT band
Bridge, DECT side	Not applicable	RED or FCC for the DECT band, plus DECT Forum interoperability if the mark is used
Bridge, Matter side	CSA certification required, with VID/PID and attestation	RED or FCC for the Wi-Fi or Thread radio it uses toward the fabric

A gateway that bridges ULE into Matter is therefore a multi-radio product carrying two radio dossiers and one consortium certification. The Zigbee guide reaches the same conclusion for a Zigbee-to-Matter bridge: exposing an existing fleet to Matter is not "switching Matter on" at the gateway, it makes that gateway a Matter product in its own right, with its own VID/PID and its own certification.

Why integrators keep DECT in a Matter home

The reason is spectrum, and it is the same argument made at the top of this page. Thread runs on IEEE 802.15.4 in the 2.4 GHz ISM band, shared with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 operate in the 6 GHz band in Europe under EN 303 687, which relieves the higher-throughput traffic, but it does not empty 2.4 GHz, where the mesh sensing of a Matter home continues to sit.

DECT ULE keeps its dedicated 1880-1900 MHz allocation in Europe. For alarm, life-safety and telemonitoring sensors, where a missed message is the failure mode that matters, that separation is the reason the technology stays in the design even when the rest of the home moves to Matter.

Bands by region

Region	Band	Carriers (1.728 MHz)	Radio rules
Europe, South Africa, most of Asia, Australia, New Zealand	1880-1900 MHz	10	RED and EN 301 406 in the EU; CEPT ERC/DEC/(94)03
United States, Canada	1920-1930 MHz (DECT 6.0)	5	47 CFR Part 15 Subpart D (unlicensed PCS); ISED RSS-213
Japan	1893-1906 MHz (J-DECT)	5	National rules
Taiwan	1880-1895 MHz	8	National rules
Korea	1786-1792 MHz	3	National rules
Brazil	1910-1920 MHz	5	National rules
Other Latin America	1910-1930 MHz	10	National rules

A 1880-1900 MHz product cannot be sold in the US as is: DECT 6.0 needs a 1920-1930 MHz variant and an FCC ID under Part 15 Subpart D. Typical average transmit power is also different: about 10 mW (250 mW peak) in Europe and Japan, about 4 mW (100 mW peak) in the US.

RED in detail

Article	Standard	Note
3.2 spectrum	EN 301 406 (classic DECT, ULE); EN 301 406-2 (NR+)	NR+ citation restricted, see above
3.1(b) EMC	EN 301 489-6 with EN 301 489-1	DECT-specific EMC part, not cited under the RED (Decision (EU) 2022/2191 as amended): no presumption of conformity, but Article 17(2) lets the manufacturer show 3.1(b) compliance under internal production control (Annex II)
3.1(a) safety and exposure	EN 62368-1; EN 62479 or EN 62311	Depending on power and configuration
3.3(d)(e)(f) cybersecurity	EN 18031	Since 1 August 2025, for radio equipment that can communicate over the internet, such as DECT/IP bases and ULE hubs

Self-declaration under Annex II is possible when the harmonised standards are applied in full. Where a standard is cited with restrictions, or not applied, the manufacturer uses a notified body for the uncovered requirements. See self-declaration vs notified body and the RED pillar.

United States

DECT 6.0 equipment operates under 47 CFR Part 15 Subpart D, unlicensed personal communications services in 1920-1930 MHz, and needs an FCC ID through a TCB. DECT is not a cellular technology and is outside PTCRB; a 4G or 5G home gateway that also includes a DECT base needs both families of approval. See the FCC pillar.

DECT Forum certification process

Join the Forum to access profile specifications and test plans.
Choose the profile and version: GAP, CAT-iq 1.0, 2.0 or 2.1, CAT-iq Data, CAT-iq IoT / ULE with HAN-FUN.
Check the chipset or module: most products inherit profile support from a certified DECT chipset and stack.
Write the implementation conformance statement listing the features implemented; it drives test selection.
Pre-test against certified reference devices.
Test at a recognised test lab for the profile.
Submit the results to the Forum, which lists the product and allows use of the logo.
Re-assess on change: any change to the radio, stack or profile features can trigger re-testing.

For NR+, the Forum's certification working group is building the programme; check its status before planning a logo launch.

Claims the texts contradict

Common claim	What the text says
"EN 303 636 is the harmonised standard for NR+"	The harmonised standard is EN 301 406-2; TS 103 636 is the NR+ technical specification
"EN 301 908 applies to some DECT equipment"	EN 301 908 is the IMT cellular series; DECT radio is EN 301 406
"Applying EN 301 406-2 gives full presumption of conformity"	Decision (EU) 2025/893 cites it with two restrictions
"NR+ is non-terrestrial 5G"	It is a terrestrial, non-cellular IMT-2020 technology
"CAT-iq 2.0 supports up to six bases"	CAT-iq 2.0 adds multiple lines and call features; no such limit appears in the profile description
"DECT uses 1880-1900 MHz everywhere outside North America"	Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Brazil and other Latin American countries use other bands

Common pitfalls

Treating the Forum logo as market access. Without RED or FCC approval the product cannot be sold.
Quoting EN 301 406-2 without its notices. Plan for the receiver and unwanted-emission aspects on NR+.
One hardware variant for all markets. The US, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Latin America need their own variants or at least their own approvals.
Mixing ULE and CAT-iq scope. A handset with IoT functions must be declared and tested for both.
Forgetting EN 18031 for internet-connected bases and hubs.

Frequently asked questions

Does DECT Forum certification replace RED radio compliance?: No. DECT Forum certification is a voluntary interoperability and logo programme run by an industry association. In the EU, a DECT product still needs RED compliance: article 3.2 radio (EN 301 406 for classic DECT and ULE, EN 301 406-2 for DECT-2020 NR+), article 3.1(b) EMC (ETSI EN 301 489-6 covers DECT, but it is not cited in the Official Journal under the RED, so it gives no presumption of conformity), article 3.1(a) safety and exposure, and article 3.3 cybersecurity (EN 18031) for internet-connected products.
Which harmonised standard covers DECT-2020 NR+, and is it complete?: EN 301 406-2 V3.1.1, cited in the Official Journal by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/893 of 14 May 2025, with two restrictions. It gives no presumption of conformity for the receiver minimum performance criterion on equipment that cannot run a throughput and packet error rate test, and none for transmitter unwanted emissions, because it does not define objective testing conditions for them. For those aspects the manufacturer has to show compliance another way, which in practice means a notified body.
What is the difference between classic DECT and DECT-2020 NR+?: Classic DECT (ETSI EN 300 175) is the cordless telephony system, with GFSK modulation, 1.728 MHz carriers and 10 ms TDMA frames of 24 slots; ULE is its low-power IoT extension. DECT-2020 NR (marketed as NR+, ETSI TS 103 636, first published 2020) is a new OFDM radio interface with mesh networking, accepted by ITU-R as an IMT-2020 technology in October 2021 and included in Recommendation ITU-R M.2150-1. They share the 1880-1900 MHz band in Europe but do not interoperate over the air.
What do the CAT-iq levels add?: CAT-iq 1.0 (ETSI TS 102 527-1) brings wideband HD voice and caller identification. CAT-iq 2.0 (TS 102 527-3) adds multiple lines, call waiting and transfer, phone book and call list synchronisation. CAT-iq 2.1 (TS 102 527-5) adds three-party conference, call intrusion, caller ID blocking, answering machine control, SMS and power-saving modes. CAT-iq Data (formerly 3.0) adds light data and software update over the air, and CAT-iq IoT (formerly 4.0) adds ULE smart home connectivity on the base.
Is the DECT band the same worldwide?: No. Europe, South Africa, most of Asia, Australia and New Zealand use 1880-1900 MHz (10 carriers). The United States and Canada use 1920-1930 MHz, marketed as DECT 6.0 (5 carriers). Japan uses J-DECT in 1893-1906 MHz, Taiwan 1880-1895 MHz, Korea 1786-1792 MHz, Brazil 1910-1920 MHz, and other Latin American countries 1910-1930 MHz. Each variant needs its own radio approval.
Does a DECT ULE device work with Matter?: Not directly. Matter runs on IPv6 over Thread, Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and DECT is not one of its transports. The integration path is a Matter bridge: a ULE base or gateway exposes its HAN-FUN devices as Matter endpoints. The bridge then needs CSA Matter certification and radio approval for both its DECT side and its Wi-Fi or Thread side.