Federal Office for Approvals in Telecommunications

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Example of an approval certificate from the BZT (Halle branch)

The Federal Office for Approvals in Telecommunications (BZT) , based in Saarbrücken, was a German authority. She checked telecommunication devices for their function in order to ensure error-free operation in the telephone network.

history

The origins of the BZT lay in the Central Office for Telecommunications Licensing (ZZF) founded in 1982, which took over the licensing tasks from the Central Telecommunications Office in Darmstadt. In the course of the postal reform , the ZZF was separated from the former Deutsche Bundespost in 1989 and as an independent federal office it was directly subordinate to the Federal Ministry of Post and Telecommunications .

On March 10, 1992, the ZZF was then renamed BZT. In 1996 it was finally merged with the Federal Office for Post and Telecommunications in Mainz. After transferring a large part of the regulatory tasks of the BAPT to the regulatory authority for post and telecommunications, the tasks for approval were finally handed over to private accredited companies. The laboratory facilities of the BZT in Saarbrücken were sold to Cetecom GmbH when the official approval expired in early 1998 . On April 7, 2000, the national approval requirement ended and manufacturers were now required to comply with EU Directive 1999/5 / EC.
Parts of the tasks were taken over by the RegTP or the Federal Network Agency, which has an office in Saarbrücken to this day.

tasks

ISDN card from Hermstedt AG with sticker that certifies approval

The BZT checked all telecommunications terminal equipment (e.g. telephones, fax machines, modems, answering machines) that were to be connected to the Deutsche Bundespost network. If the test was passed successfully, an approval certificate was issued and the devices had to be provided with the so-called BZT approval number. This initially (from 1986) showed the post horn, after the conversion of the ZZF into the BZT then the federal eagle (from 1992).

The aim was to prevent disruptions in the network. Since other high-frequency radiation, such as. B. radio devices and components for television reception could have an influence on the telecommunications network, these devices and components also had to be tested and approved by the BZT. The manufacturers had to bear the costs.

criticism

The relatively strict regulations and the not inconsiderable costs in connection with the monopoly position of the Deutsche Bundespost led to constant criticism, especially by organizations such as B. the Chaos Computer Club . In the early years of data communication, only modems from the Deutsche Bundespost were available that could only be rented or bought at very high prices. Modems from other manufacturers have not been approved. The operation of unauthorized devices could, in the event of disruptions in the network, be subject to considerable fines and lead to the devices being confiscated. Foreign manufacturers therefore showed little interest, despite compatibility with the German network, in approving their devices for the German market.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ DATACOM Buchverlag GmbH: FTZ (Telecommunications Central Office) . In: ITwissen.info . Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  2. ↑ Computerwoche: Ten Years of the Federal Office for Approvals in Telecommunications . In: Computerwoche . Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  3. ↑ DATACOM Buchverlag GmbH: BZT (Federal Office for Approvals in Telecommunications) . In: ITwissen.info . Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  4. ↑ Federal Network Agency: Approval of TK facilities . In: Bundesnetzagentur.de . Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  5. ^ Federal Network Agency: Takeover of BZT - BZT in private hands . In: Bundesnetzagentur.de . Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  6. ↑ iportale GmbH: BZT approval . In: Wissen-digital.de . Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  7. ↑ Klaus Pfaffenholz: FTZ / ZZF- / BZT - Number . In: klaus-paffenholz.de . Retrieved June 15, 2017.