Canada / ISED
Canada's old 5 GHz DFS test standard retired 20th July 2026
- ISED accepted only ETSI EN 301 893 V2.2.1 (2024-11) for RSS-247 5 GHz WAS/RLAN devices from 21st July 2026, replacing V1.8.1 (2015-03).
- RSS-247 Issue 4, published 24th July 2025, became mandatory 24th January 2026.
- Both changes apply across the 902-928 MHz, 2400-2483.5 MHz, 5150-5350 MHz and 5470-5895 MHz bands.
Last updated 13th September 2026 · By Vas Parshin and Anabel Amar
What Notice 2025-DRS0006 actually changed
ISED published Notice 2025-DRS0006 on 10th September 2025, proposing to adopt ETSI EN 301 893 V2.2.1 (2024-11) as the Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) test standard for 5 GHz WAS/RLAN devices certified under RSS-247, with a public consultation that closed 19th November 2025. DFS testing verifies that a device correctly detects and avoids radar signals when operating in shared 5 GHz spectrum. ISED's Normative Test Standards and Acceptable Alternate Procedures page -- the current, authoritative list of accepted test methods -- confirms both ETSI EN 301 893 V1.8.1 (2015-03) and V2.2.1 (2024-11) were accepted up to 20th July 2026; from 21st July 2026, only V2.2.1 is accepted, so certifications filed after that date need DFS test results against V2.2.1, not the retired V1.8.1 method.
RSS-247 Issue 4: a separate, earlier change
RSS-247 Issue 4 became mandatory in January 2026, ahead of and independent from the DFS test-standard update that followed later the same year. A product certifying against RSS-247 in 2026 needs to account for both changes together: Issue 4 of the standard itself, and, specifically for 5 GHz devices, the ETSI EN 301 893 V2.2.1 DFS test method that replaced V1.8.1 once the 20th July 2026 transition window closed. Treating either change as optional risks a certification that fails to match current ISED requirements.
Which bands and products this covers
RSS-247 covers wireless local area network (WAS/RLAN) devices across the 902-928 MHz, 2400-2483.5 MHz, 5150-5350 MHz and 5470-5895 MHz bands -- the frequency ranges used by Wi-Fi and similar short-range wireless technology built into most consumer electronics and IoT hardware. The DFS test-standard change specifically affects devices operating in the 5 GHz bands (5150-5350 MHz and 5470-5895 MHz), where dynamic frequency selection is required to avoid interference with radar systems sharing the same spectrum. Devices operating only in the sub-5 GHz bands under RSS-247 are affected by the Issue 4 update but not by the DFS-specific change.
Who this actually lands on
Any consumer electronics or IoT manufacturer certifying a 5 GHz Wi-Fi-capable product for the Canadian market under RSS-247 -- routers, smart-home hubs, wearables, and any device with 5 GHz radio hardware. A test report generated against the now-retired V1.8.1 DFS standard is no longer sufficient for a new certification filed after 20th July 2026; testing needs to be re-run against V2.2.1 before a new RSS-247 certification can proceed. Canada joins the other jurisdictions already covered here -- US, EU/UK, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, India, Australia and China -- as electronics-import markets with an active, dated compliance requirement rather than a static baseline.
Questions
What changed with ISED's 5 GHz DFS test standard in 2026?
ISED published Notice 2025-DRS0006 on 10th September 2025, proposing to adopt ETSI EN 301 893 V2.2.1 (2024-11) as the DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) test standard for 5 GHz WAS/RLAN devices such as Wi-Fi under RSS-247. ISED's own Normative Test Standards and Acceptable Alternate Procedures page confirms the older V1.8.1 (2015-03) standard remained accepted alongside it up to 20th July 2026; from 21st July 2026 only V2.2.1 is accepted, so new RSS-247 certifications for 5 GHz devices must now be tested against the updated standard.
Which frequency bands and products does RSS-247 cover?
RSS-247 covers wireless local area network (WAS/RLAN) devices across the 902-928 MHz, 2400-2483.5 MHz, 5150-5350 MHz and 5470-5895 MHz bands -- the frequency ranges used by Wi-Fi and similar short-range wireless technology in consumer electronics and IoT devices. The DFS test standard update specifically affects devices operating in the 5 GHz bands (5150-5350 MHz and 5470-5895 MHz), where dynamic frequency selection is required to avoid interference with radar systems.
Is RSS-247 Issue 4 also mandatory now?
Yes. RSS-247 Issue 4 became mandatory in January 2026, ahead of and separate from the DFS test-standard change that followed later the same year. A product certifying against RSS-247 in 2026 needs to account for both changes -- Issue 4 of the standard itself, and, for 5 GHz devices, the ETSI EN 301 893 V2.2.1 DFS test method that replaced V1.8.1 on 20th July 2026.
What happens to a certification tested against the old V1.8.1 standard?
The transition period that allowed the older ETSI EN 301 893 V1.8.1 (2015-03) DFS test standard closed on 20th July 2026. New RSS-247 certifications for 5 GHz WAS/RLAN devices filed after that date need to be tested against V2.2.1 (2024-11) -- a test report against the retired V1.8.1 standard is no longer sufficient grounds for a new certification once the transition window has closed.
Where we fit
Adding Canada to a market-access review means checking RSS-247 status against Issue 4 and, for 5 GHz devices, confirming DFS test results are run against ETSI EN 301 893 V2.2.1 rather than the retired V1.8.1 standard. We fold Canada's ISED requirements into the same market-access review we run for the US, EU/UK and the other jurisdictions we cover, so it is one process per product, not a separate one to track per country.
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