On September 26, 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued a notice that mandates the inclusion of testing for the support of IPv6 protocol capabilities in wireless local area network (WLAN) devices in the type approval process for radio transmission equipment (so-called SRRC certification).

The document stipulates the following:

l  WLAN devices with public IP address allocation functions (hereinafter referred to as “IPv6 WLAN devices”) that are manufactured or imported for sale and use within China must support the IPv6 protocol. They are required to apply for and obtain a type approval certificate for radio transmission equipment from the national radio management agency, in compliance with relevant regulations of radio management, such as the "Notice on Strengthening and Regulating Matters Related to the Management of Radio Frequencies in the 2400MHz, 5100MHz, and 5800MHz Bands."

l  IPv6 WLAN devices should support and enable IPv6 address allocation by default while also providing users with the option to configure IPv6 address allocation themselves. This configuration method should be clearly outlined in the product documentation.

l  Testing institutions responsible for SRRC testing should possess IPv6 protocol testing capabilities and conduct type approval testing in accordance with the technical requirements and testing methods listed in this notice.

l  Basic telecommunications operators are expected to support and encourage users to access the internet through IPv6 WLAN devices, while users can still access the internet through existing WLAN devices.

These requirements will be effective from December 1, 2023. WLAN devices produced or imported before this date can continue to be sold and used until they are no longer in service.