Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)’s new Kindle Fire HD 4G tablet has been cleared for sale by Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Though the new tablet was unveiled by Amazon last month, it was not available for sale until now because it had not received the commission’s approval to sell the device, which is required of all new wireless communications devices to assure device safety and prevent spectrum interference issues. FCC is a regulatory body that governs US wireless communication regulations and ensures that all new devices are safe and does not cause signal interference. The Amazon Kindle Fire HD 4G was delayed because of a new 4G chip the tablet is carrying.
All web pages and e-mails promoting the new 4G tablet device showed a disclaimer indicating it still required regulatory approval, “[t]he 4G device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained”.
“We will send you an email asking you to confirm your pre-order of Kindle Fire when it is approved for sale by the Federal Communications Commission,” the Internet retail giant informed Kindle shoppers. The online retailer currently has a 7-inch Wi-Fi edition of Fire HD, but it plans to start selling two 8.9-inch versions in November, one with Wi-Fi only and the other with 4G LTE.
Generally, companies obtain a prior FCC approval before announcing new products, but persons familiar with FCC compliance procedures believed that the agency was unlikely to reject or prolong the process, despite the inclusion of 4G LTE wireless connectivity.
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is accepting pre-orders now and plans to ship the 4G devices on November 20. A company spokeswoman said last month that Amazon expected to receive FCC approval before November 20.
After approval from the FCC, Kindle Fire still has to get a similar regulatory approval in Europe, although its success with US authorities suggests the device will be unlikely to face clearance problems on this side of the world.
