EU Bodies Deliver Universal Phone Charger Standards

Two European standards bodies delivered standards for a universal micro USB phone charger, which will let Europeans use one charger for multiple phones.

The European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) this week released charger standards for data-enable mobile phones, or phones that can be connected to a computer.

The Commission expects the first common chargers and mobile phones compatible with the new standards to hit the European market in early 2011.

In June 2009, more than a dozen mobile phone makers – including Apple, Nokia, and Research in Motion – agreed to standardize on the micro USB plug in Europe. It received the backing of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in October 2009. The European Commission then handed down a mandate in December 2009 requiring CENELEC and ETSI to deliver common charger standards. The groups have now delivered on that requirement.

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