Brazil proposes to make USB-C chargers mandatory for all smartphones

Sao Paulo, June 29: The Brazilian telecom regulator has proposed to make USB-C chargers mandatory for all smartphones sold in the country, after the US and the EU went ahead with similar plans. The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) of Brazil has released open public consultation for assessing the compliance of the wired charging interface with the USB type C standard in mobile cell phones. The proposal is based on a recent project by the European Parliament to include requirements for harmonising charging interface, based on the USB Type-C standard, because it is widely used by most global manufacturers and have internationally recognised standards. "A committee of US lawmakers also asked the US Department of Commerce to take a similar European approach to develop a comprehensive strategy to address unnecessary consumer costs, mitigate e-waste and restore certainty to the process of purchasing new electronics for means of standard-setting cell phone chargers," Anatel said in a statement. After the European Commission announced the adoption of a USB-C port as a single charger to power a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, portable speakers, and e-readers by 2024, the US lawmakers this month called on the Commerce Department to do the same and reduce environmental waste. The new EU law has the potential to significantly reduce e-waste and help consumers who are tired of having to rummage through junk drawers full of tangled chargers to find a compatible one, or buy a new one. The lack of interoperability standards for charging and other device accessories also results in e-waste and environmental damage. In 2019, humans generated a staggering 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste, and only 17 per cent of this waste was recycled. Chargers that are discarded or never used create more than 11,000 tons of e-waste annually. Unlike the EU law, the US senators are not requesting that the Commerce Department codify "USB-C" as the universal charging standard. (IANS)