The Communications Alliance has released new drafts of the rules for telecommunications customer premises cabling products and wiring to the public.

The revised draft Standards are AS/CS S008 Requirements for Customer Cabling Products and AS/CA S009 Installation Requirements for Customer Cabling (Wiring Rules).

Safeguards for the distribution of hazardous voltages over communications cabling are just one of the examples of proposed revisions to the Standards. Other provisions include catering to the growth of connected devices in Australian homes and businesses.

Enforced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the objective of the Standards is to set out the minimum requirements to ensure the safety and integrity of cabling installation on customer premises and of the telecommunications network to which it is connected; and that cabling products used in Australia are fit for purpose.

In 2017, Communications Alliance invited representatives from the industry and ACMA to review the Standards and to verify whether it continues to fulfil its purpose under the regulatory compliance arrangements.

Communications Alliance chief executive John Stanton says the review process was extensive and benefited from expert input from more than 20 stakeholder organisations and individuals across the communications and broader industry.

“The cabling sector touches the lives of every Australian and it is important that Standards remain ‘fit for purpose’, particularly as new technologies and connected solutions change the face of cabling and networks,” he says.

The Working Committee responsible for the revision was chaired by Murray Teale from VTI Services and has drawn upon the most current available cabling industry information to review and update the two Standards.

One of the fundamental aims of the Standards is to prevent the exposure of telecommunications service provider employees, cabling providers, customers or other persons to hazardous voltages.

The draft Standards propose new and revised requirements in a number of key areas and will be available for public viewing and commenting on the Communications Alliance website until Friday 24 May.