Copper clad aluminium (CCA) cabling may be the more affordable option for registered cabling providers when installing telecommunications customer cabling, but the savings made may come at a price.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is reminding the telecommunications cabling industry that Copper clad aluminium (CCA) cable cannot comply with the mandatory Australian telecommunications cabling product standards and cannot be used as customer cabling in Australia.

Due to the nature of its construction, CCA cable cannot comply with section 5.6.6 of the ACMA’s mandated telecommunications standards (AS/ACIF S008:2006 or AS/CA 2008:2010 Requirements for customer cabling products). As CCA cabling cannot comply, it cannot be legitimately labelled with the mandatory Australian compliance mark. Put simply, CCA cannot be supplied for, or used as, customer cabling in Australia.

The mandatory standards, with the exception of coaxial cable, only allow solid or plated copper conductors to be used as customer cabling in Australia. The main purpose of the standards is to make sure inferior cabling products are not supplied to the Australian market.

There can be serious safety issues if CCA cable is used as customer cabling. CCA cable has the potential to produce a greater conductor heating effect because of its inferior conductivity properties. In some extreme instances this may damage the cabling and the building structure.

Due to CCA’s higher resistance – compared to solid copper or plated copper cable (as mandated by the standards) – CCA installations may also suffer degraded data throughput compared to similar length cable runs. With the proliferation of devices in customer premises designed to be powered over Ethernet, the use of CCA cable for this purpose will result in increased power dissipation in the cable. This could result in the cable properties degrading and overheating.

“To alert industry to the issue of noncompliance, we have started writing to cabling suppliers to remind them of their regulatory obligations,” ACMA Operations Branch executive manager Mark Loney says.

“The penalties associated with supplying or using non-compliant customer cabling can be substantive. We would like this issue to be resolved quickly by industry to prevent the need for escalated regulatory action. However, this option is available to the ACMA if CCA cable continues to be supplied and used as customer cabling.”

The ACMA generally takes a graduated approach in encouraging compliance with technical regulation. In the first instance, the ACMA usually advises the alleged offender of the breach and of the steps needed to comply with the relevant requirements. A warning may also be issued.

However, if this action is unsuccessful, the ACMA may escalate its regulatory response.

Under the Telecommunications Act 1997, there are several offences that could apply to the supply or installation of CCA cable for customer cabling. If initial attempts to resolve the issue are not successful, an authorised ACMA officer may issue a telecommunications infringement notice for each offence.

An individual (such as a cabler) may be fined $1,320 for each offence, and a body corporate (such as a supplier) may be fined $6,600 per offence. If the notice is accepted and the fine paid, the person/body corporate will avoid being prosecuted in court.

However, if the matter is considered in court, the person/ body corporate faces a criminal conviction and penalty of up to $13,200 per offence.

Complaints or reports of non-compliant cabling can be made through the ACMA’s Cabling Complaint form, found at www.acma.gov.au/interforms/Cabling_ Complaint_Form.asp.

You can also follow ACMA Operations Branch on twitter by searching for @acma_operations.