Electrical Connection Winter 2015

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3 4 E L E CT R I C AL CONNE CT I ON W I NT E R 2 01 5
RULES AND REGULATIONS
ACMA’s new CPRs
U nder the Telecommunications
Cabling Provider Rules 2014,
cabling work must only be
performed by, or under the supervision
of, a registered cabling provider and
must also comply with the requirements
of Australian Standard AS/CA S009:2013
Installation requirements for customer
cabling (Wiring Rules). Further, cabling
providers must only use cabling
products that are compliant with the
Telecommunications Labelling (Customer
Equipment and Customer Cabling)
Notice 2015 (the Telecommunications
Labelling Notice).
In making the 2014 Rules, the ACMA
used the opportunity to also simplify
customer cabling regulation by
combining the requirements of two other
cabling instruments to form a single
consolidated instrument. The other two
customer cabling instruments were:
> The Accreditation Procedures
for Cabling Provider Registrars
(Accreditation Procedures); and,
> The Telecommunications Cabling
Provider Rules 2000 – Arrangements for
Operation of the Registration System (No.
3) (2012)(the Arrangements Instrument).
The Accreditation Procedures specify
the process of accrediting an organisation
to allow it to operate a registration
system for cabling providers or to act
as a registrar, while the Arrangements
Instrument details the requirements for
the operation of that registration system.
The 2014 Rules do not contain any
substantive changes to the regulatory
requirements established by the 2000
Rules, the Accreditation Procedures and
the Arrangements Instrument. Some
editorial and drafting changes were
required to facilitate the consolidation of
the three instruments into the 2014 Rules.
This included the removal of duplicate or
outdated references and amendments to
improve flow and readability.
When the 2014 Rules came into force
in December 2014, the Accreditation
Procedures, the Arrangements
Instrument and the 2000 Rules were
subsequently revoked.
While the 2014 Rules provides the
ACMA with the essential framework
for the continued regulation of customer
cabling, ongoing developments in
customer equipment technology
and changes to the customer cabling
environment such as the rollout of
the NBN, is likely to see an increase in
cabling activity and potentially, the
emergence of new cabling issues. This
provides the cabling industry with the
opportunity of demonstrating its ability
to respond to challenges presented
by the changing environment so that
end users will continue to receive the
full benefits of any services delivered
using customer cabling. The ACMA
will continue to work with the cabling
industry, carriers and other areas of
government to develop co-regulatory
strategies to manage emerging issues,
including those associated with the
rollout of the NBN.
For more information on the
ACMA’s customer cabling regulatory
arrangements, please visit the ACMA
website, contact the ACMA on 1300 850
115 or via email: .
In December 2014, the
Australian Communications
and Media Authority (ACMA)
made the Telecommunications
Cabling Provider Rules 2014
(the 2014 Rules) to replace
the Telecommunications
Cabling Provider Rules 2000
(the 2000 Rules).
Under the 2014 Rules, cabling
work must only be performed by,
or under the supervision of,
a registered cabling provider.