Customer Equipment Standards and Documents

Communications Alliance develops customer equipment Standards and related documents for the Australian telecommunications industry. The latest versions of the publications are listed below, grouped by Customer Equipment (CE) Standards (commencing with AS/CA S002), followed by the related Guidelines (commencing with G548).

Superseded customer equipment Standards (referred to as ‘Available Superseded’ Standards) can be downloaded from www.commsalliance.com.au/documents/available_superseded. Note that Available Superseded Standards may be applicable under the Telecommunications (Labelling Notice for Customer Equipment and Customer Cabling) Instrument 2015 (the TLN) See the regulatory information below.

Note that all references to CDMA in Communications Alliance documents are no longer valid post 28 April 2008.

Our policy for handling complaints regarding the development processes of Standards can be found here.

Regulatory information

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is a Commonwealth statutory agency responsible for regulation of telecommunications customer equipment and customer cabling. Details of the compliance arrangements (including labelling and record-keeping requirements) can be obtained from the ACMA website.

The ACMA may make technical standards under section 376 of the Telecommunications Act 1997, for specified items of telecommunications customer equipment and customer cabling.  A complete list of applicable ACMA Standards (which may include both current and revoked Standards) can be found on the ACMA website at the Telecommunications standards page.

When an AS/CA industry standard is amended or replaced, a transition period applies. The transition period is two years, or such lesser period that is specified in the standard. During the transition period, both the old and the amended/replacement standard apply.  More information on Changes to standards and transition periods is available on the ACMA website.

In addition, the ACMA makes Cabling Provider Rules (CPRs) under section 421(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997. The CPRs require a person undertaking customer cabling work to comply with the customer cabling wiring rules (AS/CA S009) developed by Communications Alliance.  More information on the ACMA’s customer cabling regulatory arrangements is available on the ACMA website.


AS/CA S002:2010 Analogue interworking and non-interference requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to the PSTN

AS/CA S002:2010 (.pdf, 668 KB)

Amdt No 1/2012 to AS/CA S002:2010 (.pdf 103 KB)
Expression of Intent EOI/22/003 Warning message labelling

Publication date: 21 Oct 2010
Amendment publication date: 23 Apr 2012
Reconfirmed: 1 May 2017


This Standard specifies the technical requirements for Customer Equipment (CE) and in the case of compound CE the parts of the compound CE that are designed or intended for connection to an analogue PSTN two-wire service. It does not apply to CE or the parts of compound CE that are designed or intended for connection to a DSL service operating over a shared metallic local loop with an analogue PSTN two-wire service.

This document supersedes AS/ACIF S002:2005. The superseded Standard is available at www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available-Superseded.


AS/CA S003.1:2010 Requirements for Customer Access Equipment for connection to a Telecommunications Network - Part 1: General

AS/CA S003.1:2010r (.pdf, 1016 KB)

Amdt No 1/2012 to AS/CA S003.1:2010 (.pdf 50 KB)

Publication date: 5 Jan 2010
Amendment publication date: 15 Jun 2012

This Standard applies to Customer Equipment (CE) that is:

  • designed with multiple ports (local or network) that provides or is intended to provide access (gateway functions) to a Telecommunications Network; and
  • capable of switching, storage, processing, conversion, integration, line isolation/coupling or multiplexing of analogue or digital voice or voice equivalent communication.

This document supersedes AS/ACIF S003:2008. The superseded Standard is available at www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available-Superseded.


AS/CA S003.2:2010 Requirements for Customer Access Equipment for connection to a Telecommunications Network - Part 2: Analogue and TDM based technologies

AS/CA S003.2:2010r (.pdf, 281 KB)

Publication date: 5 Jan 2010
Reconfirmed: 14 Nov 2019

This Standard applies to Customer Equipment (CE) that is:

  • using analogue and/or PCM based TDM technologies to accomplish any port interconnection;
  • not using any packet based technologies, or having interfaces to packet based networks;
  • designed with multiple ports (local or network) that provides or is intended to provide access (gateway functions) to a Telecommunications Network; and
  • capable of switching, storage, processing, conversion, integration, line isolation/coupling or multiplexing of analogue or digital voice or voice equivalent communication.

This document supersedes AS/ACIF S003:2005. The superseded Standard is available at www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available-Superseded.


AS/CA S003.3:2010 Requirements for Customer Access Equipment for connection to a Telecommunications Network - Part 3: Packet and cell based technologies

AS/CA S003.3:2010r (.pdf, 199 KB)
Expression of Intent EOI/17/001 Voiceband and G.711 A-law 64 kbit/s PCM encoding
 

Publication date: 5 Jan 2010

This Standard applies to Customer Equipment (CE) that is:

  • either (i) using packet or cell based technologies to accomplish any port interconnection; or (ii) using packet or cell based ports for external connections; or both (i) and (ii);
  • designed with multiple ports (local or network) that provides or is intended to provide access (gateway functions) to a Telecommunications Network; and
  • capable of switching, storage, processing, conversion, integration, line isolation/coupling or multiplexing of analogue or digital voice or voice equivalent communication.

This document supersedes AS/ACIF S003:2008. The superseded Standard is available at www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available-Superseded.


AS/CA S004:2013 Voice performance requirements for Customer Equipment

AS/CA S004:2013 (.pdf, 610 KB)
Expression of Intent EOI/22/003 Warning message labelling

Publication date: 7 Jan 2013
Reconfirmed: 15 Nov 2018

This Standard specifies the technical requirements for Customer Equipment (CE) that is designed or intended:

  1. to transmit and receive voice frequency signals for voice communication, voice messages or tones by direct or indirect electrical or electro acoustic means; and
  2. for connection to a Telecommunications Network.

This document supersedes AS/ACIF S004:2008. The superseded Standard is available at www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available-Superseded.


AS/ACIF S006:2008 Requirements for Customer Equipment, operating in the voiceband, for connection to the non-switched Telecommunications Network

This Standard has been withdrawn.


AS/CA S008:2020 Requirements for Customer Cabling Products

AS/CA S008:2020 (.pdf, 1302 KB)

Publication date: 20 Aug 2020

This Standard applies to cabling products (including cable and related customer equipment) intended for connection to the customer side of the boundary of a telecommunications network. It does not apply to cabling products intended primarily for the distribution of AC mains supply. It does not apply to products intended to be used for telecommunications earthing systems or telecommunications power distribution (e.g. earthing/power conductors, earthing bars, busbars, earthing/power terminals, line tap devices, earth electrodes and associated fittings, batteries, fuses and circuit breakers). It does not apply to surge suppression devices.

This document supersedes AS/ACIF S008:2010. The superseded Standard is available at www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available-Superseded.


AS/CA S009:2020 Installation requirements for Customer Cabling (Wiring Rules)

AS/CA S009:2020 (.pdf, 2215 KB)
Expression of Intent EOI/22/001 Fitness for purpose
Expression of Intent EOI/22/002 Plug-terminated customer cabling

Publication date: 20 August 2020

This Standard applies to the installation and maintenance of fixed or concealed cabling or equipment that is connected, or is intended to be connected, to a telecommunications network, including any cord or cordage, or that part of any cord or cordage, that is connected as fixed or concealed cabling.

This Standard does not apply to—

  • any electrical power cabling whose primary function is the distribution of AC mains supply, and which is connected to an AC mains supply, but which may also carry telecommunications signals as a secondary function as long as the telecommunications signals originate from the power network or are injected into the power cabling via a compliant interface device;
  • any cabling used for the connection or distribution of broadcasting services, as defined in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, that are supplied to the end-user by means of transmission through free air to a receiving radio, television or satellite antenna whether or not such cabling is connected to receiving equipment that is connected to a carrier’s or carriage service provider’s telecommunications network (e.g. via an Ethernet port); and
  • any cabling on the carrier’s side of the network boundary whether or not such cabling is located in customer premises, e.g. lead-in cabling.

This Standard comes into effect on publication on 20 August 2020. AS/CA S009:2013 continues to remain in effect for up to eighteen months after publication of AS/CA S009:2020. AS/CA S009:2013 can be downloaded here.


AS/ACIF S016:2001 Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to hierarchical digital interfaces

AS/ACIF S016:2001 (.pdf, 892 KB)

Publication date: 19 Dec 2001
Reconfirmed: February 2018

This Standard applies to Customer Equipment with hierarchical digital interfaces at 2048 kbit/s, 8448 kbit/s, 34 368 kbit/s or 139 264 kbit/s that is designed or intended for connection to a Telecommunications Network.

The CE-Network requirements in this Standard describe a point-to-point configuration as shown in Figure 1 of the Standard. This configuration comprises two connections, one for digital transmission from the CE to Network and one for digital transmission from the Network to CE.


AS/ACIF S031:2001 Requirements for ISDN Basic Access

AS/ACIF S031:2001 (.pdf, 467 KB)

Publication date: 24 Jul 2001
Reconfirmed: February 2018

This Standard specifies the technical conditions and performance requirements for certain Customer Equipment (CE) at the Physical, Data Link and Network Layers (Layers 1, 2 and 3) when connected to an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Basic Access interface at the S/T reference point. The equipment covered by this Standard is all CE that is intended for connection to an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Basic Access for the purpose of receiving information from, or transmitting information to, the ISDN.

This Standard applies to the following types of ISDN: ETSI Standards based ISDN Basic Access and AUSTEL Technical Standard 013 [1][2] based ISDN Basic Access.


AS/CA S035:2015 Requirements for installation of temporary field telecommunications customer cabling for defence purposes

AS/CA S035:2015 (.pdf, 340 KB)

Publication date: 20 Apr 2015

This Standard applies to the installation of temporary field cabling by Department of Defence personnel and overseas defence forces for defence purposes during exercise, training or operational deployment by the Department of Defence (DoD), or overseas defence forces exercising with Australian DoD personnel. It should be read in conjunction with other referenced Standards.

This Standard sets out the minimum requirements to ensure that—

  1. the installation or use of the cabling does not expose Carrier personnel, cabling providers, end-users or other persons to any danger; and
  2. the installation or use of the cabling does not adversely affect the integrity (proper end-to-end functioning) of a Telecommunications Network

AS/ACIF S038:2001 Requirements for ISDN Primary Rate Access Interface

AS/ACIF S038:2001 (.pdf, 428 KB)

Publication date: 24 Jul 2001
Reconfirmed: February 2018

This Standard specifies the technical conditions and performance requirements, at the Physical, Data Link and Network Layers (Layers 1, 2 and 3), for CE that is intended for connection to an ETSI Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Primary Rate Access Digital Subscriber Signalling No. 1 (DDS 1) interface for the purpose of receiving information from, or transmitting information to, the ISDN at the T reference point. Where CE is also intended to connect to the ISDN Primary Rate Access services based on ACA Technical Standard 014 [1], then CE is to also meet the requirements specified in ACA Technical Standard 014 [1].


AS/ACIF S040:2001 Requirements for Customer Equipment for use with the Standard Telephone Service - Features for special needs

AS/ACIF S040:2001 (.pdf, 409 KB)

Publication date: 19 Dec 2001
Reconfirmed: May 2014

This Disability Standard applies to certain Customer Equipment (CE) that uses a telephone handset or a keypad, that is manufactured in, or imported into Australia for use with the Standard Telephone Service. This Standard defines the technical requirements relating to the features of the equipment that is designed to cater for some of the special needs of persons with disabilities. Note that this includes fax machines with a handset and system integral equipment.

AS/CA S041.1:2015 Requirements for DSL Customer Equipment for connection to the PSTN - Part 1: General

AS/CA S041.1:2015 (.pdf, 294 KB)

Publication date: 25 February 2015
Reconfirmed: 12 November 2020
 

Specifies the technical requirements for Customer Equipment (CE), or the parts of the CE that are designed or intended for connection to a DSL service that shares the metallic local loop with an analogue PSTN two-wire service.

This document supersedes AS/ACIF S041.1:2009. The superseded Standard is available at www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available-Superseded.


AS/CA S041.2:2015 Requirements for DSL Customer Equipment for connection to the Public Switched Telephone Network - Part 2: Modems for use in connection with all DSL services

AS/CA S041.2:2015 (.pdf, 320 KB)

Publication date: 25 February 2015
Reconfirmed: 12 November 2020
 

Specifies the technical requirements for DSL Modem Customer Equipment (CE), or the DSL Modem parts of the CE that are designed or intended for connection to a DSL service that shares the metallic local loop with an analogue PSTN two-wire service.

This Standard does not apply to CE or the parts of CE designed or intended for connection only to an analogue PSTN two-wire service. CE that is designed or intended to operate in an all digital mode does not need to meet the requirements of this Standard for that particular mode.

This document supersedes AS/ACIF S041.2:2009. The superseded Standard is available at www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available-Superseded.


AS/CA S041.3:2015 Requirements for DSL Customer Equipment for connection to the Public Switched Telephone Network - Part 3: Filters for use in connection with all xDSL services

AS/CA S041.3:2015 (.pdf, 612 KB)

Publication date: 25 February 2015
Reconfirmed: 12 November 2020
 

Specifies the technical requirements for xDSL Filter Customer Equipment (CE), or the xDSL Filter parts of the CE that are designed or intended for connection to an xDSL service that shares the metallic local loop with an analogue PSTN two-wire service.  This Standard does not apply to CE or the parts of CE designed or intended only for connection to an analogue PSTN two-wire service.

This document supersedes AS/ACIF S041.3:2009. The superseded Standard is available at www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available-Superseded.


AS/CA S042.1:2022 Requirements for connection to an air interface of a Telecommunications Network - Part 1: General

AS/CA S042.1:2020 (.pdf, 519 KB), published 15 October 2020
AS/CA S042.1:2022
(.pdf, 459 KB), published 8 March 2022
Expression of Intent EOI/22/003 Warning message labelling

Specifies the general requirements for Customer Equipment (CE) that is designed or intended for use in connection with:

  • a public mobile telecommunications service (PMTS) and is an addressable device;
  • a Satellite Service and is an addressable device; or
  • both of the above.

This Standard does not apply to CE which is not an addressable device such as GPS terminal and satellite navigation system.

Additional regulatory information

AS/CA S042.1:2022 is intended to be mandated by a replacement for the ACMA Telecommunications (Mobile Equipment Air Interface) Technical Standard 2018 (the 2018 ACMA Standard). Until a replacement for the 2018 ACMA Standard is published, AS/CA S042.1:2020 as mandated by the 2018 ACMA Standard, remains in force.

In the instance that the 2022 version of AS/CA S042.1 is mandated by the ACMA, the transition period for AS/CA S042.1:2020 will be 12 months commencing on the day the 2018 ACMA Standard is replaced.

The mandatory status of AS/CA S042.1:2022 can be found on the ACMA website at the Telecommunications standards page. 

AS/CA S042.1:2020 supersedes AS/CA S042.1:2018. The superseded Standard is available at www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available-Superseded.


AS/ACIF S042.2:1999 Requirements for connection to an air interface of a telecommunications network - Part 2: CDMA (IS-95)

This Standard has been withdrawn.


AS/CA S042.4:2022 Requirements for connection to an air interface of a Telecommunications Network—Part 4: IMT Customer Equipment

AS/CA S042.4:2022 (.pdf, 291KB)

Publication date: 5 December 2022

Specifies the technical conditions and requirements for IMT Customer Equipment that is designed or intended for use in connection with an IMT public mobile telecommunications service (PMTS) and is an addressable device. This Standard applies to IMT Customer Equipment based upon the following IMT technologies: UTRA FDD, E-UTRA FDD and OFDMA TDD WMAN.

Additional regulatory information

AS/CA S042.4:2022 is intended to be mandated by a replacement for the ACMA Telecommunications (Mobile Equipment Air Interface) Technical Standard 2018 (the 2018 ACMA Standard). Until a replacement for the 2018 ACMA Standard is published, AS/CA S042.4:2018 as mandated by the 2018 ACMA Standard, remains in force.

In the instance that the 2022 version of AS/CA S042.4 is mandated by the ACMA, the transition period for AS/CA S042.1:2020 will be 12 months commencing on the day the 2018 ACMA Standard is replaced.

The mandatory status of AS/CA S042.4:2022 can be found on the ACMA website at the Telecommunications standards page.

AS/CA S042.4:2020 supersedes AS/CA S042.4:2018. The superseded Standard is available at www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available-Superseded.

AS/CA S043.1:2015 Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to a metallic local loop interface of a Telecommunications Network- Part 1: General

AS/CA S043.1:2015 (.pdf, 436 KB)

Publication date: 9 Jan 2015

This Standard specifies the technical requirements for Customer Equipment (CE) that is designed or intended for connection to a Telecommunications Network via a metallic local loop interface. This Standard does not apply to CE designed or intended for connection to HFC, coaxial cable or wireless local loop.

This document supersedes AS/ACIF S043.1:2003. The superseded Standard is available at www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available-Superseded.


AS/CA S043.2:2016 Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to a metallic local loop interface of a Telecommunications Network - Part 2: Broadband

AS/CA S043.2:2016 (.pdf, 601 KB)
Publication date: 9 Aug 2016

Amdt No 1/2017 to AS/CA S043.2:2016 (.pdf, 65 KB)
Publication date: 23 Oct 2017

Amdt No 2/2018 to AS/CA S043.2:2016 (.pdf, 62 KB)
Publication date: 22 Oct 2018

This Standard applies to Customer Equipment (CE) that-

  1. is designed or intended for connection to a Telecommunications Network via a metallic local loop interface; and
  2. has a broadband capability.

This document supersedes AS/CA S043.2:2015.

AS/CA S043.3:2015 Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to a metallic local loop interface of a Telecommunications Network Part 3: DC, low frequency AC and voiceband

AS/CA S043.3:2015 (.pdf, 586 KB)

Publication date: 9 Jan 2015

This Standard specifies the technical requirements for Customer Equipment (CE) that-

  1. is designed or intended for connection to a Telecommunications Network via a metallic local loop interface; and
  2. is designed or intended to include one or more of the following capabilities:
    1. DC power feeding or signalling.
    2. Operation in the low frequency AC band, below 300 Hz.
    3. Operation in the voice frequency band.
    4. Operation above the voice frequency band up to 20 kHz.

This document supersedes AS/ACIF S043.3:2008. The superseded Standard is available at www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available-Superseded.



G548:2008 Supporting arrangements for AS/ACIF S042 Requirements for connection to an air interface of a Telecommunications Network

These Supporting Arrangements have been withdrawn.

G563:2001 Supporting arrangements for the supply of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Customer Equipment

This Guideline has been withdrawn.


G610:2003 The superseding of ACA TS 001-1997 by AS/NZS 60950:2000

G610:2003 (.pdf, 829 KB)

This Report was prepared by the ACIF Working Committee CECRP/WC11 on Safety of Customer Equipment. It is the output of a review of the Standards and regulatory arrangements for customer equipment safety in Australia. The Report has been prepared to provide the background to customer equipment safety standardisation, a summary of the review process, the impact on consumers and industry and the implementation timetable.


G616:2013 Acoustic safety for telephone equipment

G616:2013 (.pdf, 371 KB)

This Guideline is intended to provide guidance to organisations that have staff who use telephone equipment for extended periods of time, manufacturers, call centres, audio consultants and testing laboratories, in order to reduce the risk and severity of acoustic shock.

This Guideline was developed with the following aims:

  1. To provide guidance in the development of equipment, workplaces and processes to reduce the risk and severity of acoustic shock.
  2. To provide additional, optional acoustic safety specifications that organisations can call up if they wish to increase the protection against acoustic shock beyond that specified in the two Standards AS/CA S004 (for landline phones) and AS/CA S042.1 (for mobile phones).

A correction Amendment was issued in 2014 (Amendment No. 1/2014, incorporated into G616:2013) to rectify a typographical error on the ‘G616 GUIDELINE - AT A GLANCE’ page.


    G623:2005 Regulatory adoption of Customer Equipment safety requirements

    G623:2005 (.pdf, 281 KB)

    This Report was prepared by the ACIF Working Committee CECRP/WC11 on Safety of Customer Equipment. It is the output of a review of the Standards and regulatory arrangements for Customer Equipment (CE) safety in Australia. The Report analyses the suitability of the telecommunications regulator requiring compliance with AS/NZS 60950:2000/Amdt 1:2003 and AS/NZS 60950.1:2003.


    G624:2005 Network interface voltage levels

    G624:2005 (.pdf, 267 KB)

    This Guideline has been withdrawn.

    G642:2016 Installation of Broadcast Cabling and connection of Digital Broadcast Equipment to a Telecommunications Network

    G642:2016 (.pdf, 460 KB)

    Provides guidance for installation of Broadcast Cabling and digital broadcast interfaces used with Digital Broadcast Equipment intended for connection to a Carrier’s or Carriage Service Provider’s Telecommunications Network.