Telecommunications Technical Standard (Safety of Information Technology Equipment - AS/NZS 60950:2000) 2003

Administered by Department of Communications and the Arts

Legislation au F2005B00178 Not in force Legislative Instrument

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Telecommunications Technical Standard (Safety of Information Technology Equipment — AS/NZS 60950:2000) 2003

The AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY makes this Technical Standard under subsection 376 (1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997.

Dated 12 November  2003

R HORTON
Chair

A HORSLEY
Deputy Chair

 

Australian Communications Authority

Contents

 1 Name of Technical Standard 

 2 Commencement 

 3 Objects of Technical Standard 

 4 Definitions 

 5 Application of Technical Standard 

 6 Standard with which customer equipment must comply 

 7 Revocation of ACA TS 001 – 1997 

 

 

 

1 Name of Technical Standard

 (1) This Technical Standard is the Telecommunications Technical Standard (Safety of Information Technology Equipment — AS/NZS 60950:2000) 2003.

 (2) This Technical Standard may also be cited as AS/NZS 60950-2000.

Note 1   The alternate citation mentioned in subsection (2) is the name by which the AS/NZS Standard, adopted by this Technical Standard under section 6, is usually cited.  The AS/NZS Standard was published in 2000.

Note 2   The AS/NZS Standard, as adopted by this Technical Standard, does not include any amendments that may subsequently be made by Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand.  If such amendments are made, there will be a difference between the terms of this instrument and those of the AS/NZS instrument of that name until such time as the AS/NZS Standard amendments are adopted by the ACA.

2 Commencement

  This Technical Standard commences as follows:

 (a) on gazettal — sections 1 to 6;

 (b) on 1 July 2004 — section 7.

3 Objects of Technical Standard

  The objects of this Technical Standard are:

 (a) to protect the integrity of telecommunications networks and facilities; and

 (b) to protect the health and safety of persons who:

 (i) operate; or

 (ii) work on; or

 (iii) use services supplied by means of; or

 (iv) are otherwise reasonably likely to be affected by the operation of;

  a telecommunications network or facility; and

 (c) to ensure that customer equipment can be used to give access to an emergency call service; and

 (d) to ensure, for the purpose of the supply of a standard telephone service, the interoperability of customer equipment with a telecommunications network to which the equipment is, or is proposed to be, connected.

4 Definitions

  In this Technical Standard:

Act means the Telecommunications Act 1997.

AS/NZS Standard means the Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard: Safety of information technology equipment (AS/NZS 60950:2000), published by Standards Australia International Limited in June 2000.

information technology equipment means customer equipment:

 (a) a primary function of which is the entry, storage, display, retrieval, transmission, processing, switching or control of data and of telecommunications messages; and

 (b) that may be equipped with 1 or more terminal ports typically operated for information transfer; and

 (c) that has a rated supply voltage of not more than 600 volts.

Note 1   Emergency call service and standard telephone service are defined in section 7 of the Act. Telecommunications network is defined in subsection 374 (1) of the Act. Facility is defined in subsection 374 (2) of the Act.

Note 2   Customer equipment is defined in section 7 of the Act to have the meaning given by section 21 of the Act. Subsection 21 (1) of the Act provides that customer equipment means:

(a) any equipment, apparatus, tower, mast, antenna or other structure or thing; or

(b) any system (whether software-based or otherwise);

that:

(c) is used, installed ready for use or intended for use in connection with a carriage service; and

(d) under the regulations, is treated as customer equipment;

but does not include a line.

Subsection 21 (4) of the Act provides that if no regulations are in force for the purposes of subsection 21 (1), customer equipment has the meaning set out in subsection 21 (4). At the commencement of this Technical Standard, no regulations are in force for the purposes of subsection 21 (1) of the Act.

5 Application of Technical Standard

  This Technical Standard applies to:

 (a) customer equipment that is designed, or intended, for connection to a telecommunications network; and

 (b) information technology equipment designed to use the AC mains supply as a telecommunications transmission medium.

6 Standard with which customer equipment must comply

  The customer equipment to which this Technical Standard applies must comply with the AS/NZS Standard.

7 Revocation of ACA TS 001 – 1997

  ACA TS 001 – 1997 is revoked.

 

Overview

The Telecommunications Technical Standard (Safety of Information Technology Equipment — AS/NZS 60950:2000) 2003 was enacted to provide a standardised safety framework for information technology equipment used in connection with telecommunications networks, ensuring the safety and integrity of such networks and protecting the health and safety of persons who interact with these networks. The Technical Standard was introduced under the authority of the Telecommunications Act 1997 by the Australian Communications Authority, aiming to safeguard telecommunications infrastructure and users. The objects of the Technical Standard include protecting the integrity of telecommunications networks and facilities, ensuring the safety of individuals affected by these networks, facilitating access to emergency services, and maintaining interoperability of customer equipment with telecommunications networks. The standard requires compliance with the Australian and New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS 60950:2000) for safety of information technology equipment.

Scope and Application

The Telecommunications Technical Standard (Safety of Information Technology Equipment — AS/NZS 60950:2000) 2003 applies to customer equipment designed or intended for connection to a telecommunications network and information technology equipment that uses the AC mains supply as a telecommunications transmission medium. This legislation is made under the Telecommunications Act 1997 and applies nationally across Australia, with the primary aim of ensuring the safety and interoperability of equipment connected to telecommunications networks. The Standard mandates compliance with the Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 60950:2000, which sets out safety requirements for information technology equipment. The Standard is designed to protect the integrity of telecommunications networks, safeguard the health and safety of individuals involved with telecommunications networks and equipment, and ensure customer equipment can be used to access emergency services and standard telephone services. Notably, this Standard does not include any subsequent amendments to the AS/NZS Standard unless explicitly adopted by the Australian Communications Authority.

Key Provisions

The Telecommunications Technical Standard (Safety of Information Technology Equipment — AS/NZS 60950:2000) 2003, made under section 376(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997, mandates that certain types of customer equipment must adhere to the Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard for the safety of information technology equipment (AS/NZS 60950:2000). The Standard is applicable to equipment designed or intended for connection to a telecommunications network and to information technology equipment using the AC mains supply as a telecommunications transmission medium (section 5). Specifically, the equipment must comply with the AS/NZS Standard (section 6). The obligations under this Technical Standard are primarily focused on ensuring the safety and interoperability of customer equipment. It requires that the equipment complies with the AS/NZS Standard, which includes detailed safety requirements for information technology equipment. This ensures that the equipment does not pose a risk to the integrity of telecommunications networks and facilities, nor to the health and safety of individuals who interact with it (section 3). Additionally, the Standard ensures that customer equipment can access emergency call services and is interoperable with telecommunications networks for standard telephone service (section 3(b) and (d)). Failure to comply with this Technical Standard may result in the equipment being deemed unsafe for use on a telecommunications network. This non-compliance can lead to regulatory actions, including potential revocation of the equipment's approval for use on the network. While specific penalties are not detailed in the Technical Standard, breaches of telecommunications legislation generally can result in fines and other legal consequences under the overarching Telecommunications Act 1997. The exact penalties would depend on the nature and severity of the breach, as well as any additional provisions in related regulations.

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