Telecommunications Technical Standard (Surge Protective Devices for Telecommunication Applications - AS/NZS 4117:1999) 2003

Administered by Department of Communications and the Arts

Legislation au F2005B00179 Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

Telecommunications Technical Standard (Surge Protective Devices for Telecommunication Applications — AS/NZS 4117:1999) 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 

 

 

 

1 Name of Technical Standard

 (1) This Technical Standard is the Telecommunications Technical Standard (Surge Protective Devices for Telecommunication Applications — AS/NZS 4117:1999) 2003.

 (2) This Technical Standard may also be cited as AS/NZS 4117-1999.

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 1999.

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 on gazettal.

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: Surge protective devices for telecommunication applications (AS/NZS 4117:1999), published by Standards Australia International Limited in November 1999.

multi-terminal device means a device with at least 2 terminals.

protective earth system means the earthing system, installed in accordance with the requirements of AS/NZS 3000:2000, Electrical installations (known as the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules), that provides a connection to the general mass of earth to ensure the electrical isolation of any defective equipment from mains voltages through the operation of protective apparatus.

surge protective device means customer equipment that is a multi-terminal device consisting of single or multiple components which, within its operating range, limits the voltage present on its output terminals when a preset voltage is exceeded on its input terminals.

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 individual stand-alone surge protective devices that are:

 (a) used for the suppression of indirect effects of lightning or other transient overvoltages; and

 (b) intended to be connected:

 (i) from one telecommunications conductor to another; or

 (ii) from a telecommunications conductor to the protective earth system.

6 Standard with which customer equipment must comply

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

 

Overview

The Telecommunications Technical Standard (Surge Protective Devices for Telecommunication Applications — AS/NZS 4117:1999) 2003 was enacted to address the need for specific technical standards to ensure the safety and reliability of telecommunications networks and equipment in Australia. This legislation was introduced by the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) under section 376(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997. The primary objective of this technical standard is to safeguard the integrity of telecommunications networks and facilities, protect the health and safety of individuals who interact with these networks, and ensure the interoperability and functionality of customer equipment in accessing emergency services and standard telephone services. This standard mandates that surge protective devices used in telecommunications applications must comply with the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4117:1999.

Scope and Application

The Telecommunications Technical Standard (Surge Protective Devices for Telecommunication Applications — AS/NZS 4117:1999) 2003 applies to individual stand-alone surge protective devices that are specifically used for the suppression of indirect effects of lightning or other transient overvoltages and are intended to be connected from one telecommunications conductor to another or from a telecommunications conductor to the protective earth system. The application of this standard is national, extending across all states and territories of Australia in accordance with the Telecommunications Act 1997. The primary objective of this technical standard is to safeguard the integrity of telecommunications networks and facilities, protect the health and safety of persons who operate, work on, or use services supplied by telecommunications networks, and ensure the interoperability of customer equipment with telecommunications networks for standard telephone services. The standard mandates compliance with the Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard: Surge protective devices for telecommunication applications (AS/NZS 4117:1999). The technical standard does not explicitly outline any exclusions or exemptions but relies on the overarching provisions of the Telecommunications Act 1997 for broader applicability and enforcement.

Key Provisions

The Telecommunications Technical Standard (Surge Protective Devices for Telecommunication Applications — AS/NZS 4117:1999) 2003 (section 1) establishes the requirements for surge protective devices used in telecommunications. This technical standard, which can also be referred to as AS/NZS 4117-1999, mandates that these devices comply with the Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard: Surge protective devices for telecommunication applications (AS/NZS 4117:1999). This standard is specifically designed for devices intended to be connected between telecommunications conductors or between a telecommunications conductor and a protective earth system to mitigate the indirect effects of lightning or other transient overvoltages. Entities and individuals governed by this legislation must ensure that their surge protective devices comply with the AS/NZS 4117:1999 standard. This involves ensuring that the devices are multi-terminal and capable of limiting voltages on their output terminals when the input voltage exceeds a preset threshold. The primary aim is to safeguard the integrity of telecommunications networks and facilities, protect the health and safety of personnel who interact with these networks, and ensure that customer equipment remains operational for emergency services. Additionally, compliance with this standard is necessary to maintain the interoperability of customer equipment with telecommunications networks. Failure to comply with the requirements of this Technical Standard can lead to significant consequences. Although the document does not explicitly state specific penalties for non-compliance, it is reasonable to infer that violations could result in civil or criminal penalties under the overarching Telecommunications Act 1997. Non-compliance might lead to actions such as fines or other enforcement measures taken by the Australian Communications Authority. The exact penalties would depend on the nature and severity of the breach, but the overarching aim is to ensure that the safety and integrity of telecommunications systems are upheld. In summary, the Telecommunications Technical Standard (Surge Protective Devices for Telecommunication Applications — AS/NZS 4117:1999) 2003 sets forth clear requirements for the use of surge protective devices in telecommunications. It mandates compliance with the AS/NZS 4117:1999 standard to protect networks, personnel, and ensure the functionality of customer equipment. While the specific penalties for non-compliance are not detailed in this particular legislative instrument, they would likely be enforced under the broader provisions of the Telecommunications Act 1997.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Technology Law
Instrument
Legislative Instrument
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Commencement Provisions
Compliance Obligations

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.