Nbn has recently issued a document entitled ‘Authority to alter facilities in residential and small business premises’ that authorises registered cablers to move, remove or alter certain nbn-owned copper network cabling and assets.
The document, which can be downloaded by clicking here, defines the type of work, and the areas of the network, that can be altered to provide a service to end users.
The document applies to premises and local areas of the network where NBN copper pairs typically terminate at a Telecommunications Outlet (TO) or Network Terminal Device (NTD).
Cablers working in residential and small business premises may need to alter NBN’s lead-in cabling and network boundary facilities to satisfy the customer’s requirements. NBN authorises Registered Cablers to make limited alterations to nbn facilities in or on the building as long as the work is carried out to nbn’s requirements.
Generally NBN owns the facilities it provides for the purpose of supplying NBN services to the network boundary. NBN will alter its facilities in customer premises, or it may authorise non-NBN registered cablers to perform such alterations on terms and conditions stipulated by nbn.
In communicating with builders and the general public about connection to the NBN, NBN emphasises that any person who installs or maintains cabling for connection to a telecommunications network must comply with the Telecommunications Act 1997 and the AS/CA S009:2013 wiring rules; and must be registered to perform cabling work by an ACMA-accredited ‘cabling registrar’, including BICSI Registered Cablers (BRCA).
Clause 5.13 of AS/CA S009:2013 prohibits a cabling provider from moving, removing or altering any lead-in cabling or network boundary facilities without the prior written authorisation of the carrier. However, the Note to Clause 5.13 of AS/CA S009:2013 clarifies that if a carrier publishes a document authorising cabling providers to alter its facilities (such as the document referred to in this article), such a document will be taken to be the prior written authorisation of the carrier as long as any terms and conditions set out in the document are adhered to by the cabling provider.
While by law, cabling registration is not required for someone to perform work on NBN’s side of the network boundary, NBN requires the person to be a registered cabling provider as a condition of the ‘Authority to Alter’ document as a measure of competency to do the work and to ensure that the requirements of the Cabling Provider Rules are met in case the work also involves any cabling activity on the customer’s side of the network boundary.
The cabler must ensure that they are familiar with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements for the performance of this work and that they comply with all laws, regulations, standards and codes of practice applicable to this work.
There are several conditions that a registered cabler must recognise and comply with, if they are to carry out cabling work on the NBN network, including acknowledging that they are responsible for the restoration of faulty or sub-standard work if requested to do so by NBN or the customer, and agreeing to indemnify NBN against any liability, loss, damage, costs or expenses incurred or suffered by NBN that are caused by any act or omission of the cabler whether negligent or not.
