• Do I have to maintain records of my cabling work?
  • All cablers must provide a compliance declaration form (a job sign-off form) to the customer. This form is also known as a Telecommunications Cabling Advice 1 (TCA1).

    At the end of each cabling job, you must complete the form and give a copy to the customer and employer (if appropriate). It must be completed and signed to indicate that the cabling work complies with the Wiring Rules. A copy of the completed TCA1 form must also be kept by you for at least 12 months and made available to ACMA inspectors and auditors on request. You may make arrangements with your employer to keep TCA1 forms on your behalf but the forms are your responsibility.

    The TCA1 form is available to download free from the BRCA website or from the ACMA website: www.acma.gov.au.

    You can use the form exactly as it is at the moment or you can incorporate the information into your existing invoice or other business forms to avoid additional paperwork. If you do this, then you must include the following statement on your paperwork: "I hereby certify that the cabling work described in this advice complies with the Wiring Rules (AS/ACIF s009:2001) or its replacement."

    Use of the TCA1 form or its equivalent is not required for the following activities:
     
    • running, transposing, removing jumpers on distribution frames
    • marking, replacing and upgrading cabling records
    • all testing and transmission measurement activities and
    • replacement of sockets or other minor cabling equipment for maintenance purposes.
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  • How do I know if a cable is an approved type?
  • Cable and cabling product is approved if it has an A-tick symbol on it (or on its packaging) or it is listed on the Certified Components List.
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  • What happens if my cabling licence has expired?
  • If 30 days or less has elapsed since a cabling licence expired you may seek registration without any additional requirements. If more than thirty days have lapsed, you must write to the ACMA before registering.

    In the letter you must set out the reasons why the licence lapsed and request special clearance from the ACMA to re-register without further training or assessment of qualifications. The ACMA will assess your request for special clearance on a case-by-case basis and notify you in writing of the decision.

    Once your licence has expired you cannot use it as evidence that you are competent for the purposes of registration. If you have a certificate from an approved course you can use that as evidence of competence and register. If you don't have formal training you need to contact your Industry Training Advisory Body (ITAB) to organise a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment before registering.
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  • Do security and fire cablers need to use cables that meet water penetration tests when installing special application cables underground?
  • No. Special application cables such as MIMS for fire-resistant applications, control cables, security cables etc intended to be installed underground are not required to meet the water penetration test applicable to general communications cables detailed in clause 5.7.2.1 of Australian standard AS/ACIF S008:2001 Requirements for authorised cabling products (including amendment No 1/2002).

    Only section 5.10 of S008 applies to special application cables. This section requires special application cables meet the flammability test and also the relevant identified industry specific standard. If the special application cable does not have its own specific industry standard, the cable must then meet the flammability test and some specific additional requirements under clause 5.10.2(b). Specific industry standards or requirements under clause 5.10.2(b) do not include a water penetration requirement.

    Security and fire system cablers generally use special application cables for all internal or external cabling work associated with installing security and fire systems. Special application cables are not regarded as general telecommunications cables and cannot be used for other telecommunications purposes. Cables such as control cable, fire cable, security cable, marine cable, reeling and trailing cable, travelling cable etc, fall into the special application category.
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  • Do special application cables need to meet water penetration requirements for underground installations?
  • No. Special application cables such as MIMS for fire-resistant applications, control cables, security cables etc intended to be installed underground are not required to meet the water penetration test applicable to general communications cables detailed in clause 5.7.2.1 of Australian standard AS/ACIF S008:2001 Requirements for authorised cabling products.

    Special application cables used beyond a carrier's network boundary are customer cables. Manufacturers and importers of customer cabling product or their agents must meet compliance requirements specified by the Telecommunications Labelling (Customer Equipment and Customer Cabling) Notice 2001(TLN). Category A22 of schedule 1 of the TLN requires customer cabling to comply with AS/ACIF S008:2001 Requirements for authorised cabling products (including amendment No.1/2002).

    Some suppliers are incorrectly applying the requirement found under clauses 5.7 and 5.8 of AS/ACIF S008 to special application cables. Special application cables are not subject to these clauses and are only required to comply with clause 5.10.

    Under section 5.10 Requirements of cables intended for special applications all special application cables are required to meet the flammability clause 5.7.2.4 of this standard. In addition cables must meet either:
     
    • the requirements of relevant IEC or Australian/New Zealand industry standards applicable to that particular type of cable and specified in Table 6; or
    • if there is no relevant industry standard for a particular cable then the cable must be tested to the following clauses of AS/ACIF S008:2001 in addition to the flammability clause 5.7.2.4;
    • 5.8.1(b) Conductors
    • 5.8.1.1 Shield (if applicable)
    • 5.8.2.1 Withstand voltage (as per cordage)
    • 5.8.2.2 Mutual capacitance
    • 5.8.2.3 Capacitance unbalance
    • 5.8.2.4 Insulation resistance (as per cordage)
  • To improve reliability, performance and life expectancy of special application cables used outdoors, it may be in the best interest of the industry that suppliers offer suitable cable which also has the ability to meet water penetration tests.
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  • Can I do Cat 5, Coax and Fibre Optic work if I have an Open Registration?
  • Yes. However if you do not have the competency to do a job you may leave yourself open to civil liability.
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  • Can I do Cat 5, Coax and Fibre Optic work if I have a Base Cabling Licence (BCL)?
  • No, if you do not have the appropriate endorsement on your BCL you can not do this work. If you want to do this type of work you need to register with an ACMA accredited-registrar and surrender your licence.
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  • What work can I do under each registration type?
  • Under the registration system there are three types of registrations available - Open, Restricted and Lift. You should obtain the type of registration that is most relevant for the work that you are wish to perform.

    If you wish to work in both commercial and domestic premises you will require an Open registration. However, if you only want to work in domestic premises you will require a Restricted registration.

    The following is a summary of the type of work you can do under each registration. For full details, please refer to the Telecommunications Cabling Provider Rules 2000.

    Open - This registration allows a cabler to undertake all types of cabling work from simple cabling in homes to complex structured cabling in multi-storey buildings.

    Restricted     - This registration restricts the cabler to doing work where the network boundary is a simple socket or a network termination device - typically found in domestic homes and small businesses, not in large commercial buildings. Cablers may also undertake work in multi-storey and campus-style premises where cabling is performed behind a compliant device (eg. alarm panel or modem).

    Lift     - This registration type is for connecting telephone cables in lifts.
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  • I have trade qualifications from overseas but would like to be become a registered cabler, what do I have to do?
  • If you are a resident or non-resident who has overseas technical, vocational or trade qualifications you may be able to obtain cabling registration in Australia provided that your overseas qualifications are assessed first. There are a number of agencies within Australia that can assess overseas qualifications in the technical, vocational and trade areas.
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  • If I have an open cabling registration, doesn't that mean I can do any type of cabling work? Why do I need to have formal endorsements registered?
  • The open cabling registration enables you to perform all types of telecommunications cabling work (including aerial or underground cabling work on private or public property), which terminates directly on a socket, a network termination device or a distributor.

    Some cablers elect to have their further education, formerly known as “endorsements” because some customers ask for formal qualifications over and above what's provided within the Cabling Provider Rules (CPRs)
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  • When Do I Need to Use a TCA1 Form?
  • You must fill out and sign a Telecommunications Cabling Advice Form (TCA1) for every completed job. Ensure you:
     
    • Provide the completed TCA1 to the customer
    • Clearly describe the work you've done - type of work, where it was located etc
    • Complete all sections using a black pen
    • Retain a copy of the completed TCA1 form for your own records for at least 12 months or give it to your employer for safekeeping.
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  • When Don't I Need to Use a TCA1?
  • You don't have to complete a TCA1 form in the following situations (although if you can if you wish):
     
    • Testing transmission measurement activities
    • Replacing sockets, detectors or other minor cabling products (excluding cable) for maintenance
    • Marking, replacing and upgrading cabling records
    • Running, transposing and removing jumpers on distribution frames
  • You can download TCA1 forms from BRCA forms page.
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  • What does RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) mean?
  • If you've been working in the cabling industry for a number of years you may be able to obtain part of your registration via RPL which is the recognition through assessment of competencies held and acquired through prior learning, formal training, work experience or life experience.
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  • I know guys who have never held a cabling licence who still work as cablers- why do I need to be registered?
  • In October 2000 Australian Communications Authority (ACMA) introduced new Cabling Provider Rules (CPRs) that replace the former system of licensing. As they expire, AUSTEL and ACMA cabling licences are phased out and replaced by Industry Registration. Though previously exempt, cablers in the Security, Fire and Data sectors are now required to hold a CPR Registration.

    If you are not registered and your work is not directly and constantly supervised, you are undertaking illegal work. If your work is subject to a random inspection, penalties of over $10,000 may apply.
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