BRCA Bytes December 2017

Late last year, BRCA introduced an online Cabling Registration renewal process to simplify the procedure for cablers. As with all new initiatives, we had a few ‘teething problems’ to start with, but we’ve ironed them out, so it’s quite a simple process. Over the past year, several cablers have conveniently renewed their registrations, as well as updated their details and added competencies.

We have had calls from a few cablers asking for assistance with it, so we thought we’d share the process with all BRCA cablers in this newsletter and outline the process in a step-by-step guide to renew your registration:

– Follow the link in your renewal email or visit the BRCA website:  www.brca.com.au

– On the right hand side of the Home page, click on the blue box “Renew your Registration” – which will take you to the Account Sign in page.

– On that page, login in using your email address and password. (If you haven’t set up your password, you can do it using the ‘Forgotten Password’ link underneath the “Log in” box. If you’re having any problems, just call us on 1800 306 444 and we will help you set it up).

– Once logged in, you will see the registration options the “BRCA Registration Account” page:
To renew your CURRENT Registration, click “RENEW” to choose your pre-selected registration period 1-year ($35.00 + GST) or 3-year ($80.00 + GST). Or, if you want to change your registration period from 1-Year to 3-Year or vice-versa, click on “View all registration options” which will allow you to select the period before proceeding with renewal.

– If your Registration has recently EXPIRED, you can re-activate it by selecting the appropriate payment option 1-year ($35.00 + GST) or 3-year ($80.00 + GST) presented on the page.

– You will then be directed to the payment form. You do not need to upload any supporting documents (this is only for new applications) Scroll down to ‘Billing information’. Please complete your Name, Billing Address, Phone number and Credit Card details. It is important all these fields are completed, otherwise your payment will not be processed.

– Once payment is completed, you will be directed to a page that will show receipt of transaction.

– You will also receive a confirmation email from BRCA.

– BRCA will then send you a new registration card in the mail, which will typically take 10-14 business days.

– Alternatively, if you prefer to pay by Direct Deposit and there are no changes to your registration, simply pay it from your bank – BRCA banking details outlined in renewal reminder email (IMPORTANT: list your BRCA registration number as the REFERENCE (If you don’t do this, we won’t know who made the payment, so we can’t renew you registration).

After stepping a few cablers, who initially found this rather daunting, through the process, they found it easy and quite intuitive, so when your cabling registration is due for renewal, give it a go online – it will only take a few minutes. But if you need some guidance with it, or prefer to renewal manually, feel free to call your BRCA team, who will be only too happy to help.

A revised telecommunications industry guideline has just been released by Communications Alliance that will give clearer instructions to Registered Cablers when migrating existing customers’ telecommunications services to the National Broadband Network (NBN).

The Guideline, entitled ‘G649:2017: Cabling existing telecommunications services in the customer’s premises for the nbn’, has been rewritten to address the complexities of the more than 40 different scenarios that Registered Cablers can encounter – including three possible ways for a service to come into a premises, five possible nbn access technologies and the possibly of ‘over-the-top’ services, such as monitored medical alarms – when making installations under the NBN multi-technology-model.

This is important work that enables telecommunications services and devices such as ‘over-the-top’ (OTT) services (e.g. medical and security alarms) to continue to function when a premises is connected to the end user’s chosen Retail Service Provider (RSP) using nbn’s network. If customer cabling work is not performed correctly, the telecommunications services and/or devices may either function incorrectly, intermittently, or not at all.

The Guideline has been split into two parts:

• Part 1 covers preparation, migration and verification of services; and
• Part 2 has been specifically designed for Registered Cablers to use in the field on an electronic tablet; and provides a catalogue of 41 of the most common ‘before-and-after’ installation scenarios.

“Registered Cablers are a key component of the NBN migration process – to connect customers to the network, as well as providing cabling work within the home to ensure that everything is configured to work correctly,” said Communications Alliance CEO, John Stanton. “The revised Guideline will put additional tools into the hands of Registered Cablers, which should make for fewer challenges and an improved migration process for customers.”

The guide is a simple three-step check-list process to make the migration as seamless as possible, given the variety of types of installations and equipment already in-situ.
The Guideline can be downloaded free from http://www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/all/guidelines/g649 .

The BRCA office receives numerous inquiries about working on nbn or other carrier’s cabling, seeking technical and regulatory guidance from members and registered cablers. One frequently asked question is: “Can a registered cabler do work on lead-in cabling?”

The simple answer is “Yes, under certain conditions”, not necessarily “No”, as many would think. An excellent nbn resource that we have referred BRCA registered cablers wanting to understand what can be done on the carrier side of demarcation point is https://www.nbnco.com.au/content/dam/nbnco2/documents/authority-to-alter-facilities-on-resdential-and-small-businesses-premises.pdf

We’ve extracted a few key points that will be of interest to cablers, but we recommend that anyone involved in cabling that interfaces with the NBN download the document and read it.

The guide states in part:

Cabling providers working in residential and small business premises may need to alter nbn lead-in cabling and network boundary facilities to satisfy the customer’s requirements. nbn authorises cabling providers to make limited alterations to nbn facilities in or on the building as long as the work is carried out to nbn’s requirements.

Regulatory

Generally, nbn owns the facilities it provides for the purpose of supplying nbn services to the network boundary, whether or not they become fixtures. nbn will alter its facilities in customer premises, on request, at appropriate charges. Alternatively, nbn may authorise non-nbn cabling providers to perform such alterations on terms and conditions stipulated by nbn.

A person who installs or maintains cabling for connection to a telecommunications network (‘cabling work’) must comply with the Telecommunications Act 1997. The person must be registered to perform cabling work by an ACMA-accredited cabling registrar. It is a condition of the registration for the person to comply with the wiring rules AS/CA S009:2013.

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 clarifies that if a carrier publishes a document authorising cabling providers to alter its facilities (such as this Document), 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.

Terms and conditions to alter nbn cabling

nbn authorises a cabling provider to do certain work on nbn facilities, subject to the general terms and conditions below. The person performing the cabling work (cabling provider) must be a Registered Cabler (either Restricted or Open). All Registered Cablers are required to undertake appropriate training modules to ensure that they are competent to perform the cabling work according to AS/CA S009:2013.

While by law cable registration is not required to perform work on nbn’s side of the network boundary, nbn requires the person to be a Registered Cabler as a condition of this 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 cabling provider must ensure that he/she is familiar with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements for the performance of this work and that he/she complies with all laws, regulations, standards and codes of practice applicable to this work.

The Cabler acknowledges that he/she is responsible for the restoration of faulty or substandard work if requested to do so by nbn or the customer:

• nbn reserves the right to seek damages from the cabling provider if nbn incurs costs due to any work performed by the cabling provider on nbn facilities;
• nbn retains ownership of any nbn facilities so worked on whether re-used or replaced;
• the cabling provider acknowledges that he/she is not performing any work under this Document in nbn’s name nor is he/she a contractor or employee of nbn;
• the cabling provider must not represent or give an impression to customers or third parties that he/she is performing work as an employee or a contractor of nbn;
• the cabling provider must not seek any remuneration from nbn for any work performed;
• the cabling provider agrees to indemnify nbn against any liability, loss, damage, costs or expenses incurred or suffered by nbn that is caused by any act or omission of the cabling provider whether negligent or not, or which arises from any default under the terms and conditions of this document;
• the cabling provider must not do anything that may affect the safety, integrity or proper functioning of the nbn network or the safety of the customer or any other person. The cabling provider must not use substances or material deleterious to health or safety or which could adversely affect the functioning of the nbn network;
• the cabling provider must ensure that he/she does not cause unnecessary detriment, inconvenience or damage to nbn, the customer or a third party;
• the cabling provider must not do any act or thing that is prejudicial to the goodwill, commercial reputation or overall public image of nbn;
• the cabling provider must keep proper records of the work performed under this document;
• the cabling provider must take all reasonable steps to ensure that lightning surge suppressors or any equipment that may be necessary for the safety and proper functioning of the installation are not bypassed or disconnected;
• the cabling provider must not create any star-wired connections from an intermediate connection point in the lead-in cabling i.e. between the property entry point and the first TO, unless the intermediate connection point is:
  • a Centralised Filter provided in accordance this document;
  • an nbn NTD provided in accordance with this document.
• the cabling provider must not render any nbn installation unusable e.g. by removing the nbn cabling or not terminating the nbn lead-in cable at a TO that is readily accessible by the customer, unless this is necessary for the purpose of renovation, demolition or relocation of the building;
• the cabling provider must not connect nbn lead-in cable to a customer MDF or directly to a home networking box or a patch panel of any description;
• any new cabling to the first TO must be installed in a manner that enables safe access and/or replacement of such cabling by nbn installers subsequent to its installation;
• any waste material – e.g. used wire, cable, conduit – must be safely and properly disposed of in accordance with applicable laws; and
• all works must adhere to AS/CA S009:2013 and the Building Code of Australia.

Authorised activities
Subject to the terms and conditions set out herein, nbn authorises a cabling provider to:

• replace nbn’s existing first TO (‘first socket’) with another TO of a type approved by nbn;
• relocate nbn’s existing first TO (‘first socket’) to another location within the same building;
• relocate a fixed wall phone or other hard-wired telephone (other