(1) This Technical Standard is the Telecommunications Technical Standard (Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to a metallic local loop interface of a Telecommunications Network — Part 3: DC, low frequency AC and voiceband — AS/ACIF S043.3:2001) 2003.

(2) This Technical Standard may also be cited as AS/ACIF S043.3-2001.

Note 1 The alternate citation mentioned in subsection (2) is the name by which the AS/ACIF Standard, adopted by this Technical Standard under section 7, is usually cited. The AS/ACIF Standard was published in 2001.

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

2 Commencement

This Technical Standard commences on gazettal.

3 Revocation of AS/ACIF S043–2001

The Telecommunications Technical Standard (Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to a metallic local loop interface of a Telecommunications Network — AS/ACIF S043) 2001 is revoked.

4 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

(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.

5 Definitions

In this Technical Standard:

Act means the Telecommunications Act 1997.

AS/ACIF Standard means the Australian Standard/Australian Communications Industry Forum Standard: Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to a metallic local loop interface of a Telecommunications Network — Part 3: DC, low frequency AC and voiceband (AS/ACIF S043.3:2001), published by the Australian Communications Industry Forum and Standards Australia International Limited in January 2001.

metallic local loop means metallic twisted pair communications wire in a carrier’s telecommunications network which provides connectivity between a customer’s premises and equipment in the telecommunications network.

metallic local loop interface means an interface for the electrical connection to a metallic local loop.

voice frequency band means the range of frequencies from 300 Hz to 3.4 kHz (inclusive).

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:

(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.

6 Application of Technical Standard

This Technical Standard applies to customer equipment that:

(a) is designed, or intended, for connection to a telecommunications network via a metallic local loop interface; and

(b) is designed, or intended, to include 1 or more of the following capabilities:

(i) DC power feeding or signalling;

(ii) operation in the low frequency AC band below 300 Hz;

(iii) operation in the voice frequency band;

(iv) operation above the voice frequency band up to 20 kHz.

7 Standard with which customer equipment must comply

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