Customer Equipment Standards

Communications Alliance develops customer equipment Standards and related documents for the Australian telecommunications industry. The latest versions of the publications are listed below.

Superseded customer equipment Standards (referred to as ‘Available Superseded’ Standards) can be downloaded from www.commsalliance.com.au/Documents/Available_Superseded. Note that Available Superseded Standards may be applicable under the Telecommunications (Labelling Notice for Customer Equipment and Customer Cabling) Instrument 2015 (the TLN). See the regulatory information below.

Note that all references to CDMA in Communications Alliance documents are no longer valid post 28 April 2008.

Our policy for handling complaints regarding the development processes of Standards can be found here.

Regulatory information

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is a Commonwealth statutory agency responsible for regulation of telecommunications customer equipment and customer cabling. Details of the compliance arrangements (including labelling and record-keeping requirements) can be obtained from the ACMA website.

The ACMA may make technical standards under section 376 of the Telecommunications Act 1997, for specified items of telecommunications customer equipment and customer cabling. A complete list of applicable ACMA Standards (which may include both current and revoked Standards) can be found on the ACMA website at the Telecommunications standards page.

When an AS/CA industry standard is amended or replaced, a transition period applies. The transition period is two years, or such lesser period that is specified in the standard. During the transition period, both the old and the amended/replacement standard apply.  More information on Changes to standards and transition periods is available on the ACMA website.

In addition, the ACMA makes Cabling Provider Rules (CPRs) under section 421(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997. The CPRs require a person undertaking customer cabling work to comply with the customer cabling wiring rules (AS/CA S009) developed by Communications Alliance.  More information on the ACMA’s customer cabling regulatory arrangements is available on the ACMA website.


List of Standards

AS/CA S002:2010 Analogue interworking and non-interference requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to the PSTN
Specifies requirements for telephone equipment that connects to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) by an analogue interface (e.g. corded and cordless phones, dial up modems, answering machines, facsimile machines)
AS/CA S004:2013 Voice performance requirements for Customer Equipment
Specifies the frequency and acoustic performance requirements for speech and tones (e.g. for distortion, loudness and acoustic shock). These requirements are for telephones that connect to the PSTN or ISDN.
AS/CA S008:2020 Requirements for Customer Cabling Products
Specifies requirements for telephone cables and cabling products (e.g. plugs, sockets, enclosures) used in customer’s premises and businesses. It does not cover cables or products used in the network by carriers. It is an updated version of the 2010 edition.
AS/CA S009:2020 Installation requirements for Customer Cabling (Wiring Rules)
Specifies the rules for cablers must follow for the installation and maintenance of fixed or concealed cabling that is connected to telecommunications network. It does not cover cable installations in the carriers’ networks. It is an updated version of the 2013 edition.
AS/ACIF S016:2001 Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to hierarchical digital interfaces
Specifies the requirements for telephone equipment typically used in businesses that connect to 2, 8, 34 or 136 Mbits/second services.
AS/ACIF S031:2001 Requirements for ISDN Basic Access
Specifies requirements for telephone equipment connected to Basic Rate ISDN.
AS/CA S035:2015 Requirements for installation of temporary field telecommunications customer cabling for defence purposes
Specifies the requirements for the installation of temporary field telecommunications customer cabling for DoD purposes during exercise, training or operational deployment.
AS/ACIF S038:2001 Requirements for ISDN Primary Rate Access Interface
Specifies requirements for telephone equipment connected to Primary Rate ISDN.
AS/ACIF S040:2001 Requirements for Customer Equipment for use with the Standard Telephone Service - Features for special needs
Specifies requirements for the features on telephones that are designed for improved accessibility such as the pip on the ‘5’ key and hearing aid coupling.
AS/CA S041.1:2015 Requirements for DSL Customer Equipment for connection to the PSTN - Part 1: General
Specifies the common requirements for filters, splitters and modems connected to DSL services.
AS/CA S042.1:2022 Requirements for connection to an air interface of a Telecommunications Network - Part 1: General
Specifies the common requirements for mobile and satellite phones such as the dialling of emergency call services (000, 112 & 106) and acoustic safety requirements.
AS/CA S042.4:2022 Requirements for connection to an air interface of a Telecommunications Network—Part 4: IMT Customer Equipment
Specifies the technical conditions and requirements for IMT Customer Equipment that is designed or intended for use in connection with an IMT public mobile telecommunications service (PMTS) and is an addressable device.
AS/CA S042.5:2022 Requirements for connection to an air interface of a Telecommunications Network—Part 5: IMT-2020 Customer Equipment
Specifies the technical conditions and requirements for IMT Customer Equipment that is designed or intended for use in connection with an IMT-2020 public mobile telecommunications service (PMTS) and is an addressable device.
AS/CA S043.1:2015 Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to a metallic local loop interface of a Telecommunications Network- Part 1: General
Specifies the general requirements for telephone equipment that connect to the copper wire access networks such as the ability to call the emergency call services.