Part 1 – Preliminary

(1) This technical standard is the Telecommunications (Requirements for Customer Equipment for Connection to a Metallic Local Loop Interface of a Telecommunications Network – AS/CA S043) Technical Standard 2025.

(2) This technical standard may also be cited as AS/CA S043–2025.

2 Commencement

This technical standard commences on 30 March 2025.

Note: This technical standard is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation which may be accessed free of charge at www.legislation.gov.au.

3 Authority

This technical standard is made under subsection 376(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997.

4 Repeal of the Telecommunications Technical Standard (Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to a metallic local loop interface of a Telecommunications Network – AS/CA S043) 2015

The Telecommunications Technical Standard (Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to a metallic local loop interface of a Telecommunications Network – AS/CA S043) 2015 (F2015L00192) is repealed.

5 Objects

The objects of this technical standard are to specify requirements that are necessary or convenient for:

(a) protecting the integrity of a telecommunications network or a facility;

(b) protecting the health or safety of persons who:

(i) operate;

(ii) work on;

(iii) use services supplied by means of; or

(iv) are otherwise reasonably likely to be affected by the operation of;

a telecommunications network or a facility;

(d) ensuring, for the purposes 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.

Part 2 – Interpretation

6 Definitions

In this technical standard:

ACMA transition period, in relation to an applicable AS/CA Standard, has the meaning given by section 9.

Act means the Telecommunications Act 1997.

amendment instrument, in relation to an applicable AS/CA Standard, means an instrument prepared by Communications Alliance Ltd that amends the applicable AS/CA Standard.

applicable AS/CA Standard, in relation to an item, has the meaning given by section 8.

AS/CA S043.1:2015 means the Australian Standard AS/CA S043.1:2015 – Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to a metallic local loop interface of a Telecommunications Network – Part 1: General, published by Communications Alliance Ltd in January 2015.

Note: The AS/CA S043.1:2015 standard can be accessed free of charge on Communications Alliance Ltd’s website at www.commsalliance.com.au.

AS/CA S043.2:2016 means the Australian Standard AS/CA S043.2:2016 – Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to a metallic local loop interface of a Telecommunications Network – Part 2: Broadband, published by Communications Alliance Ltd in August 2016.

Note: The AS/CA S043.2:2016 standard can be accessed free of charge on Communications Alliance Ltd’s website at www.commsalliance.com.au.

AS/CA S043.3:2015 means the Australian Standard AS/CA S043.3:2015 – Requirements for Customer Equipment for connection to a metallic local loop interface of a Telecommunications Network – Part 3: DC, low frequency AC and voiceband, published by Communications Alliance Ltd in January 2015.

Note: The AS/CA S043.3:2015 standard can be accessed free of charge on Communications Alliance Ltd’s website at www.commsalliance.com.au.

AS/CA S043.3 item means an item of customer equipment that is used, or is to be used, for connection to a telecommunications network via a metallic local loop interface that includes 1 or more of the following capabilities:

(a) DC power feeding or signalling;

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

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

AS/CA transition period has the meaning given by section 10.

broadband capability means the ability of an item of customer equipment to transmit a signal that uses a frequency above 20 kHz.

date a modified item is made has the meaning given by section 12.

included in a class of items has the meaning given by section 11.

item means a thing that is customer equipment to which this technical standard applies, as provided by section 13, and includes a modified item.

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

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

modified item means an item that has been modified, by or on behalf of the manufacturer or importer of the item, after the item was manufactured or imported and, for the avoidance of doubt, is the item as modified.

original item has the meaning given by subsection 11(1).

original modified item has the meaning given by subsection 11(2).

replacement standard, in relation to an applicable AS/CA Standard, means a standard published by Communications Alliance Ltd that replaces the applicable AS/CA Standard.

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

Note: A number of expressions used in this instrument have the same meaning as in the Act, including:

carrier (see section 7);
customer equipment (see sections 7 and 21);
emergency call service (see section 7);
facility (see section 7 and subsection 374(2));
import (see section 7);
manufacturer or importer of customer equipment or customer cabling (see section 406A);
standard telephone service (see section 7);
telecommunications network (see section 7 and subsection 374(1)).

7 References to other legislative instruments

In this technical standard, unless the contrary intention appears, a reference to any other legislative instrument is a reference to that other legislative instrument as in force from time to time.

Note: For references to Commonwealth Acts, see section 10 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901; and see also subsection 13(1) of the Legislation Act 2003 for the application of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 to legislative instruments. All Commonwealth Acts and legislative instruments are registered on the Federal Register of Legislation. The Federal Register of Legislation may be accessed free of charge at www.legislation.gov.au.

8 Applicable AS/CA Standard

In this technical standard, each of the following is an applicable AS/CA Standard in relation to an item:

in all cases – AS/CA S043.1:2015;
if the item has broadband capability – AS/CA S043.2:2016;
if the item is an AS/CA S043.3 item – AS/CA S043.3:2015.

9 ACMA transition period

In this technical standard, if an applicable AS/CA Standard is amended or replaced, there is an ACMA transition period in relation to the applicable AS/CA Standard, being:

(a) in a case where there is an AS/CA transition period for the amendment or replacement of the applicable AS/CA Standard – a period that is the same as the AS/CA transition period; or

(b) in any other case – a period of two years commencing on the day the applicable AS/CA Standard is amended or replaced.

Note 1 See subsections 15(3) and 16(5) in relation to an ACMA transition period.

Note 2 If the applicable AS/CA Standard is amended or replaced during an ACMA transition period, there is another ACMA transition period which overlaps with the first-mentioned transition period. See subsections 15(4) and 16(6) in relation to overlapping ACMA transition periods.

10 AS/CA transition period

(1) If:

an amendment instrument or a replacement standard, in relation to an applicable AS/CA Standard, determines arrangements to deal with any issues of a transitional nature that may arise as a result of the amendment or replacement of the applicable AS/CA Standard;
the arrangements are for a specified period commencing on the day the applicable AS/CA Standard is amended or replaced; and
the arrangements have the effect of allowing a relevant item to comply with:

(i) the applicable AS/CA Standard as in force immediately before the commencement of the specified period; or

(ii) the applicable AS/CA Standard, or the replacement standard, as in force at the commencement of the specified period;

the specified period is an AS/CA transition period for the amendment or replacement of the applicable AS/CA Standard, for the purposes of section 9.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), each of the following is a relevant item:

(a) an item that is manufactured in Australia or imported during the specified period;

(b) a modified item that is made in Australia or imported during the specified period.

11 Class of items

(1) In this technical standard:

(a) an item (other than a modified item) is included in a class of items if the item:

(i) is identical to each other item of the class (irrespective of when the items were manufactured or imported); and

(ii) has the same manufacturer or importer as each other item; and

(b) the original item, in relation to the class of items, is the item of the class that was the first to be manufactured in Australia or imported.

(2) In this technical standard:

(a) a modified item is included in a class of items if:

(i) the modification which resulted in that item is identical to the modification which resulted in each other item of the class (irrespective of when the items were so modified);

(ii) the modified item is, in all other respects, identical to each other item (irrespective of when the items were manufactured or imported); and

(iii) the modified item has the same manufacturer or importer as each other item; and

(b) the original modified item, in relation to the class of items, is the item of the class that was the first to be so modified in Australia.

12 Date a modified item is made

In this technical standard, a reference to the date a modified item is made is a reference to the date of making of the modification which results in that item.

Part 3 – Application and requirements

13 Application

This technical standard applies to customer equipment that is used, or is to be used, for connection to a telecommunications network via a metallic local loop interface.

Note: In this technical standard, a reference to a telecommunications network is a reference to a telecommunications network in Australia that is operated by a carrier or carriage service provider (see section 7 and subsection 374(1) of the Act).

14 Requirements

(1) An item (other than a modified item) must meet the requirements of subsection 15(1), (2), (3) or (4) in relation to each applicable AS/CA Standard.

(2) A modified item must meet the requirements of subsection 16(1), (2), (3), (5) or (6) in relation to each applicable AS/CA Standard.

15 Standard for items (other than modified items)

If an item complies with an applicable AS/CA Standard as in force on the date the item is manufactured in Australia or imported, the item meets the requirements of this subsection in relation to the applicable AS/CA Standard.
If an item:

is included in a class of items; and
complies with an applicable AS/CA Standard as in force on the date the original item of the class was manufactured in Australia or imported;

the first-mentioned item meets the requirements of this subsection in relation to the applicable AS/CA Standard.

there is an ACMA transition period in relation to an applicable AS/CA Standard;
an item is manufactured in Australia or imported during the transition period; and
the item complies with:

the applicable AS/CA Standard as in force immediately before the commencement of the transition period; or

the applicable AS/CA Standard, or a replacement standard, as in force at the commencement of the transition period;

the item meets the requirements of this subsection in relation to the applicable AS/CA Standard.

an ACMA transition period overlaps with another ACMA transition period in relation to an applicable AS/CA Standard;
an item is manufactured in Australia or imported during the period of overlap; and
the item complies with:

the applicable AS/CA Standard as in force immediately before the commencement of the earliest of those transition periods; or
the applicable AS/CA Standard, or a replacement standard, as in force at the commencement of any one of those transition periods;

the item meets the requirements of this subsection in relation to the applicable AS/CA Standard.

16 Standard for modified items

If a modified item complies with an applicable AS/CA Standard as in force on the date that the modified item is made in Australia, the modified item meets the requirements of this subsection in relation to the applicable AS/CA Standard.
If a modified item:

is included in a class of items; and
complies with an applicable AS/CA Standard as in force on the date the original modified item of the class was made in Australia;

the first-mentioned item meets the requirements of this subsection in relation to the applicable AS/CA Standard.

(3) If:

(a) a modified item would have been included in a class of items but for the making of the modification which resulted in that item; and

(b) the modification is not material and, in particular, the modified item complies with the applicable AS/CA Standard as in force on the date the original item of the class was made in Australia or imported;

the first-mentioned item meets the requirements of this subsection in relation to the applicable AS/CA Standard.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3), the modification is material if the modification would or could reasonably be expected to affect whether the modified item complies with the AS/CA Standard as in force on the date the original item of the class was made in Australia or imported.

(5) If:

there is an ACMA transition period in relation to an applicable AS/CA Standard;
a modified item is made in Australia during the transition period; and
the modified item complies with:

the applicable AS/CA Standard as in force immediately before the commencement of the transition period; or
the applicable AS/CA Standard, or a replacement standard, as in force at the commencement of the transition period;

the modified item meets the requirements of this subsection in relation to the applicable AS/CA Standard.

(6) If:

an ACMA transition period overlaps with another ACMA transition period in relation to an applicable AS/CA Standard;
a modified item is made in Australia during the period of overlap; and
the modified item complies with:

the applicable AS/CA Standard as in force immediately before the commencement of the earliest of those transition periods; or
the applicable AS/CA Standard, or a replacement standard, as in force at the commencement of any one of those transition periods;

the modified item meets the requirements of this subsection in relation to the applicable AS/CA Standard.