Telecommunications Cabling and Electronics Specifications Guidelines

Contact: Ron Olton

Protection and Grounding

Today’s electronic equipment operates at relatively low voltage levels. A fluctuation in voltage of 5 to 10 volts becomes a significant variation to today’s sensitive and sophisticated equipment. A variation in supply voltages of 5 to 10 volts may not be likely and of little consequence, but a rise of earth ground by a like number of volts may cause serious damage and interruptions in service.

It is important that all telecommunications facilities be properly grounded at all points possible to prevent variations in earth ground potential and to provide a safe discharge path for errant high voltage that may accidentally come in contact with telecommunications cables.

GROUNDING:

A common connection should be established in each building between the power neutral and the main building grounding electrode. In the absence of the latter, a connection to the cold water supply pipe (if metallic) on the supply side of the water meter should be made. This ground conductor, a minimum 6 AWG should be attached to a copper ground bar in each WIRING CLOSET. The bar should be of sufficient size to permit other connections to be made ranging from 6 AWG to 14 AWG conductors.

BONDING:

Bonding is the next most important precaution to be taken after grounding. In some instances common bonding of devices will prevent electrical shock and/or damage to equipment even if the devices are not effectively grounded. All grounds in a telecommunications network should be bonded together. This includes copper cable sheaths, equipment racks, Type 1 data cable shields, coaxial cable braided shields, equipment cases, and etc.

PROTECTION:

All telecommunications cables must be terminated and protected with grounded devices within 50-feet of entering a building. Protection services will be installed to protect all cable pairs entering a building. Solid state protectors that will operate at 200 volts and will reset to function again will be provided.

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