This standard provides performance requirements for Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) incorporating a Telephone Answering Device (TAD) and intended for analog wireline connection to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Devices meeting these requirements should ensure compatibility and satisfactory performance to the user in a high percentage of installations.

A TAD may be a stand-alone device or may be integrated into CPE with other features such as a handset for voice communication (ITAD). Only TADs or ITADs using digital means of storing voice messages are covered by this standard. Older devices using analog storage technology, such as cassette tapes, are not covered. Only requirements relevant to TAD functions are included in this standard. Other requirements that may also be relevant to CPE having TAD functions may be found in other standards of the TIA-470 series.

The voice transmission requirements in this standard only apply to TADs operating in a hands free, speakerphone-like mode. Transmission requirements that might be applicable to recording outgoing messages, listening to recorded messages, etc, using the handset of an ITAD may be covered in a future revision of this standard.

This document proposes or references at least one measurement procedure for each technical requirement. However, these procedures are not exclusive. Any measurement procedure and equipment that can result in an identical measurement is considered valid.

While the procedures may call out specific test points within the requirements, the full range of the requirements takes precedence.