General

Telecommunications, as used in this Standard, refers to the transmission of all forms of information (e.g., voice, data, video, security, audio, industrial, building control). Telecommunications equipment used to support these wide varieties of systems that rely on the electronic transport of information require an effective building infrastructure. This infrastructure encompasses spaces, pathways, cables, connecting hardware, and a bonding and grounding system. For reliable operation of any telecommunications equipment or system, bonding and grounding (earthing) is essential – regardless of the cabling technology or media. This Standard focuses on the bonding and grounding portion of this infrastructure.

NOTE – The North American term "grounding" that is used in this Standard is equivalent to the international term "earthing".

The bonding and grounding approach in this Standard is intended to work in concert with premises cabling specified within TIA Engineering Committee TR-42. The requirements specified in this Standard in conjunction with a basic understanding of bonding and grounding concepts and methodologies will aid in achieving a reliable solution when applied to telecommunications installations.

Several sources of bonding and grounding information exist within the telecommunications industry. For example, the NEC® specifies requirements regarding the safety aspects of bonding and grounding of equipment and systems. Yet another example is that of ATIS 0600318, Electrical Protection Applied to Telecommunications Network Plant at Entrances to Customer Structures or Buildings, which provides information on bonding and grounding to support electrical protection considerations.

Purpose

The purpose of this Standard is to enable and encourage the planning, design, and installation of generic telecommunications bonding and grounding systems within premises with or without prior knowledge of the telecommunications systems that will subsequently be installed. While primarily intended to provide direction for the design of new buildings, this Standard may be used for existing building renovations or retrofit treatment. Design requirements and choices are provided to enable the designer to make informed design decisions.