September 10, 2007, Washington, DC ─ ATIS announced today the release of a standard describing measures that provide a baseline level of protection for the interconnecting links of telecommunications networks against typical geographic and local environmental conditions. The measures are intended to help provide protection from damage caused by specific physical stresses and radiation effects. The standard, Protection of Telecommunications Links from Physical Stress and Radiation Effects and Associated Requirements for DC Power Systems, (ATIS-0600328.2007) was developed by the ATIS Network Interface, Power, and Protection Committee (NIPP)’s Network Electrical Protection subcommittee (NIPP-NEP).

“This document supports the White House National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) recommendation that a series of standards be developed by industry experts to consider the effects of HEMP (High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse) incidents,” explains Phillip Havens, Member of Technical Staff and Telecom Segment Engineering Manager, Littelfuse and chair of the ATIS NIPP-NEP subcommittee. “The ATIS NIPP-NEP subcommittee has a long, successful history of producing standards that support the NSTAC recommendations. This specific standard defines practices for maintaining the reliability of the telecommunication networks during extreme physical threats.”

The standard addresses protection against such physical threats as: vibration, water penetration, temperature, fire, lightning, wind, ice, construction stresses, corrosion, loss of telecommunications power systems, and radiation effects. The radiation effects encompass electromagnetic interference from transmitting antennas, solar activity, and limited nuclear disaster (e.g., nuclear power plant failure.)

The standard’s protection measures apply to the telecommunications links that interconnect environmentally controlled centers of telecommunications networks including feeder and local distribution plant. The links are optical fiber, metallic-conductor, or coaxial cables of trunk, feeder and local distribution plant. They include connections and repeater points that are on towers, antennas, poles, or in manholes and pedestals, and that are not necessarily environmentally controlled. The terminations of the links in environmentally controlled structures and their power sources are included but the structures themselves and their contents are excluded.

Protection of Telecommunications Links from Physical Stress and Radiation Effects and Associated Requirements for DC Power Systems, (ATIS-0600328.2007 ) can be purchased in the ATIS document center at: https://www.atis.org/docstore/default.aspx

About the ATIS NIPP Committee

The activities of the ATIS Network Interface, Power, and Protection Committee (NIPP) include, but are not limited to, developing standards and technical reports covering the following areas: network interfaces, power, electrical protection, and physical protection.

The NIPP-NEP subcommittee develops system-level Standards and Technical Reports relating to the electrical protection of telecommunications networks. The scope of NIPP-NEP includes, but is not limited to, system-level electrical protection of telecommunications networks, including wireline, optical and wireless networks. Electrical stresses may include system-level electrostatic discharge (ESD) criteria for central office equipment, lightning and ac power influences, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and electro-magnetic pulse (EMP). Electrical protection methods may include equipotential bonding, grounding, and the application of electrical protection devices. Network facilities covered include telecommunications central offices, switching centers and similar type facilities, outside plant such as aerial, buried and underground wire and cable, and network plant at entrances to customer structures or buildings. For more information on the committee, visit http://www.atis.org/0050/nep.asp

About ATIS

ATIS is a leading standards development and technical planning organization committed to rapidly developing and promoting technical and operations standards for the communications and related information technologies industry worldwide using a pragmatic, flexible and open approach. Participants from more than 300 communications companies are active in ATIS’ 22 industry committees, Incubator Solutions Programs, and other activities. www.atis.org