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ANSI/TIA-607-D Generic Telecommunications Bonding and Grounding (Earthing) for Customer Premises

ANSI/TIA-607-D Generic Telecommunications Bonding and Grounding (Earthing) for Customer Premises was published in July 2019. This Standard provides basic principles, components, and design criteria of telecommunications bonding and grounding that shall be followed to ensure that the bonding and grounding systems within a building will share one electrical potential.


ANSI/TIA-607-D New Acronyms
PBB Primary Bonding Busbar (previously: Telecommunications Main Grounding Busbar [TMGB])
SBB Secondary Bonding Busbar (previously: Telecommunications Grounding Busbar [TGB])


Grounding Requirements for Shielded versus Unshielded Cabling Systems
The grounding requirements for shielded cabling systems are identical to those specified for unshielded cabling systems with the exception of the following additional steps:
• Patch panels for shielded cabling shall be bonded to the telecommunications bonding system in accordance with manufacturer instructions.
• Bonding of the shielded patch panel may be accomplished by connecting a 12 AWG stranded wire from the ground point (or lug) provided on the patch panel to the rack, cabinet, or enclosure, bonding conductor.


Bonding and Grounding within a Telecommunications Room as it pertains to racks and cabinets
Metallic enclosures, including telecommunications racks and cabinets, shall be bonded to the SBB (TGB), or PBB (TMGB) using a minimum sized conductor of No. 6 AWG. Cabinets, racks, and other enclosures in computer rooms shall not be bonded serially; each shall have their own dedicated bonding conductor to the SBB (TGB), or PBB (TMGB).


Equipment containing metallic parts in racks and cabinets shall be bonded to the telecommunications grounding system in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Where instructions are not given, all bonding jumpers that ground installed equipment shall be a minimum sized conductor of No. 12 AWG. Rack grounding busbars (RGBs) are recommended for racks and cabinets that need to support multiple unit bonding conductors. There are three methods to bond the equipment located in the equipment rack or cabinet to the telecommunications bonding system, see figure below.

Note 1: Example B is the most cost-effective and should be used unless project specifications dictate the use of example A or C as shown.
Note 2: Horizontally mounted RGB may be mounted near the bottom of the racks or cabinets if routing the TEBC under the floor.