SPRING news 2021
We hope you are staying safe and well during these difficult and challenging times we continue to find ourselves in.
The Integrate team have been working closely with the industry and monitoring the COVID-19 situation and multiple lockdowns across the nation. With the situation in Sydney showing no signs of improvement we have made the decision to transition Integrate 2021, scheduled to run 17-19 November at ICC Sydney to a virtual platform with the introduction of Integrate Virtual, 17-18 November 2021.
The new virtual event will include the planned education program across the two days, including the Integrate & AVIXA Speaker Series, which will now be offered at exclusive virtual prices to allow for more industry professionals to take part. Unfortunately, this transition means that we will no longer be able to host the Convergence Conference.
Your registration will automatically be transferred to a virtual registration, however you can upgrade your registration anytime to include education by contacting the team.
Click on link below to register and see the program:
ELECTRICIANS PERFORMING CABLING WORK – CHECK IF YOU ARE COMPLIANT
Electricians considering undertaking communications cabling work MUST have the relevant qualifications and the appropriate competencies, plus be registered with an accredited Cabling Registrar – before they carry out any telecommunications and data cabling work.
In Australia, all cabling work, including telephone, data, fire and security alarm systems cabling that that connects with the telecommunications network, must be performed by a registered cabler or under the direct supervision of a registered cabler. This is because they have completed the relevant training and have the knowledge to complete the work to the required Australian Standards, as set out in the Wiring Rules AS/CA S009 and deliver the work to the customers’ expectations.
Cabler registration is overseen by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the Australian Government statutory authority that regulates, sets and manages rules about telecommunications in Australia.
Working unregistered can be costly. The ACMA has a range of options available to enforce compliance including infringement notices through to financial penalties.
If you hold an electrical licence and wish to find out more about training requirements or registration requirements, please contact ACRS on 1300 667771
ARE YOUR SKILLS UP TO DATE?
If you are a cabler who installs specialised cabling in customer premises, make sure your qualifications satisfy the ACMA cabling provider rules.
While the ACMA has mandated the cabling arrangements in 2014, to ensure all cabling providers have the necessary skills to perform specialised cabling work for the current and emerging customer cabling environment, ACRS is still receiving enquiries daily regarding competencies.
These competencies only apply to cabling providers who are undertaking the relevant specialised cabling work within customer premises. However, a cabler who does not have the Structured, Optical Fibre or Coaxial competencies will not be permitted to install or work on that type of cabling unless they perform that type of cabling work under direct supervision of a registered cabling provider with the appropriate specialist competencies.
Please contact ACRS on 1300 667771 regarding training requirements.
Would you like to list your business on the Australian Registered Cablers website?
ARC is open to any sole trader or business that has an ABN.
If you are a sole trade you must be a registered cabler and hold OPEN registration with the appropriate endorsements. If you are a company you must employ registered cablers with the appropriate endorsements.
To apply for a listing, you will need to provide your contact details on the link below and select the required Tier level that suits your requirements.
UNSAFE AND UNLICENCED ELECTRICAL WORKERS FACE PROSECUTION
Five electrical workers have been prosecuted by Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) in one week.
The cases included unlicensed and partly licensed workers, as well as an improperly supervised apprentice, who were collectively ordered to pay $12,350 in fines and costs without conviction for breaching the Electricity Safety Act 1998 .
On Wednesday, 18 August, Bulleen father and son George and Michael Tsokas were each fined $2000 and ordered to pay $1000 in costs in the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court. The pair carried out electrical and plumbing work at a property in Reservoir in late 2018 without appropriate licences.
George Tsokas, 67, held a restricted electrical licence and no plumbing licence, while Michael Tsokas did not have licences for either.
The same day, the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court fined Mohammand Al Mir, 29, $2500, ordering him to pay $1500 in costs after carrying out unsafe electrical and plumbing work while tiling an Ivanhoe bathroom in August 2019.
During the work, Al Mir, from Caroline Springs, stripped plasterboard from the wall, removing the shower plumbing and base, exposing the back of a socket outlet and leaving live electrical parts exposed.
After disputing the quality of the work with the homeowner, Al Mir left the house with the electrical parts still exposed, which could have resulted in an electrocution.
On Thursday, 19 August, the Frankston Magistrates’ Court ordered Cheltenham handyman Dean Turner, 48, to pay $350 to the court fund and $1500 in costs after providing unlicensed electrical and plumbing work at a property in Hampton East in October 2017.
During the work, the homeowner questioned Turner about his licence after installing new socket outlets and not providing electrical and plumbing certificates. The homeowner complained to ESV, which prompted an investigation.
Turner was also prosecuted in September 2019 by the Victorian Building Authority for unlicensed plumbing work and was fined $10,000 without a conviction.
On Monday, 16 August, apprentice electrician Nicholas Lye, 28, was ordered to pay $500 in costs by the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. Lye had removed an old split system air conditioner at a Richmond property in December 2018 without the supervision of a licensed electrician.
“It’s disconcerting to see so many people think they can carry out dangerous electrical work without the proper credentials,” said ESV Commissioner and Chairperson Marnie Williams.
“ESV will find people who believe they can cut corners and put people’s lives at risk and ensure they are held accountable for this recklessness.
“You must always ask to see an electrician’s licence card before they start work while also checking their details through the ESV website. Please also ensure a Certificate of Electrical Safety is provided when the electrical work is completed.”
Article: provided by ECD 25 August 2021
NBN STRATEGIC DIRECTION BECOMES CLEARER
The Federal Government has released its Statement of Expectation for the continued rollout and upgrades to the National Broadband Network (NBN). Ministers Simon Birmingham and Paul Fletcher on 26th August 2021, released the Government’s objectives the NBN “will reliably and affordably meet the current and future broadband needs of households and businesses, including in regional and remote Australia, foster productivity and innovation, and support our goal for Australia to be a leading digital economy and society by 2030.”
In outlining this objective, the Ministers committed the NBN to:
· Delivering a reliable, resilient and secure network;
- Minimizing and remediating outages;
· Supporting households and businesses connecting to and using the NBN;
- Improving regional and remote coverage;
· Position effectively for emerging and future technologies;
· Working with stakeholders to increase digital capability; and
· To provide timely, accurate and transparent information.
The NBN company is on track to have some 8 million premises, or 75% of homes and businesses on fixed line networks by 2023.
ACMA report provides an insight into what we watch and what we listen to
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released a report that provides an insight onto what Australians watch and what we listen to. The report compares 2020 with 2018 and makes for fascinating reading.
In regard to what we watch, the key features of the report are that:
· Watching live free to air TV has declined to only 56% of Australian compared to 75% two years earlier;
· In contrast, watching online subscription services has risen from 32% to 55%;
· Similarly, catch-up TV watching has increased from 19% to 36%.
The time spent watching video content has increased to an average of 28.5 hours per week in 2020 in each household. Households purchase an average of 1.7 streaming services each and the most popular device to watch video content on in the mobile phone at 55%, followed by Smart TV’s at 41%. In total, 9 out 10 Australians used a device to stream video content with Netflix being the most popular.
In regard to what we listen to, the key features of the report are that:
· Listening to radio remains fairly constant;
· Streaming music has risen dramatically from 37% in 2018 to 63% in 2020;
· Listening to podcasts has increased to more than 20%.
Over 3 in 5 Australians listened to at least one music streaming service. Spotify remains the most popular music streaming service and the average amount spent each week streaming music was now more than 13.3 hours.
Audit finds EME levels near 5G mobile base stations are very low
After completing an audit of 129 mobile base stations in early 2021, ACMA data shows that the levels of electromagnetic energy (EME) at 5G enabled mobile base station sites are very low.
The results show that, for all sites measured, average EME levels in publicly-accessible areas were less than 1.5% of the ARPANSA limit, with the majority of sites being under 1%.
With a more expansive 5G rollout underway in Australia, compliance with the EME Standard for 5G enabled mobile base stations will continue to be a priority for ACMA for the forseeable future.
What is 5G again?
Simply put, 5G stands for fifth generation. Fifth generation of what, you ask? The fifth generation of wireless data networks.
You are probably most familiar with hearing 5G used to describe better mobile communications and speedier phones .
You are not wrong. 5G networks, which use different radio frequencies than previous generations, aim to provide faster data speeds with much less lag or delay than we had with 4G.
COMPLAIN ABOUT CABLERS OR CABLING WORK If you have a complaint about a cabler or any cabling or wiring work they have done, the ACMA can investigate. They manage cabling issues and ensure that the work complies with regulations. If you do make a complaint please copy in your ACRS Registrar enquiries@acrs.com.au so they are kept informed of the complaints that are being made by industry and ACRS members.
What can ACMA investigate?
The ACMA investigate reports and complaints if:
- someone is working as a cabler without the correct registration
- a cabler has not followed the Cabling Provider Rules
- cabling products are not correctly labelled
- the work does not meet installation standards or other regulations.
What the ACMA do not investigate
The ACMA do not regulate or investigate the quality of work, such as messy or visible cabling. They can only act if the cabler is not registered (or supervised) or if they have breached the Wiring Rules
.
If you are unhappy with cabling work completed in your home or office:
- Contact the person or company who completed the work.
- If you are still not able to resolve the situation, contact your local consumer affairs or fair trading office.
Action against non-compliant cablers
If a cabler does not comply with the regulations, the ACMA may do one of the following:
- issue a formal warning notice to the cabler
- issue a non-compliance notice to the telecommunications carrier. The carrier may disconnect dangerous cabling from the network
- issue an on-the-spot fine to the cabler through a telecommunications infringement notice
- prosecute the cabler in court, if the matter is serious. This may result in a conviction and/or a fine
For more information on the action we take, see Telecommunications infringements .
Submit your complaint using the online cabling complaint form .