Chapter 3: Telecommunications Spaces

Introduction
The scope of this chapter is the design and construction of telecommunications spaces. Telecommunications
spaces are the rooms and areas where telecommunications cabling systems are terminated, cross connected, and
interconnected to installed telecommunications equipment. Bonding and grounding (earthing), fire stopping, and
labeling of telecommunications infrastructure also occur in telecommunications spaces.

Q:1 What is the Ceiling height requirement in Telecommunication Spaces.

Ans: The minimum ceiling height should be ≈2.4 meters (m [8 feet (ft)]) above finished floor (AFF).
Consideration should be given to having a ≈3 m (10 ft) height.

When a ceiling distribution system is used, telecommunications spaces should be designed

with adequate pathways or openings through walls and other obstructions into the
accessible ceiling space.
Equipment may require additional ceiling clearance, depending upon the manufacturer’s
specifications. Excessive equipment and rack, cabinet, or enclosure height should be
avoided because it may require special lighting and wider working clearances (e.g., taller than ≈2.4 m [8
ft] AFF).

The ceiling finish should minimize dust and be light colored to enhance the room lighting.

Q:2 What is the Clearance requirement in Telecom spaces.

Ans: The following clearances should be provided for equipment and cross-connect fields in
telecommunications spaces:

• Provide ≈1 m (3.28 ft) of clear, unobstructed space for the installation and maintenance of all cabling
and equipment mounted on walls, racks, cabinets, or enclosure.
• It may not be possible to achieve ≈1 m (3.28 ft) of clear, unobstructed space when cabling is mounted
below access floors or above ceilings. In such cases, provide as much clear, unobstructed space as
possible.
• Provide at least ≈150 millimeters (mm [6 inches (in)]) depth off the wall for wall-mounted equipment.
• Allocate a space of at least ≈1 m (3.28 ft) wide, ≈1 m (3.28 ft) deep, and ≈2.3 m (7.5 ft) high for each
equipment rack, cabinet, or enclosure.
• Provide space for an aisle of at least ≈1 m (3.28 ft) wide in the front and in the rear of the space for each
equipment rack, cabinet, or enclosure. This clearance space shall take into account the depth of rack-
mounted equipment as well as wall-mounted equipment and hardware.
• In corners, a minimum side clearance of ≈300 mm (12 in) is recommended.
• Consult the manufacturer’s documentation and local codes for specific requirements.

• The ITS distribution designer should always consider adequate clear space in the area of cabling
terminations and equipment connections for safety considerations.
Chapter 3: Telecommunications Spaces
Note: Conduits, Trays, Slots, Sleeves, and Ducts.

If possible, sleeves, slots, or conduits should be located such that cable terminations on the wall can be
performed from left to right.

Trays and conduits located within the ceiling should protrude into the room a distance of ≈25 mm (1 in) to ≈50
mm (2 in) without a bend and above ≈2.4 m (8 ft) high.

Note: Sleeves and slots shall not be left open after cable installation. All sleeves and slots should be fire
stopped in accordance with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) and project requirements.

Q:3 What is the size of backbone pathways sleeves.

Ans: conduits or sleeves used for backbone pathways depend on the usable floor space served by the
backbone distribution system. However, at least 4 X 103 mm (4 trade size) sleeves are recommended to
serve a TR, ER, or EF.

NOTE: Chapter 4: Backbone Distribution Systems to determine the exact size and number of conduits or sleeves
required for backbone pathways.

Q:4 What is the sleeves size to Multiple telecommunications spaces.

Ans: Multiple telecommunications spaces on the same floor shall be interconnected with a
minimum of one 78 mm (3 trade size) conduit or a pathway that provides equivalent capacity.

Q:5 What is the Telecommunication spaces door size.

Ans: The following guidelines should be used when installing doors in telecommunications spaces:

Doorways that are planned for use during equipment delivery should have fully opening (e.g., to 180 degrees if
local building codes permit), lockable doors that are at least ≈0.91 m (3 ft) wide and ≈1.98 m (6.5 ft) high.

Since large equipment is often located in the ER, a double door (e.g., ≈1.83 m [6 ft] wide by ≈2.3 m [7.5 ft]
high) is recommended.

• Doors should also have the same fire rating as the walls in the room.
• Access to the telecommunications space should not be constrained when completed.
• Access should allow for future equipment changes.
• Avoid multiple entrances from areas of the building that may compromise security or

provide access to unauthorized personnel. Additional doors that are not intended for equipment delivery should
have lockable door hardware sets that meet building code requirements.

Q:6 What is the requirement of Dust and Static Electricity for telecom spaces.

Ans: Dust and static electricity should be avoided by:

Chapter 3: Telecommunications Spaces

• Installing antistatic floor tile or grounded floor tiles and mats bonded to ground using manufacturer-
recommended hardware. If carpet is installed, it should be antistatic.
• Placing active printers outside of telecommunications spaces.
• Designing storage millwork for printer paper or other storage items (e.g., cabinets, shelves) outside of
telecommunications spaces.
• Treating floors, walls, and ceiling to minimize dust.

NOTE: The building contractor should be consulted for recommendations on preferred

treatments, paints, or other coatings that may be applied to minimize dust and static electricity.

Q:7 What is the Earthquake, Disaster, and Vibration Requirements for Telecom Spaces.

Ans: Structural reinforcement and extra environmental protection should be included in the
design of telecommunications spaces where seismic construction regulations apply.

Q:8 What is the Electrical Power requirement for Telecom spaces.(Important)

Ans: • A minimum of two dedicated, no switched alternating current (ac) receptacles for
equipment power, each on individual branch circuits.

NOTE: No switched receptacles are those that are not controlled by a wall switch or
other occupancy sensor that may lead to inadvertent loss of service.

• Separate duplex or quad convenience receptacles (e.g., for tools, field test instruments):
– Located at least ≈150 mm (6 in) AFF.
– Placed at ≈1.83 m (6 ft) intervals around perimeter walls.
• Coordinating light switch locations for easy access upon entry.
• Identifying convenience receptacles.
• Additional receptacles or power strips, depending on the amount and type of equipment
planned for the telecommunications space.
• Providing an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) from a local or central UPS
where available.
• Considerations for redundant power systems and power quality.
• Providing emergency power with automatic switchover capability to the
telecommunications space.
• Installing a dedicated power panel to serve the telecommunications space.
• Separating distribution panels that serve telecommunications equipment from those
that serve lighting.

Q:9 What is the Environmental Control requirement for Telecom spaces.

Ans: Need to study BICSI-Page:287.

Q:10 What are the requirement of Fire Protection for Telecom Spaces.

Ans: 1-A fire alarm should be installed in a telecommunications space according to applicable codes.
Chapter 3: Telecommunications Spaces
2-Portable fire extinguishers with appropriate ratings should be mounted as close to the entrance as
possible.

Note: More Info must study BICSI-Page:288.(important)

Flood Prevention requirement for Telecom Spaces.

Telecommunications spaces should be located above any threat of flooding.

When locating telecommunications spaces where a threat of flooding is unavoidable, design

rack elevations so that active equipment and telecommunications components are as high off the floor as possible.

Locations that are below or adjacent to areas of potential water hazard (e.g., restrooms, kitchens) should be
avoided.
Liquid carrying pipes (e.g., water, waste, steam) shall not be routed through, above, or in the walls
encompassing the telecommunications space.

Floor Loading requirement for Telecom Spaces.

Need to study BICSI-Page:289

What is the Bonding and Grounding (Earthing) requirement.

All equipment and cable shields shall be properly bonded to the space’s telecommunications
bonding and grounding (earthing) infrastructure.

NOTE: See Chapter 8: Bonding and Grounding (Earthing) for detailed grounding
requirements as they relate to safety codes, access providers (APs), SPs, and
equipment manufacturers.

What is the Lighting requirement for Telecom Spaces.

Considerations for lighting in telecommunications spaces include:

• Locating light switches near the entrance(s) to the telecommunications space.

Dimmers and vacancy sensors are not recommended.

• Coordinating the lighting layout with the equipment layout (especially overhead cable
trays) to ensure that lighting is not obstructed.

• Providing electrical power for the lighting, which should not come from the same circuits
as the telecommunications equipment (see Using Dedicated Electrical Power Feeders in
this chapter).

• Placing at least one light or set of lights on normal power and one light or set of lights on
emergency power.

• Using a light-colored finish on walls, floors, and cabinets to enhance room lighting.

• Providing a minimum equivalent of ≈538 lux (50 foot-candles) at the point of cable
termination.
Chapter 3: Telecommunications Spaces

• Locating light fixtures a minimum of ≈2.6 m (8.5 ft) AFF when possible and coordinating
closely with the rack, cabinet, or enclosure placements.

• Using emergency lighting as required by applicable codes. Emergency lighting should

ensure that the loss of power to normal lights will not hamper an emergency exit from the
telecommunications space.

What is the Telecom Spaces Location requirement.

All telecommunications spaces should be located in areas that are best suited to serve the
occupants of a floor or building.

The following should be observed when locating the spaces:

• Telecommunications spaces in multi-floor buildings should be aligned vertically.
• Telecommunications spaces built using one or more load-bearing walls reduces the
possibility of relocating the telecommunications spaces if the floor or building is expanded
or altered in the future.
• Telecommunications spaces should be located in areas that are dedicated to
telecommunications use. Equipment that is not related to the support of
telecommunications spaces (e.g., piping, duct work, distribution of building power)
should not be located in or pass through a telecommunications space.
• Telecommunications spaces shall not be shared with building or custodial services. For
example, sinks and cleaning materials (e.g., mops, buckets, solvents) shall not be located
or stored in a telecommunications space.

Safe and Clean Environment:

Telecommunications spaces:
• Are frequently visited by technicians and shall be safely accessible.
• Should be kept free of any storage material or other obstructions that could prevent technicians from performing
their duties or create a fire hazard.

NOTE: Refer to Chapter 17: Electronic Safety and Security and Chapter 18: Data Centers for the security design
options and recommendations that can be used to protect telecommunications spaces.

Sensitive Equipment and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI):

Sensitive electronic equipment should not be located next to electrically noisy equipment that can cause EMI.
Electrical feeders and branch circuits should be kept away from sensitive equipment and its associated
telecommunications cabling and equipment.

Likely sources of EMI include heavy-duty electromechanical equipment (e.g., electrical

power transformers, copiers, door openers, elevator systems, factory equipment).

In cases where EMI sources cannot be avoided, means to mitigate the adverse effects of
EMI on cabling and equipment are available (e.g., high-performance copper cabling,
shielding, optical fiber).
Chapter 3: Telecommunications Spaces

Size Guidelines
Telecommunications spaces vary in size, depending on their function and the size of the
usable floor space they serve.

Telecommunications space sizing guidelines for horizontal cabling distribution are based on
distributing telecommunications services to one individual work area per ≈9.3 m2 (100 ft2)
of usable floor space.

NOTE: The size of ≈3 m (10 ft) by ≈2.4 m (8 ft) is specified here to allow a center rack,
cabinet, or enclosure configuration.
Chapter 3: Telecommunications Spaces

NOTES: Installation of active equipment in shallow or walk-in rooms is not recommended

because many types of equipment require environmental controls and a depth of at least ≈1 m (3.28 ft).

Special Size Considerations:

For existing installations and building retrofits, it is recognized that the preceding
telecommunications spaces size guidelines may not be possible in all cases.

If, for reasons beyond the control of the ITS distribution designer, the minimum size
guidelines cannot be met, ≈1.2 m (4 ft) depth by ≈1.83 m (6 ft) width by ≈2.6 m (8.5 ft)
height (inside dimensions) of the telecommunications space should be provided with sliding
or double ≈900 mm (36 in) doors for every 240, 4-pair cable terminations served.

The minimum dimensions provided above may not be adequate if special telecommunications
services (e.g., community antenna

Termination Space Allocation: (important)

For… Allocate…
Balanced twisted-pair ≈2580 mm2 (4 in2) for each 4-pair circuit to be patched or
cross connected (allows for two 4-pair cable terminations and
two 4-pair modular patch connections per circuit).

Optical fiber ≈1290 mm2 (2 in2) for each optical fiber core/strand to be patched
or cross connected (allows for two cable/patch connections per
channel). This space allocation is also appropriate for coaxial cable.
Chapter 3: Telecommunications Spaces
NOTES: For balanced twisted-pair cross-connections using insulation displacement
contact termination blocks and jumpers, cross-connect field density may be
considerably greater.

When cabling requires surge protection, the recommended space allocation is

two to four times larger than the space above for cross-connections.

These space allocations do not include cable runs to and from the cross-connect fields.
Up to 20 percent more space may be required for proper routing of cables, jumpers,
equipment cords, and patch cords.

The space actually required depends on the:

• Mounting scheme used (e.g., wall or rack, cabinet, enclosure).
• Type and layout of connecting hardware used.
• Active equipment.

What is the Wall and Rack, Cabinet, or Enclosure Space for Terminations.
• A clear space of ≈125 mm (5 in) to ≈150 mm (6 in) above and below the top and bottom of the connecting
hardware for cable handling.

• Additional rack, cabinet, enclosure, or backboard space for routing cables, patch cords, equipment cords, or
cross-connect jumpers (cables may also be routed behind the connecting hardware).

Note: Corners result in ≈300 mm (12 in) of lost space on each wall and make cable distribution ring runs
necessary.
Cross-connect fields, patch panels, and active equipment in the telecommunications space
shall be placed to allow cross-connections and interconnections via jumpers, patch cords,
and equipment cords whose lengths per channel do not exceed:

• ≈5 m (16.5 ft) for patch cords, equipment cords, or jumpers in the horizontal cross-connect
(HC [floor distributor (FD)]).

• ≈10 m (33 ft) total for patch cords/jumpers, equipment cords connected to the HC (FD),
plus the work area equipment cord.

• ≈20 m (66 ft) for patch cords or jumpers that serve main cross-connect (MC [campus
distributor (CD)] or intermediate cross-connect (IC [building distributor (BD)]).

What is the requirement of Wall Linings.

see Bicsi-Page:299
Chapter 3: Telecommunications Spaces

Telecommunications Room (TR) and Telecommunications Enclosure (TE) Applications

A TR is an enclosed architectural space for housing telecommunications equipment, cable terminations, and
cross-connect cabling.

A TE is a case or housing for telecommunications equipment, cable terminations, and cross connect cabling.

At least one TR or ER serves every building with a minimum of one TR per floor. A TR may serve only one
tenant, or it may be used to serve multiple tenants. A TE is generally applied as a subset to the traditional TR.
This case or housing is smaller than a TR and is typically used to service a specific area of a building floor.
Chapter 3: Telecommunications Spaces

What is the requirement of Electrical Power for Telecom Enclosure.

A minimum of one dedicated, no switched duplex receptacle should be available for equipment power in each TE.

If standby power is available, automatic switchover of power should be provided. Where appropriate, a UPS
should be considered.

Fire Protection
Fire protection of the TEs, if required, shall be provided per applicable code. If sprinklers are required within the
area of the TE, the heads should be provided with a protective cover to prevent accidental operation.

A TE should not be installed where subject to leakage from fire suppression sprinklers. Drainage troughs shall be
placed under the sprinkler pipes to prevent leakage onto the enclosure.

Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC)

When active devices (e.g., heat-producing equipment) are present, a sufficient number of air changes should be
provided to dissipate the heat from all sources. Active device manufacturers should be consulted for guidelines.
Audible noise created by the equipment within the TE should not adversely affect the productivity or satisfaction
of nearby workers.

Lighting
Light, as measured within the TE, should be a minimum of ≈538 lux (50 foot-candles). Lighting design should
seek to minimize shadows within the TE.
Chapter 3: Telecommunications Spaces

Location
The TE should not be installed in furniture systems unless that unit of furniture is permanently secured to the
building structure.

Pathways
Pathways shall not pass through TEs. Cables that enter and exit the TE are to be protected from sheath abrasion
and conductor deformation by means of grommets, bushings, and suitable management hardware.

Size and Spacing

A TE should serve an area not greater than ≈334 m2 (3600 ft2).

How many sleeves will be installed inside ER (Equipment room).

Sleeves are preferred because they are easier to fire stop.

A minimum of four 103 mm (4 trade size) sleeves with at least one spare sleeve should be provided. If possible,
slots and sleeves should be specified before the building is constructed because coring (e.g., cutting) holes
through existing concrete:

Electrical power Receptacle requirement for ER.

If the amount of equipment within a new ER is unknown, the ER should be equipped with a minimum of two
preswitched duplex or quad electrical convenience receptacles and two of the same for equipment power.

Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC)

Environmental Control.

Overview
Telecommunications equipment can be sensitive to environmental conditions and typically has strict requirements
for its operating environment. Therefore, an ER shall have either dedicated HVAC equipment or access to the
main building HVAC delivery system. If environmental control is provided by the main building delivery system,
the ER should have separate controls from other rooms in the building. In addition to temperature control, the
environmental requirements for telecommunications equipment may include:

• Humidity control.
• Dust and contaminant control.

Environmental requirements for equipment vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The manufacturer’s
requirements should be followed exactly to ensure reliable operation and to keep warranties valid.

Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) Operation

Telecommunications equipment usually requires the HVAC system to function properly at all
times (e.g., 24 hours per day, 365 days per year). If a building’s HVAC system cannot ensure
continuous operation, a stand-alone HVAC unit with independent controls should be provided
for the ER. If
Chapter 3: Telecommunications Spaces

Q: What is the Entrance facilities.

Ans: An EF is an entrance to a building for both public and private network service media, including wireless.
This includes the entrance point (EP) at the building wall or floor conduit and continuing on to the entrance room
or space. The EF can be located within a separate room or within the ER. If the EF is within the ER, additional
space shall be designed within the ER.

Entrance Media Types:

The types of media entering the EF can include:

• Balanced twisted-pair copper.

• Coaxial.
• Optical fiber.
• Wireless.

Service Entrance Considerations

The service entrance accepts underground, direct-buried, and aerial outside plant facilities
into the room.

For more information, see:

• Chapter 4: Backbone Distribution Systems.
• Chapter 12: Outside Plant.
• The current edition of BICSI’s Outside Plant Design Reference Manual.