{"id":"F2025L00394","name":"Telecommunications (Voice Performance Requirements for Customer Equipment – AS/CA S004) Technical Standard 2025","slug":"telecommunications-voice-performance-requirements-for-customer-equipment-as-ca-s004-technical-standa","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":106208,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2025L00394-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Telecommunications (Voice Performance Requirements for Customer Equipment – AS/CA S004) Technical Standard 2025","content":"![Commonwealth of Australia coat of arms](image.001.png)\n\nTelecommunications (Voice Performance Requirements for Customer Equipment – AS/CA S004) Technical Standard 2025\n\nThe Australian Communications and Media Authority makes the following technical standard under subsection 376(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997.\n\nDated: 20 March 2025\n\nAdam Suckling\n\n\\[signed\\]\n\nMember\n\nMichael Brealey\n\n\\[signed\\]\n\nGeneral Manager\n\nAustralian Communications and Media Authority  \n\nPart 1 – Preliminary\n\n1 Name\n\n(1) This technical standard is the Telecommunications (Voice Performance Requirements for Customer Equipment – AS/CA S004) Technical Standard 2025.\n\n(2) This technical standard may also be cited as AS/CA S004-2025.\n\n2 Commencement\n\nThis technical standard commences on 30 March 2025.\n\n> Note: This technical standard is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation which may be accessed free of charge at www.legislation.gov.au.\n\n3 Authority\n\nThis technical standard is made under subsection 376(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997.\n\n4 Repeal of the Telecommunications Technical Standard (Voice performance requirements for Customer Equipment – AS/CA S004) 2015\n\nThe Telecommunications Technical Standard (Voice performance requirements for Customer Equipment – AS/CA S004) 2015 \\[F2015L00186\\] is repealed.\n\n5 Objects\n\nThe objects of this technical standard are to specify requirements that are necessary or convenient for:\n\n(a) protecting the integrity of a telecommunications network or a facility;\n\n(b) protecting the health or safety of persons who:\n\n(i) operate;\n\n(ii) work on;\n\n(iii) use services supplied by means of; or\n\n(iv) are otherwise reasonably likely to be affected by the operation of;\n\na telecommunications network or a facility;\n\n(c) ensuring that customer equipment can be used to give access to an emergency call service; and\n\n(d) ensuring, for the purposes of the supply of a standard telephone service, the interoperability of customer equipment with a telecommunications network to which the equipment is, or is proposed to be, connected.\n\nPart 2 – Interpretation\n\n6 Definitions\n\nIn this technical standard:\n\n> ACMA transition period has the meaning given by section 8.\n\n> Act means the Telecommunications Act 1997.\n\namendment instrument means an instrument published by Communications Alliance Ltd that amends the AS/CA Standard.\n\n> AS/CA Standard means the Australian Standard AS/CA S004:2013 – Voice performance requirements for Customer Equipment, published by Communications Alliance Ltd in January 2013.\n\n> Note: The AS/CA Standard is available, free of charge, on Communications Alliance Ltd’s website at http://www.commsalliance.com.au.\n\n> AS/CA transition period, for an amendment or the replacement of the AS/CA Standard, has the meaning given by section 9.\n\ndate a modified item is made has the meaning given by section 11.\n\nincluded in a class of items has the meaning given by section 10.\n\nitem means a thing that is customer equipment to which this technical standard applies, as provided by section 12, and includes a modified item.\n\nmodified item means an item that has been modified, by or on behalf of the manufacturer or importer of the item, after the item was manufactured or imported and, for the avoidance of doubt, is the item as modified.\n\n    original item has the meaning given by subsection 10(1).\n    original modified item has the meaning given by subsection 10(2).\n    replacement standard means a standard published by Communications Alliance Ltd that replaces the AS/CA Standard.\n\n> Note: A number of expressions used in this instrument have the same meaning as in the Act, including:\n\n> Note: customer equipment (see sections 7 and 21);\n\n> Note: emergency call service (see section 7);\n\n> Note: facility (see section 7 and subsection 374(2));\n\n> Note: import (see section 7);\n\n> Note: manufacturer or importer of customer equipment or customer cabling (see section 406A);\n\n> Note: standard telephone service (see section 7);\n\n> Note: telecommunications network (see section 7 and subsection 374(1)).\n\n7 References to other legislative instruments\n\n  In this technical standard, unless the contrary intention appears, a reference to any other legislative instrument is a reference to that other legislative instrument as in force from time to time.\n\n> Note: For references to Commonwealth Acts, see section 10 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901; and see also subsection 13(1) of the Legislation Act 2003 for the application of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 to legislative instruments. All Commonwealth Acts and legislative instruments are registered on the Federal Register of Legislation. The Federal Register of Legislation may be accessed free of charge at www.legislation.gov.au.\n\n8 ACMA transition period\n\nIn this technical standard, if the AS/CA Standard is amended or replaced, there is an ACMA transition period, being:\n\n(a) in a case where there is an AS/CA transition period for the amendment or replacement of the AS/CA Standard – a period that is the same as the AS/CA transition period; or\n\n(b) in any other case – a period of two years commencing on the day the AS/CA Standard is amended or replaced.\n\n> Note 1: See subsections 14(3) and 15(5) in relation to an ACMA transition period.\n\n> Note 2: If the AS/CA Standard is amended or replaced during an ACMA transition period, there is another ACMA transition period which overlaps with the first-mentioned transition period. See subsections 14(4) and 15(6) in relation to overlapping ACMA transition periods.\n\n9 AS/CA transition period\n\n(1) If:\n\n1.  an amendment instrument or a replacement standard determines arrangements to deal with any issues of a transitional nature that may arise as a result of the amendment or replacement of the AS/CA Standard;\n2.  the arrangements are for a specified period commencing on the day the AS/CA Standard is amended or replaced; and\n3.  the arrangements have the effect of allowing a relevant item to comply with:\n\n> (i) the AS/CA Standard as in force immediately before the commencement of the specified period; or\n\n> (ii) the AS/CA Standard, or the replacement standard, as in force at the commencement of the specified period;\n\nthe specified period is an AS/CA transition period for the amendment or replacement of the AS/CA Standard, for the purposes of section 8.\n\n(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), each of the following is a relevant item:\n\n(a) an item that is manufactured in Australia or imported during the specified period;\n\n(b) a modified item that is made in Australia or imported during the specified period.\n\n10 Class of items\n\n(1) In this technical standard:\n\n> (a) an item (other than a modified item) is included in a class of items if the item:\n\n> (i) is identical to each other item of the class (irrespective of when the items were manufactured or imported); and\n\n> (ii) has the same manufacturer or importer as each other item; and\n\n> (b) the original item, in relation to the class of items, is the item of the class that was the first to be manufactured in Australia or imported.\n\n(2) In this technical standard:\n\n> (a) a modified item is included in a class of items if:\n\n> (i) the modification which resulted in that item is identical to the modification which resulted in each other item of the class (irrespective of when the items were so modified);\n\n> (ii) the modified item is, in all other respects, identical to each other item (irrespective of when the items were manufactured or imported); and\n\n> (iii) the modified item has the same manufacturer or importer as each other item; and\n\n> (b) the original modified item, in relation to the class of items, is the item of the class that was the first to be so modified in Australia.\n\n11 Date a modified item is made\n\nIn this technical standard, a reference to the date a modified item is made is a reference to the date of making of the modification which results in that item.\n\nPart 3 – Application and requirements\n\n12 Application\n\nThis technical standard applies to customer equipment that is used, or is to be used:\n\n1.  to transmit and receive voice frequency signals for voice communication, voice messages or tones by direct or indirect electrical or electro-acoustic means; and\n2.  for connection to a telecommunications network.\n\nNote: In this technical standard, a reference to a telecommunications network is a reference to a telecommunications network in Australia that is operated by a carrier or carriage service provider (see section 7 and subsection 374(1) of the Act).\n\n13 Requirements\n\n(1) An item (other than a modified item) must meet the requirements of subsection 14(1), (2), (3) or (4).\n\n(2) A modified item must meet the requirements of subsection 15(1), (2), (3), (5) or (6).\n\n14 Standard for items (other than modified items)\n\n1.  If an item complies with the AS/CA Standard as in force on the date the item is manufactured in Australia or imported, the item meets the requirements of this subsection.\n2.  If an item:\n\n1.  is included in a class of items; and\n2.  complies with the AS/CA Standard as in force on the date the original item of the class was manufactured in Australia or imported;\n\nthe first-mentioned item meets the requirements of this subsection.\n\n1.  If an item:\n\n1.  is manufactured in Australia or imported during an ACMA transition period; and\n2.  complies with:\n\n1.  the AS/CA Standard as in force immediately before the commencement of the transition period; or\n\n1.  the AS/CA Standard, or a replacement standard, as in force at the commencement of the transition period;\n\nthe item meets the requirements of this subsection.\n\n1.  If:\n\n1.  an ACMA transition period overlaps with another ACMA transition period;\n2.  an item is manufactured in Australia or imported during the period of overlap; and\n3.  the item complies with:\n\n1.  the AS/CA Standard as in force immediately before the commencement of the earliest of those transition periods; or\n2.  the AS/CA Standard, or a replacement standard, as in force at the commencement of any one of those transition periods;\n\nthe item meets the requirements of this subsection.\n\n15 Standard for modified items\n\n1.  If a modified item complies with the AS/CA Standard as in force on the date the modified item is made in Australia, the modified item meets the requirements of this subsection.\n2.  If a modified item:\n\n1.  is included in a class of items; and\n2.  complies with the AS/CA Standard as in force on the date the original modified item of the class was made in Australia;\n\nthe first-mentioned item meets the requirements of this subsection.\n\n(3) If:\n\n(a) a modified item would have been included in a class of items but for the making of the modification which resulted in that item; and\n\n(b) the modification is not material and, in particular, the modified item complies with the AS/CA Standard as in force on the date the original item of the class was made in Australia or imported;\n\nthe first-mentioned item meets the requirements of this subsection.\n\n(4) For the purposes of subsection (3), the modification is material if the modification would or could reasonably be expected to affect whether the modified item complies with the AS/CA Standard as in force on the date the original item of the class was made in Australia or imported.\n\n(5) If a modified item:\n\n1.  is made in Australia during an ACMA transition period; and\n2.  complies with:\n\n1.  the AS/CA Standard as in force immediately before the commencement of the transition period; or\n2.  the AS/CA Standard, or a replacement standard, as in force at the commencement of the transition period;\n\nthe modified item meets the requirements of this subsection.\n\n(6) If:\n\n1.  an ACMA transition period overlaps with another ACMA transition period;\n2.  a modified item is made in Australia during the period of overlap; and\n3.  the modified item complies with:\n\n1.  the AS/CA Standard as in force immediately before the commencement of the earliest of those transition periods; or\n2.  the AS/CA Standard, or a replacement standard, as in force at the commencement of any one of those transition periods;\n\nthe modified item meets the requirements of this subsection.\n\nPart 4 – Savings and transitional arrangements\n\n16 Items manufactured, imported or modified before commencement\n\n(1) If an item (other than a modified item):\n\n1.  was manufactured in Australia or imported before the commencement of this technical standard; and\n2.  complies with the Telecommunications Technical Standard (Voice performance requirements for Customer Equipment – AS/CA S004) 2015 as in force immediately before the commencement of this technical standard;\n\nthe item is taken to comply with this technical standard.\n\n(2) If a modified item:\n\n1.  was made in Australia before the commencement of this technical standard; and\n2.  complies with the Telecommunications Technical Standard (Voice performance requirements for Customer Equipment – AS/CA S004) 2015 as in force immediately before the commencement of this technical standard;\n\nthe modified item is taken to comply with this technical standard.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This legislation maintains the same scope as its predecessor. It continues to regulate voice customer equipment connecting to Australian telecommunications networks with the same four statutory objectives (network integrity, safety, emergency access, and interoperability). The 2025 version appears to be a straightforward reissue/update of the 2015 standard with modernized transition period mechanics, but does not expand the regulatory scope to new categories of equipment or new regulatory purposes."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple overlapping transition periods (ACMA transition period vs AS/CA transition period) with complex interaction rules in sections 8-9 and subsections 14(3)-(4) and 15(5)-(6)","Nested conditional logic for compliance pathways: 4 separate pathways for standard items (section 14) and 6 separate pathways for modified items (section 15)","Complex class-based compliance system requiring tracking of 'original items' and 'original modified items' across manufacturing/import dates (section 10)","Materiality test for modifications with subjective threshold ('would or could reasonably be expected to affect') in subsection 15(4)","Incorporation by reference of external standard (AS/CA S004:2013) which can be amended by industry body (Communications Alliance Ltd), creating dynamic regulatory requirements","Dual transition period mechanics allowing overlapping compliance windows with 'earliest period' calculations (subsections 14(4) and 15(6))","14 defined terms in section 6 plus implicit definitions through cross-references to the Telecommunications Act 1997","Savings provisions for pre-commencement items requiring comparison against repealed 2015 standard (section 16)"],"plain_english_summary":"This law sets mandatory technical rules for voice communication equipment (phones, modems, VoIP adapters) that connect to Australian telephone networks. It requires manufacturers, importers and anyone who modifies equipment to meet the AS/CA S004 standard so devices don’t harm networks, endanger users, or block emergency calls (000). It replaces the 2015 rules with updated requirements and includes a transition period when the standard is updated."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The instrument repeals the 2015 technical standard (section 4) and not only restates voice-performance objectives (section 5) but also formalises procedural and temporal detail not limited to substantive performance thresholds. It introduces a formal ACMA transition-period mechanism and rules for AS/CA transition periods (sections 8–9), explicit treatment of classes of items and modified items (sections 10–11) and multiple alternative compliance paths tied to manufacture/import/modification dates (sections 14–15). Those additions expand the instrument’s procedural scope and shift compliance obligations onto manufacturers, importers and modifiers by making compliance depend on specific dates and transition arrangements (sections 12, 14–16)."},"complexity_factors":["Dependence on an external standard that is applied ‘as in force’ at different relevant dates, requiring tracking of the AS/CA Standard and any replacement standard or amendment instrument (sections 6, 14(1), 15(1)).","ACMA transition period regime and overlapping transition periods which create multiple alternative compliance windows (sections 8, 9; see 14(3)–(4), 15(5)–(6)).","Separate, detailed compliance rules for original items versus modified items, including a specific definition of the date a modified item is made (sections 10–11, 14–15).","Class-of-items rules that hinge on identity and shared manufacturer/importer, creating evidentiary and recordkeeping requirements for proving class membership (section 10; see 14(2), 15(2)–(3)).","Savings and transitional arrangements for items manufactured, imported or modified before commencement, which interact with the repeal of the 2015 standard (section 4, section 16).","Extensive cross-references to the Telecommunications Act and other legislative instruments, increasing interpretive complexity (sections 3, 7).","Granularity of alternative compliance paths (e.g. comply with the standard immediately before a transition or as at transition commencement) raises administrative burden for manufacturers/importers to determine applicable standard versions (sections 8–15)."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument sets mandatory voice-performance technical requirements for customer equipment that connects to Australian telecommunications networks and replaces the 2015 AS/CA S004 standard. It requires manufacturers, importers and parties who modify equipment to ensure devices meet the AS/CA S004 requirements as they apply on the date of manufacture, import or modification, and it creates formal transition rules for when the AS/CA Standard is amended or replaced."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/telecommunications-voice-performance-requirements-for-customer-equipment-as-ca-s004-technical-standa","history":"/api/acts/telecommunications-voice-performance-requirements-for-customer-equipment-as-ca-s004-technical-standa/history","analysis":"/api/acts/telecommunications-voice-performance-requirements-for-customer-equipment-as-ca-s004-technical-standa/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/telecommunications-voice-performance-requirements-for-customer-equipment-as-ca-s004-technical-standa/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/telecommunications-voice-performance-requirements-for-customer-equipment-as-ca-s004-technical-standa/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/telecommunications-voice-performance-requirements-for-customer-equipment-as-ca-s004-technical-standa/documents"}}