[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 154 (Thursday, August 11, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-19649]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: August 11, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 940559-4159]
RIN 0693-AB14
Approval of Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 187,
Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of
Federal Buildings
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to announce that the Secretary
of Commerce (Secretary) has approved a new standard, which will be
published as FIPS Publication 187. This newly approved standard adopts
ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-1993
On April 15, 1993 (58 FR 19663), a notice was published in the
Federal Register that a proposed standard for Administrative Standard
for the Telecommunication Infrastructure of Federal Buildings was being
proposed for Federal use.
The written comments submitted by interested parties and other
material available to the Department relevant to this standard was
reviewed by NIST and the National Communications System (NCS). On the
basis of this review, NIST recommended that the Secretary approve the
standard as a Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS), and
prepared a detailed justification document for the Secretary's review
in support of that recommendation.
The detailed justification document which was presented to the
Secretary, and which includes an analysis of the written comments
received, is part of the public record and is available for inspection
and copying in the Department's Central Reference and Records
Inspection Facility, Room 6020, Herbert C. Hoover Building, 14th Street
between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues, NW, Washington, DC
20230.
This approved standard contains two sections: (1) An announcement
section, which provides information concerning the applicability,
implementation, and maintenance of the standard; and (2) a
specifications section which deals with the technical requirements of
the standard. Only the announcement section of this standard is
provided in this notice.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This standard becomes effective February 10, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties may purchase copies of this new standard,
including the technical specifications section, from the National
Technical Information Service (NTIS). Specific ordering information
from NTIS for this standard is set out in the Where to Obtain Copies
Section of the announcement section of the standard.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Shirley M. Radack, Computer Systems Laboratory, National Institute of
Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, telephone (301) 975-
2833.
Dated: August 4, 1994.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 187
(Date)
Announcing the Standard for Administration Standard for the
Telecommunications Infrastructure of Federal Buildings
Federal Information Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUBS)
are issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
after approval by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to Section 111(d)
of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 as
amended by the Computer Security act of 1987, Public Law 100-235.
1. Name of Standard. Administration Standard for the
Telecommunications Infrastructure of Federal Buildings (FIPS PUB 187)
(Former Draft Federal Standard 1094).
2. Category of Standard. Telecommunications Standard;
Telecommunications Administration.
3. Explanation. This standard, by adoption of ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-
1993, Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure
of Commercial Buildings, specifies the administrative requirements of
the telecommunications infrastructure within a new, existing, or
renovated office building or campus. Telecommunications infrastructure
can be thought of as the collection of those components
(telecommunications equipment spaces, cable pathways, grounding,
wiring, and termination hardware) that provide the basic support for
the distribution of all information within a building or campus.
Administration of telecommunications includes documentation
(recordkeeping, drawings, labeling, etc.) of telecommunications outlet
boxes, connectors, cables, termination hardware, patching and cross-
connect facilities, conduits, other cable pathways, telecommunications
closets, and other spaces.
Note: Development of ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-1993, which included
Federal Government participation, was a joint Canadian/U.S. effort,
resulting in the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) publication of
the Canadian equivalent of the U.S. standard as CSA T528 at
approximately the same time as publication of the American National
Standard.
4. Approving Authority. Secretary of Commerce.
5. Maintenance Agency. National Communications System, Office of
Technology and Standards.
6. Related Documents. a. Federal Information Resources Management
Regulations subpart 201-20.303, Standards, and subpart 201-39.1002,
Federal Standards.
b. Federal Standard 1037B, Glossary of Telecommunications Terms.
c. Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB)
174, Federal Building Telecommunications Wiring Standard (Former Draft
Federal Standard 1090).
d. Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB)
175, Federal Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and
Spaces (Former Draft Federal Standard 1091).
e. Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB)
176, Residential and Light Commercial Telecommunications Wiring
Standard (Former Draft Federal Standard 1092).
f. Future Federal Information Processing Standards Publication
(FIPS PUB), Federal Building Grounding and Bonding Requirements for
Telecommunications (Draft Federal Standard 1093).
At the time of publication of this standard, the editions indicated
above were valid. All publications are subject to revision, and parties
to agreements based on this standard are encouraged to investigate the
possibility of applying the most recent editions of these publications.
7. Objectives. The purpose of this standard is to facilitate
interoperability and transportability among telecommunication
facilities and systems of the Federal Government and compatibility of
these facilities and systems at the computer-communications interface
with data processing equipment (systems) of the Federal Government.
This standard specifies a uniform telecommunications infrastructure
administration scheme that is independent of applications, which may
change several times throughout the life of a building. This standard
establishes guidelines for end users, manufacturers, consultants,
contractors, designers, installers, and facility administrators
involved in the administration of telecommunications infrastructure.
8. Applicability. This standard shall be used by all departments
and agencies of the Federal Government in the administration of the
telecommunications infrastructure for all new office buildings. Use of
the FIPS is recommended for the administration of the
telecommunications infrastructure within an existing or renovated
office building or campus. Existing building wiring systems, especially
those installed prior to the emergence of digital communications and
voice/data integration, may not readily accept application of this
standard. Modernization of the existing pathway, space, and wiring
systems to meet the FIPS 174, FIPS 175, and FIPS 176 infrastructure
standards may require a significant monetary expenditures. Agencies
should conduct a thorough facility analysis of existing and renovated
buildings to determine the cost of applying the standards, and develop
a migration plan where cost savings can be achieved. This plan will
help to ensure timely and efficient completion of the conversion
process. The result of following this administration standard will be a
telecommunications infrastructure that is well documented and easily
managed by the administrator over the life cycle of the building. This
standard is not intended to hasten the obsolescence of
telecommunications administration procedures currently in use in
Federal facilities; nor is it intended to provide systems engineering
or applications guidelines.
9. Specifications. This FIPS adopts ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-1993,
Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of
Commercial Buildings. The American National Standard specifies the
administrative requirements for the telecommunications infrastructure
within a new, existing, or renovated office building or campus. Areas
of the infrastructure to be administered include:
(a) Terminations for the telecommunications media located in work
areas, telecommunications closets, equipment rooms, and entrance
facilities;
(b) Telecommunications media between terminations;
(c) Pathways between terminations that contain the media;
(d) Spaces where terminations are located; and
(e) Bonding/grounding as it applies to telecommunications.
This standard also specifies requirements for the collection,
organization, and presentation of as-built data.
10. Implementation. The use of this standard by Federal departments
and agencies is compulsory and binding for the administration of the
telecommunications infrastructure of new buildings, effective February
10, 1995.
Use of the standard is recommended for the administration of the
telecommunications infrastructure of existing and renovated buildings.
Anyone associated with telecommunications equipment, wiring
systems, wire termination products, and pathway/space components will
find this standard useful. By having one administration reference
document, progress can be made toward building consistently
administered telecommunications infrastructures. Administration in
accordance with this standard can be accomplished by either paper- or
computer-based systems. In today's increasingly complex
telecommunications environment, effective administration is enhanced by
the use of computer-based systems. This standard will also reduce the
large number of incompatible and incomplete administrative approaches
in existence. Over time, the end user should expect manufacturers to
provide telecommunications systems that include administrative support
complying with this standard. It is also expected that administrative
products that comply with this standard will become available.
11. Waivers. Under certain exceptional circumstances, the heads of
Federal departments and agencies may approve waivers to Federal
Information Processing Standards (FIPS). The head of such agency may
redelegate such authority only to a senior official designated pursuant
to section 3506(b) of Title 44, U.S. Code. Waivers shall be granted
only when:
a. Compliance with a standard would adversely affect the
accomplishment of the mission of an operator of a Federal computer
system or related telecommunications system, or
b. Cause a major adverse financial impact on the operator which is
not offset by Governmentwide savings.
Agency heads may act upon a written waiver request containing the
information detailed above. Agency heads may also act without a written
waiver request when they determine that conditions for meeting the
standard cannot be met. Agency heads may approve waivers only by a
written decision which explains the basis on which the agency head made
the required finding(s). A copy of each such decision, with procurement
sensitive or classified portions clearly identified, shall be sent to:
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Attn: FIPS Waiver
Decisions, Technology Building, room B-154, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.
In addition, notice of each waiver granted and each delegation of
authority to approve waivers shall be sent promptly to the Committee on
Government Operations of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Governmental Affairs of the Senate and shall be published promptly
in the Federal Register.
When the determination on a waiver applies to the procurement of
equipment and/or services, a notice of the waiver determination must be
published in the Commerce Business Daily as a part of the notice of
solicitation for offers of an acquisition or, if the waiver
determination is made after the notice is published, by amendment to
such notice.
A copy of the waiver, any supporting documents, the document
approving the waiver and any supporting and accompanying documents,
with such deletions as the agency is authorized and decides to make
under 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552(b), shall be part of the procurement
documentation and retained by the agency.
12. Where to Obtain Copies. Copies of this publication are for sale
by the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of
Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. (Sale of the included specifications
document is by arrangement with the Electronic Industries Association.)
When ordering, refer to Federal Information Processing Standards
Publication 187 (FIPSPUB187), and the title. Payment may be made by
check, money order, purchase order, credit card, or deposit account.
Appendix
By adoption of ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-1993, this document provides
Federal departments and agencies with an approach for standardizing
telecommunications administration for office buildings and building
complexes. This standardization of documentation, in conjunction with
FIPS 174 (Former Draft FED-STD-1090), which specifies
telecommunications wiring, and FIPS 175 (Former Draft FED-STD-1091),
which provides architectural specification of telecommunications
pathways and spaces, will facilitate systems compatibility and
transportability of terminals for Federal users.
Another companion standard, ANSI/EIA/TIA-570-1991, Residential and
Light Commercial Telecommunications Wiring Standard, has been adopted
as Federal Information Processing Standard 176 (Former Draft FED-STD-
1092). This standard specifies telecommunications wiring for small
buildings.
During the development of this family of building
telecommunications standards, significant concern was expressed, by
both Government and industry, about the need for specification of
electronic system grounding. This concern resulted in proposed ANSI/
TIA/EIA-607, Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Telecommunications
in Commercial Buildings, which will be proposed for adoption as a
future Federal Information Processing Standard (Draft FED-STD-1093).
[FR Doc. 94-19649 Filed 8-10-94; 8:45 am]
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