Locate Underground Telstra Cables

Telstra Cables

Underground Telstra cables and other communications cables, are generally pretty easy to locate, provided you have the right equipment and experience.

The best first course of action is for you to request Dial Before You Dig (DBYD) plans for the area you’re interested in. Always keep in mind that with Dial Before You Dig you aren’t likely to get any information on private services, though they are very useful for working in public areas.

Two very common types of Telstra cables are copper communications cables, and optic fibre communications cables.

Copper Telstra cables consist of pairs of cables. A pair is two individual strands of copper, each individually insulated and work together in harmony.

Copper Pair Cabling Chart:

2-Pair (used within houses)

5-Pair (used within some houses/units)

10-Pair (used within most unit/industrial type units)

25-Pair (used on telephone systems generally or larger cable requirements)

50-Pair (small building developments / IDF floor distribution cabling)

100-Pair (Lead-in to MDF used in conjunction with other 100-Pair depending on requirement e.g. Westfield Shopping Centre)

And they can get larger from there.

More information on Optic Fibre Cables

Once you’ve determined that there is underground telstra to be located in your work area, you need to find a point on the network that you can safely induct your signal onto. The best way to do so is with an induction clamp.

Though it is possible to detect underground Telstra radio frequencies passively with a line locator, it is not a reliable method. This is caused by congestion and passive frequencies that neighbouring services can naturally emit inside the passive radio frequency range. Always remember, just because a Telstra cable doesn’t get detected by passive radio scanning, doesn’t mean that it isn’t there. Targeted induction is the most reliable method.