Annex B - 1

Technical Standards for

In-building Physical Infrastructure (IPI) for

Multi Dwelling Units

 Contents

Annex B – 1 - IPI MDU

1 Purpose and Scope ............................................................................................ 4

1.1 Purpose................................................................................................................ 4

1.2 Scope ................................................................................................................... 4

2 Definitions .......................................................................................................... 5

3 Configuration...................................................................................................... 7

3.1 Reference Configuration ...................................................................................... 7

3.2 Options for the Internal Cabling ............................................................................ 9

3.2.1 Floor Distributor Topology .................................................................................... 9
3.2.2 Star Topology ..................................................................................................... 10

4 Main Requirements .......................................................................................... 11

4.1 General Requirements ....................................................................................... 11

4.2 Requirements for Mobile Services ...................................................................... 12

5 Specific Requirements for In-building Infrastructure Elements ................... 13

5.1 Internal Cabling .................................................................................................. 13

5.1.1 Bend Radius ...................................................................................................... 14

5.2 Access Point ...................................................................................................... 14

5.3 Lead-in Duct....................................................................................................... 15

5.4 Telecommunications Room ................................................................................ 16

5.5 Building Distribution Frame (BDF) ...................................................................... 17

5.6 Riser Area .......................................................................................................... 17

5.7 Floor Distributor.................................................................................................. 18

5.8 Unit Distributor ................................................................................................... 18

2
5.9 Network Termination .......................................................................................... 19

5.10 Installations ........................................................................................................ 19

5.11 Testing ............................................................................................................... 19

5.12 Documentation ................................................................................................... 19

3
1 Purpose and Scope

1.1 Purpose

This document provides the technical standards for In-building Physical Infrastructure for
Multi Dwelling Unit (MDU) buildings to enable all building owners to design and deploy
telecommunications network infrastructure in new public and private buildings.

These standards have been established with the aim of ensuring that any In-building
Physical Infrastructure in New Developments is built in accordance with a common national
telecommunication standard and meets international best practice.

1.2 Scope

These standards apply to all new Multi-Dwelling Unit buildings (residential, commercial,
industrial, governmental, etc.). They apply to all In-building Physical Infrastructure and
include the most commonly used materials specifications for In-building Physical
Infrastructure.

These standards shall be observed by building owners.

These standards do not change any obligations imposed by other administrative authorities.
Installations in buildings shall strictly meet the requirements set by the relevant authorities
having jurisdiction. Thus, the installations shall comply with all provisions, rules and
guidelines established by these authorities.

4
2 Definitions

New Developments: means the real estates to be developed by land and building
developers, including land planning and preparation and buildings construction for
residential, commercial, industrial, governmental or any other purpose.

Passive Network Components: include all the non-electric physical elements, such as
buildings, sites, ducts, towers and masts, manholes, hand-holes, and cables, among others,
that may serve for the provision of Outside Plant and In-building telecommunications
networks.

Outside Plant (OSP): Any ICT network implemented with the aim of connecting it, or using it
to connect, with the public telecommunications networks. OSP includes passive ICT
networks components and any associated hardware located between a central distribution
point at the border of the New Development and Access Points.

In-building Physical Infrastructure (IPI): means passive ICT networks components in a

building connecting the Access Point with the Network Termination Points in the building
units (also known as Inside Plant), including Network Termination Points, distribution frames,
risers, telecommunications rooms and spaces, and lead-in ducts.

Access Point: means a physical point located outside the building accessible by public
telecommunications networks, hosting the Optical Distribution Box (ODB), through which a
connection between the Outside Plant and the In-building Physical Infrastructure is made. It
is the demarcation point between Outside Plant and In-building Physical Infrastructure.

Access Area: means the physical location containing the lead-in ducts and cabling from the
Access Point to the Telecommunications space / room.

Building Distribution Frame (BDF): means a distribution element between the Outside
Plant and the In-building Physical Infrastructure (inside plant). The BDF allows connection of
the lead-in cables from the Access Point (outside the premises) to the cables leading to each
Unit.

Riser Area: means the physical location containing the vertical ducts and distribution cabling
that connects each floor with the BDF.

5
Floor Distributor (FD): means a sub-dividing element between the BDF and the Unit
Distributor / Network Termination Points located nearby or in the riser area which allows the
transition from the vertical to the horizontal indoor cable. Use of Floor Distributors is optional.

Network Termination Point (NT): is the point at which the In-building Physical Infrastructure
(IPI) of a building unit terminates. A building unit may have multiple NTs.

High-speed-ready: means that the Outside Plant (OSP) and the In-building Physical
Infrastructure (IPI), hosting all necessary passive network elements, enable data delivery at a
minimum speed of 100 Mbps.

Telecommunications Room (TR): is an enclosed architectural space designed to contain

telecommunications equipment, cable terminations, and a Building Distribution Frame (BDF).
This room is also used as a collocation area to house various equipment and cables used to
distribute telecommunication, image and security services to each Unit.

Unit: means town house, residential apartment, office space, or any other closed entity
within a building.

Multi-dwelling Unit (MDU): refers to two or more Units that are joined by a common wall or
property boundary. Examples of MDUs include apartments, office and commercial premises,
shopping malls and the like. An MDU may consist of multiple towers that are part of a
common main building.

Single-dwelling Unit (SDU): means a structure that contains only one Unit (residence /
office / commercial premise).

Unit Distributor (UD): means an element which concentrates all cables of a Unit.

Developer: means a Person developing real estate through any of the following:
 Preparing New Development sites for residential, commercial, industrial,
governmental, or any other special purpose or public use (Land Developer).
 Construction of buildings (Building Developer).
Often, the owner of the real estate is also the Developer, he is responsible for observing
Saudi building codes for construction and land development works.

6
3 Configuration

Construction of a new MDU provides an opportunity to incorporate a High-speed-ready

broadband infrastructure at relatively low cost. The installations of such infrastructure have to
be done in three areas: access area, riser area and the office/housing area. For a smooth
implementation, the following infrastructure elements shall be taken into account at the
planning stage of the building:

 Access Point
 Access Area
 Telecommunications Room
 Riser Area
 Floor Distributor

3.1 Reference Configuration

a) The following figure shows the reference configuration for In-building Physical
Infrastructure (based on ISO/IEC 11 801 and ITU Rec. L.82).

Figure 1: Reference configuration for In-building Physical Infrastructure

7
b) There shall be at least one Access Point per MDU. Access Points shall be accessible to
public Telecommunications Networks. Access Points are the demarcation point between
Outside Plant and In-building Physical Infrastructure. Access Points are connected to the
Telecommunications Room through two or more lead-in duct(s).

c) Each building in a New Development shall be equipped with a Telecommunications

Room. This room includes the BDF, where - via the Access area and the lead in ducts /
cables – the outside and inside cabling is mounted. In addition the Telecommunications
Room serves as collocation area for equipment required by public Telecommunications
Networks. This equipment is also connected to the BDF. The BDF allows connections
between cabling coming from outside of the building with the inside cabling and
collocated equipment.

d) In MDUs a vertical riser area shall be provided between BDF and each floor. Each floor
may contain a Floor Distributor to connect between vertical and horizontal cabling. Each
Unit is equipped with one or more Network Terminations, which are connected to the
Unit Distributor. The Unit Distributor is then connected to the Floor Distributor.

8
3.2 Options for the Internal Cabling

The reference configuration allows for two options of the internal cabling.

3.2.1 Floor Distributor Topology

Figure 2: Option 1 – Floor distributor topology configuration for In-building Physical

Infrastructure

a) The floor distributor topology represents the reference configuration. It is the preferred
solution for MDU. A Floor Distributor is installed in each floor of the building. Each Unit
Distributor connects directly to the Floor Distributor that is connected to the Building
Distribution Frame.

b) The Floor Distributor topology is normally used for buildings with more than 10 Units as it
limits cable lengths and capacity in the riser area.

c) The Floor Distributors allow for higher flexibility of the In-building Physical Infrastructure.
Further, this configuration potentially reduces the length of the cables as connections

9
 between Floor Distributors are possible. On the other hand, it requires additional
investments for infrastructure elements (Floor Distributors). Further, Floor Distributors
represent a potential source of faults.

3.2.2 Star Topology

Figure 3: Option 2 – Star topology configuration for In-building Physical Infrastructure

a) The star topology deviates from the reference configuration as it lacks a Floor
Distributor. Each Unit Distributor connects directly to the Building Distributor Frame.

b) Such configuration is normally used for up to 10 Units in a building as it requires longer

cable lengths and considerable capacity in the riser area.

c) The advantage of star topology configuration lies in the elimination of the interface of the
Floor Distributer. Such configuration saves costs and reduces sources of error (Floor
Distributer). On the other hand, the riser area must be capable of accommodating larger
conduits, sleeves, etc. as more cables are needed.

10
4 Main Requirements

4.1 General Requirements

a) All MDU shall be equipped with a High-speed-ready In-building Physical Infrastructure,

from the Access Point up to the NTs. Planning and design of the In-building Physical
Infrastructure shall be executed by Persons specialized in such planning and design.

b) In-building Physical Infrastructure in MDU shall be future-proof.

c) It is highly recommended that only components that have been tested and accepted by
internationally accredited and recognized laboratories are used.

d) In-building Physical Infrastructure shall have capacity to provide at least four fiber
connections per Unit from the Access Point to the Telecommunications room. From the
Telecommunications Room there are at least four connections (fibers, coaxial, or twisted
pair Ethernet) to the Unit Distributor (UD). From UD there is one connection to each NT.

e) For international specifications (ITU-T, ISO/IEC, etc.), the latest version shall apply.

11
4.2 Requirements for Mobile Services

a) In-building Physical Infrastructure may be used to facilitate mobile network coverage.

b) It is recommended to coordinate during the planning stage with mobile Service Providers
to identify whether a building is suitable as a location to host masts. In this case a fiber
connection is required between the Access Point and the mast, a Network Termination
at the mast shall be made available according to the requirement of the mobile Service
Provider(s).

c) To facilitate good indoor coverage for mobile services, indoor antenna systems and
repeaters may be installed within the building. In this case, early coordination with
mobile operators is mandatory to ensure service provision. In addition, coordination with
mobile operators is useful to identify the proper locations for such indoor antenna
systems and repeaters.

d) Adequate power sources, cooling systems, firefighting systems, etc. shall be provided in
accordance with the project design requirements.

12
5 Specific Requirements for In-building Infrastructure Elements

This chapter includes recommendations for IPI design. The final design shall take into
account the size of the development and possible further enhancements.

5.1 Internal Cabling

a) The internal cabling shall be based on international standard ISO/IEC 11801 Edition 2.2.

b) Fiber Optic Cable (FOC) shall preferably be used for internal cabling. If twisted pair
copper cable is used, the internal cabling shall at least conform to Category 6 in
accordance with ISO/IEC TR 11801 Edition 2.21. Category 7 in accordance with
ISO/IEC TR 11801 Edition 2.2 shall be the preferred solution.

c) Splicing of FOC shall be avoided. Splice attenuation shall not exceed 0,15 dB, and be
typically at 0,01 dB. Return loss shall not be measurable.

d) For FOC, either SC/APC connectors (IEC 61754-4) or LC/APC connectors (IEC 61754-
20) shall be used.

e) The dimensioning of the In-building Physical Infrastructure shall be according to the

number of units in the building and the associated number of connections (4 connections
per unit) including a suitable reserve capacity.

f) The In-building Physical Infrastructure shall be designed to meet the projected service
requirements at the floor level and shall have built-in flexibility to meet the growing needs
of tenants.

1
International Standard ISO/IEC 11801: Information technology – Generic cabling for customer premises

13
5.1.1 Bend Radius

a) The internal cabling shall take into account the specified minimum bend radii for the
respective cables used.

b) The bend radii are defined in ITU-T G657 A1/A2/B2/B3. The minimum bend radius
ranges from A1 at 10 mm to B3 at 5 mm.

c) The smaller the radius the higher the bending loss. Thus, bigger radii shall be preferred.

5.2 Access Point

The Access Point is the demarcation between Outside Plant and In-building Physical
Infrastructure (see Article 3). The Access Point shall be easily accessible for public
Telecommunications Networks and protected against potential damage. A lockable cover is
preferred. The Access Point hosts the Optical distribution box (ODB) and shall be able to
accommodate at least 4 fiber connections per unit in the building. The optical distribution box
in the access point to be provided by the Service Provider. The necessary physical facilities
and space for the Access Point is to be provided by the Building Developer. Building
Developers shall provide appropriate space on or inside the wall or in the ground such that
the physical facilities including the ODB can be situated. Since OSP and IPI may be
constructed at different timescales, coordination between the entities responsible for OSP
and IPI concerning the location of the access point may be required.

a) If the OSP is constructed before the building, the OSP termination at each property
should be realized with a marker. The OSP termination shall be provided by the OSP
developer in a way that lead in ducts can be joined in the process of building
construction. During building planning and construction, the location for the access point
shall be coordinated between the building developer and service provider. The process
shall be aligned with the construction of other utilities.

b) If the building is constructed before an OSP is available, the location for the access point
shall be marked clearly and coordinated between building developer and the OSP
developer as far as possible. A temporary terminal of the lead-in ducts shall be deployed
with the view to be integrated into the access point when the OSP becomes available.

14
5.3 Lead-in Duct

a) The fiber cables that connect the Access Point to the Telecommunications Room must
be protected. Therefore, lead-in ducts shall be provided by the Developer of the Building
from the Access Point to the Telecommunications Room.

b) Lead-in ducts shall be laid at a depth of about 300-600 mm and protected against
damage, considering any local municipal rules.

c) The lead-in ducts shall meet the following functional requirements:

 At least one (1) [plus one (1) reserve] lead in-duct(s) shall be installed per building.
Duct systems with subducts should be used.

 The inner diameter of each lead-in (sub-)duct shall be at least 20 mm and

specifically defined in the project design.

 For MDUs with more than 30 units at least 50 mm (sub-)ducts shall be used.

 The ducts shall be sealed at each end.

 The location of lead-in ducts shall be clearly marked above ground for ease of
locating.

 Lead-in ducts shall be assigned exclusively for Telecommunications Services.

Standards: Lead-in Duct
Minimum Dimension [SDU and] MDU < 30 units: 20 mm
(inner diameter) MDU > 30 units: 50 mm]
Quantity min 1
(+1 reserve)
Thickness (mm) +/-2.00 (for 20 mm ducts)
+/-3.25 (for 50 mm ducts)

 No right-angled sharp bends should be installed throughout the duct length, except
one wide-angle, long radius bend (factory made) at the terminating end of the duct,
inside the main telecom room. Alternatively, at the location of the sharp angle
bend, a cable pull-box of minimum size 600mm (L) X 600mm (W) X 800mm (D)
must be provided.

d) The standard lead-in ducts shall be made from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE),
unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) or better material, in accordance with

15
 internationally recognized standards. The lead-in ducts shall be ribbed inside and be
capable to accommodate FOCs. A continuous and strong draw rope shall be installed in
the (sub-)ducts and shall remain for additional cable installations.

5.4 Telecommunications Room

a) Each MDU with more than 30 units shall be equipped with a Telecommunications Room.
Multiple Telecommunications Rooms shall be interconnected by separate cable trays
(200 mm x 50 mm) or equivalent.

b) The Telecommunications Room shall meet the following requirements:

 Good lighting, clean, dry, proper ventilation and air circulation.

 24/7 secured access for staff of service providers of public Telecommunications

Networks.

 Properly accessible for adding or removing equipment and tools.

 Master lock for the entrance door.

 No windows,

 Must not be beneath or next to kitchens, washrooms, garbage areas, swimming

pools and other wet areas and the surrounding walls shall have no concealed
water/drainage pipes and air-conditioning ducts passing through.

 Dedicated spaces not shared with other functions (such as electrical or

mechanical).

 Air conditioned to maintain the temperature at 25 °C ± 10 °C; with humidity 40%-

60%.

 All metal parts must be earth bonded with resistance of less than 1 ohm.

 Extra space for future network equipment additions.

 Space for collocating equipment of at least three providers of public

Telecommunications Networks, with a minimum of two square meters for each
provider of a public Telecommunications Network. The final project design shall
take into account the size of the building and the number of units as well as
possible enhancements.

16
  Power supply with at least 10 A/C sockets (240 volt, 20 amp) with a dedicated
circuit breaker.

 A raised floor system is recommended.

 Further, an emergency light, a smoke detector, and a fire alarm including a hand
held CO2 fire extinguisher of minimum 10 kg capacity are recommended.

c) In an MDU with less than 30 Units the installation of a separate Telecommunications

Room may not be economical. In this case telecommunications space shall be provided
to accommodate the Building Distribution Frame and other equipment. This space can
be collocated with technical equipment for other utility infrastructures with proper
clearance between different infrastructures.

5.5 Building Distribution Frame (BDF)

The Building Distribution Frame allows arbitrary connections between in-building cabling and
outside plant cabling. The BDF shall have sufficient space to accommodate 4 connections to
each unit.

5.6 Riser Area

a) A riser area shall be provided for all multi-storied buildings. The riser area shall be able
to accommodate at least 4 connections to each unit (UD). 15 % reserve capacity in the
riser area shall be provided for manipulation purposes.

b) Any cables that are installed in the riser area shall be easily replaceable in case of
damage or faults. Cables shall be placed in cable risers, conduits, sleeves, tubes, etc.

c) The following principles shall apply:

 Riser areas shall be accessible at any time.

 The installations shall be done using the shortest route and preferably as vertical
as possible.

 Riser areas shall not be located inside units or air shafts.

 The diameter of the conduit pipes shall be at minimum 25 mm.

17
5.7 Floor Distributor

a) Floor Distributors shall be located close to the riser area. Floor Distributors shall be
installed at a minimum height of 600 mm from finished floor level. The space for the floor
distributor shall be dry an clean.

b) In general, a floor distributor should not require active elements.

c) In case active elements are required, a power supply must be provided.

d) Each Unit of a floor shall be connected with a 20 mm conduit pipe with the Floor
Distributor.

e) A star topology shall be used for the cabling on each floor. Looping of the horizontal
cabling from Unit to Unit is prohibited.

5.8 Unit Distributor

a) Each Unit (dwelling or office) shall have a Unit Distributor installed at a central and
accessible location in case more than one NT is installed in the Unit. The Unit Distributor
shall connect each NT with a conduit pipe of 20 mm. It shall be located where the
distance to the farthest NT within the Unit does not exceed 90 meters.

b) The conduit pipes and the Unit Distributor shall be able to handle all possible cables:

 Fiber cables (G657.A1/A2)

 Twisted pair Ethernet cables

 Coaxial cables (75 Ohm resistance)

c) Different ICT technologies shall be segregated to accommodate for operational issues.

Each type of cable must have its separate Unit Distributor.

d) In case active elements are required, a power supply must be provided.

18
5.9 Network Termination

a) Each Unit shall have at least 4 connections to the BDF. For business customers a higher
number of connections may be designed if demand is expected.

b) Each residential room (except the wet rooms such as: bathrooms and laundry rooms) or
office room shall be equipped with at least one Network Termination (NT). An electrical
power source shall be available nearby an Optical NT.

5.10 Installations

a) Installations shall be executed by qualified personnel only according to manufacturers’

specifications using the proper tools and testing equipment to ensure quality, high
performance of the system and that it meets expected standards.

b) Cables for ICT shall be installed separately from electrical cabling. When installing ICT
infrastructure in parallel to other installations, all regulations regarding noise protection,
fire protection, or the security of electrical installations must be followed.

c) All materials shall be flame retardant, low smoke and zero halogen emissions.

5.11 Testing

a) The testing for FOC must conform to ISO/IEC TR 14763-3 and to the relevant ITU
specifications.

b) The testing for balanced cabling installations (CAT6 etc.) must conform to IEC 61935-1
and to the relevant ITU specifications.

5.12 Documentation

a) All infrastructure components must be clearly and uniquely labeled. Labels on

components must match the label in the documentation and as-built drawings.

b) The building records shall include the following:

 Building location information (e.g. building number and way number).

 A list of all NT’s and their locations in the building.

19
  A list of all distributors and the connections.

 Labeling of all infrastructure components.

 Contact information.

 As-built drawings.

c) All above documents must be kept in the Telecommunications Room / Space.

d) The above documents must be updated as soon as changes to the building records
have occurred.

20
 Annex B - 2

Technical Standards for

In-building Physical Infrastructure (IPI) for

Single Dwelling Units

 Contents

1 Purpose and Scope .......................................................................................... 23

1.1 Purpose.............................................................................................................. 23

1.2 Scope ................................................................................................................. 23

2 Definitions ........................................................................................................ 24

3 Reference Configuration ................................................................................. 26

4 General Requirements ..................................................................................... 28

5 Specific Requirements for In-building Infrastructure Elements ................... 29

5.1 Internal Cabling .................................................................................................. 29

5.1.1 Bend Radius ...................................................................................................... 29

5.2 Access Point ...................................................................................................... 30

5.3 Lead-in Duct....................................................................................................... 32

5.4 Telecommunications Space ............................................................................... 33

5.5 Unit Distributor ................................................................................................... 33

5.6 Floor Distributor.................................................................................................. 34

5.7 Network Termination .......................................................................................... 34

5.8 Installations ........................................................................................................ 34

5.9 Testing ............................................................................................................... 35

5.10 Documentation ................................................................................................... 35

22
1 Purpose and Scope

1.1 Purpose

This document provides the technical standards for In-building Physical Infrastructure for
Single Dwelling Units (SDU) to enable all building owners to design and deploy their
telecommunications network infrastructure in public and private SDUs.

These standards have been established with the aim to ensure that any In-building Physical
Infrastructure in a SDU is built in accordance with a common national telecommunication
standard and meets international best practice.

1.2 Scope

These standards apply to all new Single Dwelling Unit buildings (residential, commercial,
industrial, governmental, etc.). They apply to all In-building Physical Infrastructure and
include the most commonly used materials specifications for In-building Physical
Infrastructure.

These standards shall be observed by building owners.

These standards do not change any obligations imposed by other administrative authorities.
Installations in buildings shall strictly meet the requirements set by the relevant authorities
having jurisdiction. Thus, the installations shall comply with all provisions, rules and
guidelines established by these authorities.

23
2 Definitions

New Developments: means the real estates to be developed by land and building
developers, including land planning and preparation and buildings construction for
residential, commercial, industrial, governmental or any other purpose.

Passive Network Components: include all the non-electric physical elements, such as
buildings, sites, ducts, towers and masts, manholes, hand-holes, and cables, among others,
that may serve for the provision of Outside Plant and In-building telecommunications
networks.

Outside Plant (OSP): Any ICT network implemented with the aim of connecting it, or using it
to connect, with the public telecommunications networks. OSP includes passive ICT
networks components and any associated hardware located between a central distribution
point at the border of the New Development and Access Points.

In-building Physical Infrastructure (IPI): means passive ICT networks components in a

building connecting the Access Point with the Network Termination Points in the building
units (also known as Inside Plant), including Network Termination Points, distribution frames,
risers, telecommunications rooms and spaces, and lead-in ducts.

Access Point: means a physical point located outside the building accessible by public
telecommunications networks, hosting the Optical Distribution Box (ODB), through which a
connection between the Outside Plant and the In-building Physical Infrastructure is made. It
is the demarcation point between Outside Plant and In-building Physical Infrastructure.

Access Area: means the physical location containing the lead-in ducts and cabling from the
Access Point to the Telecommunications space / room.

Building Distribution Frame (BDF): means a distribution element between the Outside
Plant and the In-building Physical Infrastructure (inside plant). The BDF allows connection of
the lead-in cables from the Access Point (outside the premises) to the cables leading to each
Unit.

Riser Area: means the physical location containing the vertical ducts and distribution cabling
that connects each floor with the BDF.

24
Floor Distributor (FD): means a sub-dividing element between the BDF and the Unit
Distributor / Network Termination Points located nearby or in the riser area which allows the
transition from the vertical to the horizontal indoor cable. Use of Floor Distributors is optional.

Network Termination Point (NT): is the point at which the In-building Physical Infrastructure
(IPI) of a building unit terminates. A building unit may have multiple NTs.

High-speed-ready: means that the Outside Plant (OSP) and the In-building Physical
Infrastructure (IPI), hosting all necessary passive network elements, enable data delivery at a
minimum speed of 100 Mbps.

Telecommunications Space (TS): is space designed to contain telecommunications

equipment of different public Telecommunications Networks, cable terminations, and
distribution frames. As various equipment and cables that are used to distribute
telecommunication, image and security services to each dwelling Unit are often installed in
the Telecommunications Space. The Telecommunications Space may also include other
infrastructure.

Unit: means town house, residential apartment, office space, or any other closed entity
within a building.

Multi-dwelling Unit (MDU): refers to two or more Units that are joined by a common wall or
property boundary. Examples of MDUs include apartments, office and commercial premises,
shopping malls and the like. An MDU may consist of multiple towers that are part of a
common main building.

Single-dwelling Unit (SDU): means a structure that contains only one Unit (residence /
office / commercial premise).

Unit Distributor (UD): means an element which concentrates all cables of a Unit.

Developer: means a Person developing real estate through any of the following:
 Preparing New Development sites for residential, commercial, industrial,
governmental, or any other special purpose or public use (Land Developer).
 Construction of buildings (Building Developer).
Often, the owner of the real estate is also the Developer, he is responsible for observing
Saudi building codes for construction and land development works.

25
3 Reference Configuration

a) Construction of a new SDU provides an opportunity to incorporate a High-speed-ready

broadband infrastructure at relatively low cost. The installations of such infrastructure
have to be done in three areas: access area, riser area and the office/housing area. For
a smooth implementation, the following infrastructure elements shall be taken into
account at the planning stage of the building:

 Access point
 Access area
 Telecommunications Space (containing the UD)
 Riser area

b) The following figure shows the reference configuration for In-building Physical
Infrastructure (based on ISO/IEC 11 801 and ITU Rec. L.82).

Figure 3: Reference configuration for In-building Physical Infrastructure

c) There shall be at least one Access Point per SDU. Access Points shall be accessible to
public Telecommunications Networks. Access Point are the demarcation point between

26
 Outside Plant and In-building Physical Infrastructure. Access Points are connected to the
Telecommunications Space through two or more lead-in duct(s).

d) The SDU shall be equipped with a Telecommunications Space. This space includes the
UD, where via the access area and the lead in ducts / cables the outside and inside
cabling is mounted. In addition, the Telecommunications Space serves as collocation
area for equipment required by public Telecommunications Networks. This equipment is
also connected to the UD. The UD allows connections between cabling coming from
outside of the building with the inside cabling and equipment from public
Telecommunications Networks.

e) For SDU, at least one Network Termination at the Telecommunications Space must be
installed. Each room may be equipped with one or more Network Terminations, which
are connected to the Unit Distributor.

f) The internal cabling shall be a star configuration where all cables directly terminate at the
UD. The advantage of star topology configuration lies in the elimination of the interface of
the Floor Distributer. Such configuration reduces sources of error.

27
4 General Requirements

a) All SDU shall be equipped with a High-speed-ready In-building Physical Infrastructure,

from the Access Point up to the NT(s). Planning and design of the In-building Physical
Infrastructure shall be executed by Persons specialized in such planning and design.

b) In-building Physical Infrastructure in SDUs shall be future-proof.

c) It is highly recommended that only components that have been tested and accepted by
internationally accredited and recognized laboratories are used.

d) In-building Physical Infrastructure shall have capacity to provide at least four fiber
connections per SDU (from the Access Point to the Unit Distributor (UD)). From UD there
is one connection to each NT.

e) For international specifications (ITU-T, ISO/IEC, etc.), the latest version shall apply.

28
5 Specific Requirements for In-building Infrastructure Elements

5.1 Internal Cabling

a) The internal cabling shall be based on international standard ISO/IEC 11801 Edition 2.2.

b) Fiber Optical Cables (FOC) shall preferably be used for internal cabling. If twisted pair
copper cable is used, the internal cabling shall at least conform to Category 6 in
accordance with ISO/IEC TR 11801 Edition 2.22. Category 7 in accordance with ISO/IEC
TR 11801 Edition 2.2 shall be the preferred solution.

c) Splicing of FOC shall be avoided. Splice attenuation shall not exceed 0.15 dB, and be
typically at 0.01 dB. Return loss shall not be measurable.

d) For FOC, either SC/APC connectors (IEC 61754-4) or LC/APC connectors (IEC 61754-
20) shall be used.

e) From the Access Point to the UD, at least four (4) fiber connections shall be installed.

f) The In-building Physical Infrastructure shall be designed to meet the projected service
requirements at the floor level and shall have built-in flexibility to meet the growing needs
of occupants.

5.1.1 Bend Radius

a) The internal cabling shall take into account the specified minimum bend radii for the
respective cable in use.

b) The bend radii are defined in ITU-T G657 A1/A2/B2/B3. The minimum bend radius
ranges from A1 at 10 mm to B3 at 5 mm.

c) The smaller the radius the higher the bending loss. Thus, bigger radii shall be preferred.

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International Standard ISO/IEC 11801: Information technology – Generic cabling for customer premises
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5.2 Access Point

The Access Point is the demarcation between Outside Plant and In-building Physical
Infrastructure (see Article 3). The Access Point shall be easily accessible for public
Telecommunications Networks but also protected against potential damage. A lockable cover
is preferred. The Access Point is hosting the Optical distribution box (ODB) and shall be able
to accommodate at least 4 fiber connections to the SDU. The optical distribution box in the
access point to be provided by the Service Provider. The necessary physical facilities and
space for the Access Point is to be provided by the Building Developer. Building Developers
shall provide appropriate space on or inside the wall such that the physical facilities including
the ODB can be situated. For mounted flush configuration, see figure (5), coordination with
the Service Provider is potentially required regarding the space dimensions. Often, the
space should be of at least 30(L) x 30(W) x 12(D) cm. The wall mounted configration shall be
always applicable.

a) If the OSP is constructed before the building, the OSP termination at each property
should be realized with a marker. The OSP terminal shall be provided by the OSP
developer in a way that lead in ducts can be joined in the process of building
construction. During building planning and construction, the location for the access
point shall be coordinated between the building developer and service provider.
The process shall be aligned with the construction of other utilities.

b) If the building is constructed before an OSP is available, the location for the access
point and the termination for OSP connection, see figure (5 and 6), shall be
provided by the Building Developer and marked clearly, coordination between
building developer and the OSP developer shall be as far as possible. A temporary
terminal of the lead-in ducts shall be deployed with the view to be integrated into
the access point when the OSP becomes available.

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Figure 5: Access Point -mounted flush- with Lead-in Duct

Figure 6: Access Point –wall mounted- with Lead-in Duct

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5.3 Lead-in Duct

a) The fiber cables that connect the Access Point to the Telecommunications Space must
be protected. Therefore, lead-in ducts shall be provided by the Developer of the Building
from the Access Point to the Telecommunications Space.

b) Lead-in ducts shall be laid at a depth of about 300-600 mm and protected against
damage, considering any local municipal rules.

c) The lead-in ducts shall meet the following functional requirements:

 At least one (1) [plus one (1) reserve] lead in-duct(s) shall be installed.

 The inner diameter of each lead-in ducts shall be at least 20 mm.

 The ducts shall be sealed at each end.

 The location of lead-in ducts shall be clearly marked above ground for ease of
locating.

 Lead-in ducts shall be assigned exclusively for Telecommunications Services.

 No right-angled sharp bends should be installed throughout the duct length, except
one wide-angle, long radius bend (factory made) at the terminating end of the duct,
inside the main telecom space. Alternatively, at the location of the sharp angle
bend, a cable pull-box of minimum size 600mm (L) X 600mm (W) X 800mm (D)
must be provided.

d) The standard lead-in ducts shall be made from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) or
plasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC), in accordance with internationally recognized
standards. The lead-in ducts shall be ribbed inside and be capable to accommodate
FOCs. A continuous and strong draw rope shall be installed in the ducts and shall
remain for additional cable installations.

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5.4 Telecommunications Space

a) The Telecommunications Space shall meet the following requirements:

 Central, accessible, dry, and clean location. It shall be located where the distance
to the farthest NT within the Unit does not exceed 90 meters.

 Good lighting, proper ventilation and air circulation.

 Space of 60 x 60 cm.

 All metal parts must be earth bonded with resistance of less than 1 ohm.

 Space for collocating equipment of at least three public Telecommunications

Networks.

 Power supply (240 volt).

b) The space can be nearby technical equipment for other utility infrastructures with proper
clearance between different infrastructures.

5.5 Unit Distributor

a) The Unit Distributor shall be installed at the Telecommunications Space in case more
than one NT is installed in the Unit. The Unit Distributor shall connect each NT with a
conduit pipe of 20 mm.

b) The conduit pipes and the Unit Distributor shall be able to handle all possible cables:

 Fiber cables (G657.A1/A2)

 Twisted pair Ethernet cables

 Coaxial cables (75 Ohm resistance)

c) Different ICT technologies shall be segregated to accommodate for operational issues.

Each type of cable must have its separate UD.

d) In case active elements are required, a power supply must be provided.

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5.6 Floor Distributor

a) Floor distributors may be located on the second floor of a SDU. Floor Distributors shall
be installed at a minimum height of. 600 mm from finished floor level. The space for the
floor distributor shall be dry an clean.

b) In general, a floor distributor should not require active elements.

c) In case active elements are required, a power supply must be provided.

d) Each room of a floor shall be connected with a 20 mm conduit pipe with the Floor
Distributor.

e) A star topology shall be used for the cabling on each floor. Looping of the horizontal
cabling from room to room shall be avoided.

5.7 Network Termination

For SDU, at least one Network Termination at the Telecommunications Space must be
installed. It is recommended that each residential room (except the wet rooms such as:
bathrooms and laundry rooms) or office room is equipped with at least one Network
Termination (NT). An electrical power source shall be available nearby an Optical NT.

5.8 Installations

a) Installations shall be executed by qualified personnel only according to manufacturers’

specifications using the proper tools and testing equipment to ensure quality, high
performance of the system and that it meets expected standards.

b) Cables for ICT shall be installed separately from electrical cabling. When installing ICT
infrastructure in parallel to other installations, all regulations regarding noise protection,
fire protection, or the security of electrical installations must be followed.

c) All materials shall be flame retardant, low smoke and zero halogen emission.

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5.9 Testing

a) The testing for FOC must conform to ISO/IEC TR 14763-3 and to the relevant ITU
specifications.

b) The testing for balanced cabling installations (CAT6 etc.) must conform to IEC 61935-1
and to the relevant ITU specifications.

5.10 Documentation

a) All infrastructure components shall be clearly and uniquely labeled. Labels on

components must match the label in the documentation and as-built drawings.

b) The building records shall include the following:

 Building location information (e.g. building number and way number).

 A list of all NT’s and their locations in the building.

 A list of all distributors and the connections.

 Labeling of all infrastructure components.

 Contact information.

 As-built drawings.

c) All above documents shall be kept in the Telecommunications Space.

d) The above documents shall be updated as soon as changes to the building records have
occurred.

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