Summary

Recommendation ITU-T K.134 provides engineering solutions for lightning protection and safety of small-size telecommunication installations under poor earthing conditions. These protection measures compromise alternatives due to restrictions of circumstance or expense. These protection measures are not common requirements for most circumstances and have defined conditions for certain applications. The selection of appropriate and feasible solutions is helpful to acquire the best technology to cost ratio.

Accompanying the miniaturization development trends of network termination units, more and more telecommunication installations, e.g., wire or wireless access units, are being installed in customer premises or other uncontrolled places. Compared with dedicated telecommunication buildings, these installation environments may be more complex and severe. Recommendations ITU-T K.66 and ITU‑T K.120 provide bonding and earthing requirements for customer premises and miniature base stations, respectively. However, in some scenarios, it may be very difficult or expensive to satisfy these requirements. If ignored, there is a risk of equipment damage or human safety due to lightning strikes or electric shock.