Telephone plug

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A telephone plug is a plug which allows a telephone to connect to the local telephone network. It plugs into a socket or jack fixed to the wall or baseboard. The standard for telephone plugs varies from country to country though the RJ11 has become by far the most common. Such jacks are also seen on the body of phones.

Historically the telephone was often owned by the supplier and permanently wired in to the telephone line they supplied but as phone markets became more deregulated there was a need for a simple plug in interface that consumers could use. Many countries initially used their own connectors, for example a Bell System round plug about 40mm in diameter with four prongs about 15mm apart used in the 1960s, but only a few national connectors are still used for new installations.

Sometimes the same connector is used by different countries but wired in different ways, for example telephones in the uk typically use a cord with a BT style plug on one end and a "RJ 11" 6P4C connected to the other but this connector is often wired in the same way as the BT plug rather than according to the RJ11 standard.

[edit] List of countries and territories, with the plugs they use

This list covers only single line telephone plugs commonly used in homes and other small buildings.

There are many other types of plugs used for more special telephone sets. For example, the wide array of registered jacks.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Place	Plug or Plugs
Algeria	F-010
Argentina	RJ11
Australia	610 or RJ11
Austria	TDO
Barbados	RJ11
Bosnia	RJ11, or older 3-pin plug used in countries of former SFRJ
Brazil	Telebrás plug or RJ11
Canada	RJ11
Cayman Islands	RJ11
Channel Islands	BS 6312
Chile	RJ11
China, People's Republic of	RJ11
Croatia	RJ11, or older 3-pin plug used in countries of former SFRJ
Cyprus	BS 6312 (431A and 631A) With RJ11 used for ADSL
Denmark	RJ11 in newer installations, but mainly the national 3-prong standard[1]
Ecuador	RJ11
Faroe Islands	RJ11
Finland	RJ11, 3-prong national standard in older installations[2]
France	F-010
Germany	TAE
Greece	RJ11 although other types can also be found
Hong Kong	BS 6312 or RJ11
Hungary	RJ11
India	RJ11
Indonesia	RJ11
Ireland	RJ11 although 4-way "post office jacks" are sometimes encountered on old (pre 1980's) installations
Israel	BS 6312 or RJ11
Japan	RJ11
Lithuania	RJ11
Liechtenstein	TAE
Luxembourg	RJ11 (sometimes older 4-pin luxembourgish telephone plug can be found)]]
Macedonia	RJ11, or older 3-pin plug used in countries of former SFRJ
Malaysia	RJ11
Mexico	RJ11
Morocco	F-010
Netherlands	RJ11 and the Dutch standard plug/socket
New Zealand	BS 6312
Norway	RJ45 in newer installations, 3-prong national standard in older installations[3]
Philippines	RJ11
Poland	RJ11 or Polish national 5-pin (WT-4) coupled with RJ11 socket in older installations
Portugal	RJ11 (also known as R.I.T.A.)
Romania	RJ11, 3-pin triangular plug or 5-pin circular plug
Russia	RJ11
Serbia, Montenegro	RJ11, or older 3-pin plug used in countries of former SFRJ
Singapore	RJ11
Slovenia	RJ11, or older 3-pin plug used in countries of former SFRJ
South Africa	RJ11 or Protea
Spain	RJ11
Sweden	SS 455 15 50 or RJ11
Switzerland	Reichle-connectors
Taiwan	RJ11
United Arab Emirates	BS 6312
United Kingdom	BS 6312 (431A and 631A) With RJ11 used for ADSL
United States of America	RJ11
Zimbabwe	BS 6312 or RJ11