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. Other types resembling the Registered jack series, used for Ethernet connectors, cause confusion when users don't know the difference. Such jacks are also seen on the body of phones.

Bell system line cord as used in the mid 1960s

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 Bell System companies in the 1960s used a round plug about 40mm in diameter with four prongs about 15mm apart. National connectors remain in service but few are 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 installations. Special telephone sets use a variety of special plugs, for example micro ribbon for key telephone systems and the wide array of registered jacks.

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

Place	Plug or Plugs
Albania	RJ11
Algeria	F-010
Argentina	RJ11
Australia	610 or RJ11
Austria	TDO
Barbados	RJ11
Belarus	RJ11 or Polish 5-pin WT-4 in older installations
Belgium	Tetrapolar
Bolivia	RJ11
Bosnia	RJ11, or older 3-pin plug used in countries of former Yugoslavia
Botswana	BS 6312
Brazil	Telebrás plug or RJ11
Bulgaria	RJ11 or Russian/Polish 5-pin plug in old installations
Canada	RJ11
Cayman Islands	RJ11
Chile	RJ11
China, People's Republic of	RJ11
Colombia	RJ11 Also in use the national standard [1]
Costa Rica	RJ11
Croatia	RJ11, or older 3-pin plug used in countries of former Yugoslavia
Cyprus	BS 6312 (431A and 631A) With RJ11 used for ADSL
Czech Republic	RJ11, or older 4-pin national plug
Denmark	RJ11 in newer installations, but mainly the national 3-prong standard.[2]
Dominican Republic	RJ11
Ecuador	RJ11
Estonia	RJ11 or Polish national 5-pin (WT-4) in older installations
Faroe Islands	RJ11
Finland	RJ11, 3-prong national standard in older installations[3]
France	F-010
Germany	TAE, or RJ45 for ISDN
Gibraltar	BS 6312
Greece	RJ11 although other types can also be found
Hong Kong	RJ11 in newer installations, or BS 6312
Hungary	RJ11
India	RJ11
Indonesia	RJ11
Iran	RJ11, older installations may be CEI 23-16/VII or CEE 7/16.
Ireland	RJ11, RJ45 for ISDN, Digital PBX and office systems
Israel	BS 6312 or RJ11
Italy	Tripolar plug or RJ11
Japan	RJ11
Lithuania	RJ11 or Polish 5-pin WT-4 in older installations
Liechtenstein	Reichle-connectors (4-pin Swiss telephone plugs in old installations)
Luxembourg	RJ11 (sometimes older 4-pin luxembourgish telephone plug can be found)
Macedonia	RJ11, or older 3-pin plug used in countries of former Yugoslavia
Malaysia	RJ11
Malta	BS 6312, or RJ11 in some newer installations
Mexico	RJ11
Montenegro	RJ11, or older 3-pin plug used in countries of former Yugoslavia
Morocco	F-010
Netherlands	RJ11 and the Dutch standard plug/socket
New Zealand	BS 6312
Norway	RJ11 in newer installations, 3-prong national standard in older installations[4]
Pakistan	RJ11
Peru	RJ11
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	RJ11, or older 3-pin plug used in countries of former Yugoslavia
Singapore	RJ11
Slovenia	RJ11, or older 3-pin plug used in countries of former Yugoslavia
Slovakia	RJ11
South Africa	RJ11 or Protea, RJ45 used for ISDN
Spain	RJ11
Sri Lanka	RJ45
Sweden	SS 455 15 50 or RJ11
Switzerland	Reichle-connectors or older 4-pin plugs
Taiwan	RJ11
Thailand	RJ11
Turkey	RJ11
United Arab Emirates	BS 6312
United Kingdom	BS 6312 (431A and 631A) With RJ11 used for ADSL British Telephone Sockets
United States of America	RJ11
Venezuela	RJ11
Zimbabwe	BS 6312 or RJ11