Patent ID: 6999561

Claim:
A method for determining at a central office site, whether or not protection circuitry for a remote span-powered telecommunication unit is properly grounded comprising the steps of: (a) providing, at said remote span-powered telecommunication unit, a controlled conduction path that is operative to deliberately couple, to earth ground, said protection circuitry for said remote span-powered telecommunication unit, which protection circuit must be connected to earth ground to ensure the successful operation of said protection circuit for protecting said remote span-powered telecommunication unit against electrical anomalies; (b) from said central office site, selectively applying said controlled conduction path and monitoring said span for the occurrence of a ground fault; c) in response to detecting a ground fault as a result of application of said controlled conduction path, generating an output indicating that said protection circuit for said remote span-powered telecommunication unit is properly grounded thereby ensuring that said protection circuit is able to divert said electrical anomalies to earth ground and thereby protect said span-powered telecommunication unit.