The bonding conductor for optical fiber cables and equipment shall not be smaller than what size, and shall not be required to exceed what size?

• A. 12 AWG, 4 AWG
• B. 14 AWG, 6 AWG
• C. 16 AWG, 8 AWG
• D. 18 AWG, 4 AWG

Answer: (B)

Bonding optical fiber cables and equipment is about creating a reliable equipotential path so metal parts stay at the same potential in a fault, reducing shock risk. The code sets a practical range for this bonding conductor: it must be at least copper 14 AWG in size, and you aren’t required to use a conductor larger than copper 6 AWG. This reflects that while the bonding path needs to be capable, the fault current this path carries for fiber installations is typically small, so 14 AWG is the minimum and 6 AWG is the maximum you’d be required to use. Using smaller than 14 AWG wouldn’t meet the requirement, while larger than 6 AWG isn’t needed for this purpose.