ANSI/TIA-942

What it is

The scheme owner's own page (tiaonline.org) states, verbatim: "Audit and certification are an important step for data centers to validate that the design and build meets the requirements laid down in the ANSI/TIA-942 standard."

The same page describes Rated-1, verbatim: "Basic Site Infrastructure — A data center which has single capacity components and a single, non-redundant distribution path serving the computer equipment. It has limited protection against physical events."

The same page describes Rated-2, verbatim: "Redundant Capacity Component Site Infrastructure — A data center which has redundant capacity components and a single, non-redundant distribution path serving the computer equipment. It has improved protection against physical events."

The same page describes Rated-3, verbatim: "Concurrently Maintainable Site Infrastructure — A data center which has redundant capacity components and multiple independent distribution paths serving the computer equipment. Typically, only one distribution path serves the computer equipment at any time."

The same page describes Rated-4, verbatim (opened in a real browser, 2026-09-01): "Fault Tolerant Site Infrastructure — A data center which has redundant capacity components and multiple independent distribution paths serving the computer equipment which all are active. The data center allows concurrent maintainability and one (1) fault anywhere in the installation without causing downtime. It has protection against almost all physical events."

Who owns it

TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) owns the ANSI/TIA-942 standard and its certification programs, as described on its own products-and-services page.

Who assesses it

The scheme owner's own page states, verbatim: "Audits are conducted by appropriate qualified and certified auditors of companies that have been licensed by TIA as a TIA-licensed Certification Body (CB)." TIA itself does not conduct the audits; TIA-licensed third-party Certification Bodies do.

The same page names three certification types, confirmed in a real browser on 2026-09-01: "Design" (a conformity review of design documents), "Facilities" (an on-site inspection of the constructed facility), and "Ready" (for modular data center designs). Validity periods, confirmed the same day: the Design certificate is valid for 1 year (extendable if the facility is not yet operational); the Facilities certificate is valid for 3 years, with a surveillance audit at the end of year 1 and year 2 and recertification at the end of year 3; the Ready certificate is valid for 1 year, renewed annually.

Rated tiers

• Rated-1 — "Basic Site Infrastructure — A data center which has single capacity components and a single, non-redundant distribution path serving the computer equipment. It has limited protection against physical events."
• Rated-2 — "Redundant Capacity Component Site Infrastructure — A data center which has redundant capacity components and a single, non-redundant distribution path serving the computer equipment. It has improved protection against physical events."
• Rated-3 — "Concurrently Maintainable Site Infrastructure — A data center which has redundant capacity components and multiple independent distribution paths serving the computer equipment. Typically, only one distribution path serves the computer equipment at any time."
• Rated-4 — "Fault Tolerant Site Infrastructure — A data center which has redundant capacity components and multiple independent distribution paths serving the computer equipment which all are active. The data center allows concurrent maintainability and one (1) fault anywhere in the installation without causing downtime. It has protection against almost all physical events."