Residential protector's > 20' from service 800.100(A)(4)

gene6

Senior Member
Location
NY
Occupation
Electrician
Greetings Mike and grounding engineers and experts.
I would like to make sure I am understanding, in plain English, what the NEC is requiring for communications grounding protectors (cable / landline phone / satellite dish / wifi antenna) where the 'primary protector' or DMARC box is located more than 20 feet from the grounding grounding electrode conductor at a two family dwelling.
I am on the 2017 NEC if that matters.

800.100(A)(4) Says:
(4) Length. The primary protector bonding conductor or
grounding electrode conductor shall be as short as practicable.
In one- and two-family dwellings, the primary protector bonding
conductor or grounding electrode conductor shall be as short as
practicable, not to exceed 6.0 m (20 ft) in length.
Then it has this exception
Exception: In one- and two-family dwellings where it is not
practicable to achieve an overall maximum primary protector
bonding conductor or grounding electrode conductor length of
6.0 m (20 ft), a separate communications ground rod meeting
the minimum dimensional criteria of 800.100(B)(3)(2) shall be
driven, the primary protector shall be connected to the com-
munications ground rod in accordance with 800.100(C), and
the communications ground rod shall be connected to the power
grounding electrode system in accordance with 800.100(D).

So for example if a cable demarcation box is more than 20' from a service, to comply with the NEC;
1) A 5 foot ground rod gets installed at the cable dmarc box.
2) A #6 gets run from the GEC to the ground rod
3) A ground wire sized not smaller than #14 and not smaller than the circular mils of the sheath (telco uses #10) runs from the demarc box to the ground rod or the #6 bare.

Are there any exceptions to this? Would there be any time a cable company could legally install a coax cable drop & dmarc more than 20' from a service and not be required to do the above?
Also does a exposed hose bib more than 20' from the service GEC count, with no other GEC's visibly attached, as a compliant connection point on the ground electrode system ?
Thank you for your comments.
 
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