IEC 60794-23:2012 applies to optical fibre cables for use with telecommunication equipment and devices employing similar techniques, and to cables having a combination of both optical fibres and electrical conductors and is to define test procedures to be used in establishing uniform requirements for the geometrical, material, mechanical, environmental properties of optical fibre cable elements. This edition of IEC 60794-1-23 cancels and replaces the cable elements tests methods part of the second edition of IEC 60794-1-2 published in 2003. It constitutes a technical revision. Key words: Optical cable test procedures, optical fibre units