High speed data-transmission for today and the future
Installations using Category 6a (Cat6a) copper demonstrate the capacity to satisfy high-demand data speed requirements in the majority of horizontal office-environment applications, as well as in many network “backbone” applications. Cat6a (or Augmented Category 6) operates at frequencies up to 500 MHz, twice that of Cat 6. It was defined in February 2008 in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2-10 standard.
Cat 6a can support 10 Gbit/s data rates using the 10GBaseT Ethernet network standard up to distance of 90 meters. The fasted rate that can be supported by Cat6 up to 90 metres is 1 Gbit/s using the Gigabit Ethernet (1000BaseT) standard.
Cat 6a cable is specifically designed to avoid crosstalk interference between cables; a technical hurdle that had to be overcome in achieving 10G data rates. Cat 6a uses larger-diameter conductors, lower packing density and tighter twists. In some cable designs, foil shields are utilised to achieve the necessary performance. The result is less loss of signal strength at high frequencies, significantly better crosstalk isolation between cables and improved heat dissipation.
Information technology managers acknowledge that 10 Gigabit per second Ethernet (or 10GE) over copper exceeds requirements for the majority of office environments. Copper wired networks are generally preferred over wireless networks because copper provides greater security, and because wireless has limitations in a multi-user networks.
In local networks, copper is also preferred over fibre optic cable because total network costs are less expensive when copper is used. Another advantage of copper is its ability to carry low levels of power; enough to power security cameras, card readers or other low power devices.
Fibre optics has its uses in the core or backbone of large networks but copper is generally still preferred as the media of choice for cabling to the desktop. The advent of Cat 6A is expected to extend the dominance of copper cable for datacom applications for many years.
Wireless data transmission is equally problematic, a wireless channel with 50 megabits per second might suit a single user in a home office but it is inadequate in a busy office environment where this capacity is shared. On the other hand, a 10GE copper cabling network could support 10 gigabit data rates for each user simultaneously. That's exactly the solution that IT managers are seeking.
Cat 6a was developed to support network demands of the next generation. It provides superior network performance and bundled cable implementations for channels up to 90 meters. Cat 6A is ideal for large file transfers and installing multiple applications through the network simultaneously. It is also capable of supporting high-end security applications and distributing digital audio and video.
Cat 5e and Cat 6 are suitable technologies today, but will have limiting properties when supporting large data transfers in the future. The continuing and increasing use of IP systems over the network for security and telephony as well as multi media steaming applications will definitely require a Cat 6a network utilising 10 gigabit which will be a pre-requisite within the next 3 – 5 years.
The investment protection with Cat 6a is simple: pay double the price now, and receive 10 times the available bandwidth or, install a Cat 5e / Cat 6 infrastructure and be faced with an expensive rip out in 3 – 5 years time, which will incur a phased downtime for the network and a new investment procedure of a Cat 6a network, which will be substantially more than the market prices available today.
As an approved installer for Cat6a cabling systems from ADC KRONE, HellermannTyton, Nexans and Excel, Lynx Networks can help you with any questions you have.
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