The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA; www.tiaonline.org) and BICSI (www.bicsi.org) have renewed a collaborative agreement to cross-promote one another’s services, including certification and market intelligence programs, standards, case studies, and white papers. Specifically, the two associations are involved in establishing resources and information tools that will enable building and architectural professionals to make better buying decisions while using qualified and competent services and providers in the information and communications technology (ICT) and information transport system (ITS) industries.
“TIA is the cornerstone of the BICSI Outreach Program—specificallydesigned to collaborate with industryalliances,” says BICSI president Edward Donelan, RCDD/NTS Specialist. “The newly-crafted 27 points of mutual reciprocity between TIA and BICSI en-hances members’ ability to deliver the best products to their customers through education, training, and knowledgeassessment.”
The TIA has also hired Ellen Farmer for the newly-created position of Environmental Program Manager, overseeing the organization’s global “green” program.
In addition, the TIA has announced publication of a new cabling standard and standard addendum:
• TIA 568-B.27, Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard, Part 2 (balanced twisted-pair cabling components, Addendum 7—reliability requirements for connecting hardware used in balanced twisted-pair cabling), was developed to improve the performance reliability of copper cabling systems used in commercial buildings and premises networks. The standard specifies the reliability testing requirements for 100-¿ balanced twisted-pair copper cabling (Category 6) designed to support network reliability through at least two generations of Ethernet over the next 10 years. It also specifies testing connecting hardware to various mechanical and environmental conditions and measuring parameters, such as changes in contact resistance during and after individual test sequences. The standard specifies test standards and schedules for solderless connections, modular plugs and jacks, other connecting hardware (such as cross-connecting blocks and plugs), and pin and socket connectors.
• TIA 942-1, Data Center Coaxial Cabling Specifications and Application Distances, is an addendum to TIA-942: Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers. It specifies testing as well as additional requirements for connectors used for 75-¿ coaxial cabling used in data centers,allows for longer horizontal cabling originating from the main distribution area, and amends E-1, T-1, E-3, and T-3 maximum circuit distances to permit longer distances.
Short runs…TAMPA, FL— BICSI (www.bicsi.org) Executive Director David Cranmer, RCDD, has tendered his resignation citing personal reasons, and BICSI chief financial officer Betty Eckebrecht has been appointed acting director. “Betty has proven her leadership skills with BICSI in the past as interim executive director and continues to be an excellent chief financial officer of BICSI,” says organization president Edward Donelan, RCDD/NTS Specialist. BICSI’s board of directors has formed an executive director search committee under the leadership of president-elect Brian Hansen, RCDD/NTS Specialist.
BOTHELL, WA—Leviton Network Solutions (www.leviton.com/networksolutions) says its Augmented Category 6A connector is the first to have been independently tested by Intertek/ETL to exceed component performance as defined in the recently finalized ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2-10 standard. The standard defines performance and testing requirements up to 500 MHz for Category 6A cabling systems to support operation of 10GBase-T applications up to 100 meters. Leviton says it developed proprietary internal technologies that minmize alien crosstalk in the connector and channel. The connector also uses a patented Code of Silence designed to “effectively eliminate” alien crosstalk between connectors in patching and work area applications.
HICKORY, NC—Corning Cable Systems (www.corningcablesystems.com) says its Plug & Play Universal Systems are now capable of supporting transmission speeds up to 100 gigabits over laser-optimized 50-µm multimode fiber (OM3). The company adds that it has completed testing to provide assurance that the deployment of its systems will support the migration path to 100-Gbit Ethernet in accordance with the IEEE 802.3ba standard. The IEEE Project Authorization Request and objectives for 40- and 100-Gigabit Ethernet specify a minimum distance of 100 meters over OM3 fiber, and Corning Cable Systems says it completed skew testing for distances of 300 meters.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA—The Ethernet Alliance (www.ethernetalliance.org) has elected David Law of 3Com as chairman of the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet working group, while Wael William Diab of Broadcom has been elected vice-chairman. Robert Grow of Intel stepped down as group chairman due to his recent appointment as chairman of the IEEE Standards Association Standards Board. Law currently serves as a member of the Ethernet Alliance’s board of directors, and has served as editor and chairman of multiple IEEE 802.3 task force projects.
WASHINGTON, DC—Patrick Sullivan, who previously served as counsel for wireless provider Kajeet Inc., has been appointed director of technical and government affairs for the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA; www.tiaonline.org). Bringing more than 12 years of legal and legislative experience with the federal government, Sullivan will oversee spectrum, public safety, and technical regulatory issues for the TIA.
RALEIGH, NC—ONUG Communications Inc. (www.onugsolutions.com) has been awarded a contract to plan, engineer, and implement turnkey infrastructure solutions for the second phase of a fiber-to-the-home initiative for the city of Danville, VA. With a long-range goal of a phased deployment to every household and business, the project is currently focusing on connecting local businesses. ONUG Communications is providing outside plant network engineering and design for the fiber-optic municipal area network that will create the fiber-to-business services.
FORT MYERS, FL—In addition to its voice, data, and collocation services, T3 Communications Inc. (www.t3com.net) has added an Intelligent Networks LLC division so that it can offer structured cabling and deployment of wireless networking, WAN/LAN networking, and video and professional services. Overseeing the division are Richard Thomas and Dempsey Anderson, who have directed deployments at Fort Myers International Airport, the Town of Fort Myers Beach, the U.S. Air Force, ATT, and Hilton hotels.