In most parts of the United States and many around the world, March and April of 2020 will be remembered as the months when society's COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown measures took hold in earnest -- one of those moments in history after which, "everything changed," as is often said.
In reflection upon "the world that was" before the global pandemic -- and the world that "will be" in its wake -- Cabling Installation & Maintenance here gathers the top ten most-viewed news stories from our website during the first quarter of the 2020 calendar, i.e. the three months spanning from January to March. As you'll find -- the coronavirus was hardly out of the news during this time span. But nonetheless, we hope you'll find this list of stories instructive going forward during the rest of this strange and dangerous year.
Let's all pledge to stay sane and #StayHome as much as possible, and may we all meet safe and sound on the other side of this profound global crisis, whenever that time may come.
10.) UL recommends discontinuing use of Monoprice CMR cable -- UL says that samples of Monoprice’s CMR cable did not comply with the riser flame test, and the packaging was improperly labeled.
9.) Charting the COVID-19 outbreak’s impact on tech -- TrendForce notes that companies which together comprise 25% of global optical fiber production capacity can be found in China's Wuhan province, ground zero for the coronavirus epidemic.
8.) Terminal cable fails: Photos -- Our periodic round-up of the most extreme ICT cabling debacles, as seen in photos posted to social media's Reddit, this week "went toward the light."
7.) PoE lighting market projected to 33.6% CAGR through 2027 -- Rising organizational need for cost-effective lighting solutions, plus the increasing penetration and decreasing cost of LEDs, are seen by technology industry analyst Research and Markets as major factors driving the growth of the market.
6.) Top 10 guidelines for fiber-optic cabling installations -- On its website, FOSCO Connect (fiberoptics4sale.com) recently published its informative '101 Guidelines for Fiber Optic Cable Installation.' The article's top ten guidelines are shared here.
5.) Dirty rotten cable fails: Photos -- Like the old song says, "Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage." And therein lies a metaphor for ICT cabling technicians and installers.
4.) WESCO and Anixter sign $4.5-billion merger agreement -- Private-equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice declined to match WESCO’s $100-per-share bid for Anixter. The combined WESCO-Anixter is a $17-billion company based on 2019 revenues.
3.) New York appeals court rules cable installation in existing building is construction work -- In a case involving an on-the-job injury, a lower court ruled that installing cable is not construction work. An appeals court overturned that ruling, saying that installing new cable is an alteration, not routine maintenance.
2.) Why understanding PoE now is crucial for electricians -- To ring in the new decade, IDEAL Networks urged today's electricians to master new skills and equipment to cope with the growing use of PoE in intelligent lighting applications.
1.) Prysmian drops out of Light + Building 2020 citing coronavirus risks -- How the world's largest cable manufacturer decided not to participate in the world's leading trade fair for lighting and building technology.