Asia-Pacific market growth set to continue

September 26, 2001 Growth of the structured-cabling industry in the Asia-Pacific region still runs at more than 10% annually by volume, according to a new study from BSRIA (www.bsria.co.uk).

"China, Japan, and India have enormous potential," the U.K.-based market researcher said in an announcement of the 9-volume "Asia Pacific Structured Cabling" study. "China already controls one-third of the region, with a market of US$213 million. India, despite its reputation as a major global IT center, is still undeveloped at US$52 million. The potential for China and India must be at least 10 times the present levels in the medium term, and the market is growing at 17% per annum in each country."

In almost all countries, Category 5e is the dominant infrastructure option. Category 5 is set to disappear from commercial systems soon, BSRIA says, but it has a significant market as a result of residential cabling—particularly in South Korea. Category 6, already strong in Australia and Singapore, is set to rise rapidly as soon as the official standard is approved.

Fiber-optic cabling is set to grow at 17% annually by volume across the region, and BSRIA says that users are more likely to choose fiber than Category 7 shielded cabling when their needs exceed the capabilities of Category 6.

Branded end-to-end systems now dominate the region, with only Japan and Korea being dominated by mix-and-match systems. In South Korea, Japan, and to a lesser extent Taiwan, unshielded systems are sometimes installed without other components through a practice known as "direct cabling." Under this practice, computers are connected directly to active components without the use of patch panels, patch cords, or outlets.