The Telecommunications Industry Association has published a new standard, Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces, TIA-569-B.
The document supercedes TIA/EIA-569-A and its addenda.
The scope of this standard is limited to the telecommunications aspect of commercial building design and construction, encompassing telecommunications pathways and spaces. Telecommunications pathways are designed for installation of telecommunications media, and telecommunications spaces are the rooms and areas where media is terminated and telecommunications equipment is installed.
Although the scope is limited only to the telecommunications aspect of building design, TIA-569-B significantly influences the design of other building services, such as electrical power and HVAC. This document also impacts space allocation within the building.
This standard does not cover safety aspects of building design. The reader is directed to the introduction of this standard for safety and building code references. Other codes and standards may also apply to the installation of telecommunications pathways and spaces. This document does not cover any telecommunications systems that require any special types of security measures.
Both single- and multi-tenant buildings are recognized by TIA-569-B. Occupancy usually occurs after the base building has been provisioned. Based on the requirements of this standard; however, the distinct needs of individual tenants in a multi-tenant building may need to be accommodated by additional telecommunications pathway and space facilities beyond those provided in the base building design. It is expected that at occupancy time each tenant will design the telecommunications pathways and spaces in conformance to ANSI/TIA/EIA-569-B. As a result, the build-out design may also include pathways and spaces to support a two-level backbone cabling hierarchy for each tenant.
TIA-569-B was approved by TIA TR-42.3 Subcommittee on Commercial/Building Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces and TIA Engineering Committee TR-42 and released in October.
The TIA is based in Arlington, VA. For more information visit
www.tiaonline.org.
