TIA developing TSB to test installed copper cabling for 2.5G, 5G capability

The document will specify mitigation and evaluation techniques, including testing requirements for installed copper cabling.

Feb. 25, 2015

Testing installed copper cabling systems, as well as mitigation techniques, may both be part of a telecommunications systems bulletin to be published by the TIA addressing the ability of installed copper cabling to support 2.5 and 5 Gbit/sec transmission.

At its February meeting, the Telecommunications Industry Association’s (TIA) TR-42.7 Subcommittee issued a Project Authorization Request (PAR) to develop a telecommunications systems bulletin (TSB) for the purpose of evaluating installed twisted-pair cabling systems for their ability to support 2.5- and 5-Gbit/sec.

As we have reported, the IEEE is in the early stages of developing 2.5GBase-T and 5GBase-T specifications and the IEEE is targeting the installed base of Category 5e and Category 6 cabling to support 2.5 and 5GBase-T. The application driving these standards-group activities is Wave 2 of 802.11ac wireless LAN, which has theoretical throughput of multiple gigabits.

In its PAR, TR-42.7 said the TSB it intends to publish will include test requirements needed to qualify installed cabling to support 2.5 and 5GBase-T. The TSB may also recommend mitigation procedures that could be used on installed systems.

No definite timetable has been set for the publication of any of these specifications—2.5GBase-T, 5GBase-T, or this TSB. We will continue to report on the potential approval of this PAR and a corresponding TSB number.