Most installers answering a Cabling Installation & Maintenance online poll have not used a Telecommunications Industry Association's standard that applies to residential cabling.

The recent poll on the Cabling Installation & Maintenance magazine Web site (www.cable-install.com) asked installers if they have made use of the TIA's 570-A cabling standard. The standard shows installers how to install a structured cabling system in a home, as opposed to a commercial building.

The poll shows that the majority of those who answered the question, 61%, say they have not used it, while 39% of the respondents have.

The first TIA/EIA-570 standard was approved in 1991. The standard was last updated in 1999 to the 570-A edition. A TIA subcommittee is now updating it again.

The 570-A standard provides information on how to select specific grades of cable for a residential cabling project, outlet locations, cable pathway approaches and other information.

The standards are designed to be a jumping off point for builders, providing them with a common language. According to the TIA's code, the standards must be reexamined every five years to see if an upgrade is necessary. The process can take two years to complete.