TIA issues call for interest as it undertakes ‘D’ revision of TIA-568 cabling standards

The Telecommunications Industry Association’s (TIA) TR-42 Engineering Committee on Telecommunications Cabling Systems is in the initial stages of developing the fourth revision of its flagship standard, ANSI/TIA-568. The current third revision, ANSI/TIA-568-C is being revised according to ANSI-specified timelines, and work is just beginning on what will become the ANSI/TIA-568-D set of cabling standards.

Those standards will be ANSI/TIA-568.0-D Generic Telecommunications Cabling for Customer Premises, TIA-568.1-D Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard, and ANSI/TIA-568.3-D Optical Fiber Cabling Component Standard.

The current ‘C’ revision of 568 uses slightly different nomenclature: 568-C.0, 568-C.1, etc. However, the actual standard, to use one example, is 568.1 and the current revision is C. That rationale will dictate the nomenclature of the D revisions … 568.0-D, 568-1.D, etc.

When announcing this revision effort, TIA said it “is actively seeking participation in these projects from the user and general interest communities. The stakeholders for these standards projects include, but are not limited to: network designers; installers; building owners; building tenants; and facility operators. To inquire about participating in TIA standards developing efforts, please contact the TIA Technology and Standards Department at 703-907-7000 or via email at [email protected].

The 568.0 standard falls under the domain of the TR-42.1 Subcommittee. “The standard specifies requirements for generic cabling system structure, application support, topologies and distances, installation, performance and testing,” TIA explained in the announcement. “The TIA-568.0-D standard serves as the foundation for all premises cabling standards developed in TR-42, including the developing premises standards for educational facilities and places of assembly.”

The TIA-568.1-D spec will specify “requirements for office-oriented telecommunications cabling within a commercial building and between commercial buildings in a campus environment,” according to TIA. “It specifies cabling topology, lists cabling requirements, establishes cabling distances, sets telecommunications outlet/connector configurations, and provides additional useful information.”

568.3-D, being developed in the TR-42.11 Subcommittee, will specify requirements for fiber-optic cable, connectors, connecting hardware and cords. “Connectivity arrangements formed from these components are also specified in this standard,” TIA says, “as are connector test requirements and guidelines for field testing.”

Ray Emplit, engineering manager with OBO Betterman and chair of the TR-42.1 Subcommittee, explained, “The evolution of key telecommunications standards is a collective, continuing effort. There’s rarely a shortage of subject matter to consider, and a revision gives the committee a chance to make decisions to truly benefit the industry. It’s not uncommon to see the contribution of even more new subjects when a revision project is announced.”

Valerie Maguire, The Siemon Company’s global sales engineer and vice chair of the TR-42.7 Subcommittee, added, “One of the key technological innovations today is the development of performance, testing and connections of Category 8 cabling to support the next generation of Ethernet applications on balanced twisted-pair cabling. Incorporating new technologies, like Category 8, is key to the revision process.”