The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) recently announced that 100 data center facilities have been certified under the TIA’s latest revision to the Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers, ANSI/TIA-942-C. Since the inception of the TIA’s certification program, more than 600 data centers across 51 countries and 6 continents have been certified under TIA-942.
“TIA-942-C sets forth the requirements and recommendations for designing and implementing data centers worldwide to ensure the appropriate level of reliability and availability, and provides enhancements to previous versions by incorporating new technologies that offer improved performance and efficiencies,” the TIA said when announcing this milestone. TIA-942-C was published in May 2024.
“The enhancements in TIA-942-C, which are aligned with industry best practices and include new and updated requirements for new technologies, including AI, and added considerations for sustainability, have been well received by our members and are key to the rapid adoption of this latest edition,” said Tom McGarry, TIA’s vice president of standards. “This significant milestone is further validation of the value our members are receiving from TIA-942-C, especially since it was introduced less than a year ago. We are extremely proud of the fact that more than 600 data centers around the world are performing better, operating more efficiently and experiencing improved service delivery by implementing the TIA-942 standard.”
“The release of TIA-942-C marked a significant step forward in ensuring data centers meet the highest standards of reliability, efficiency, and security,” said Edward van Leent, chairman and chief executive officer of the EPI Group of Companies. “This updated framework is empowering organizations to enhance resilience, optimize performance, and futureproof their infrastructure. Every certification represents a commitment to excellence, and as we reach 100 TIA-942-C-certified data centers, it is clear that the industry recognizes the immense value of this standard. By adopting TIA-942-C, organizations are not just meeting requirements. They are reinforcing trust, driving continuous improvement, and setting a new benchmark for the future of data centers.”
The requirements and recommendations in TIA-942 standards apply to all data center types, TIA pointed out, ranging from hyperscale to colocation to enterprise facilities. The 942 standard series covers architecture, telecommunications, power, cooling, fire protection, physical security, safety, and monitoring.
Significant enhancements made in the ANSI/TIA-942-C standard include the following.
- Incorporation of previously published documents focusing on edge data centers
- Recognition of new cable media and connectivity requirements
- New requirements and recommendations related to cabling, floor loading capacity, and minimum cabinet width
- References to other technical documents including recommendations and requirements for data processing environments and edge computing
- Modification and addition of informative and normative annexes including site selection and space considerations
- Several clarifications of the requirements based on feedback and best practices from the industry
You can learn more about the TIA-942-C standard in this white paper authored by the TIA Data Center Working Group.
You can purchase the TIA-942-C standard here.
