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In the coming months, a range of cabling manufacturers are expected to introduce Category 8 (Cat8) technology to their offerings for the first time, kicking off the next generation of high-bandwidth networking solutions.
So what will network managers need to know about these new options, and what processes will they have to follow in order to incorporate the technology into their operations?
In an article for Network World, James Withey, senior standards and research engineer at Fluke Networks, explained these products will represent the next generation of twisted-pair cabling, and support bandwidth of up to 2GHz.
Initially, the main use case for these cables will be in data centres for 25Gb and 40Gb Ethernet over distances of up to 100 feet.
Mark Deering, senior product manager at Leviton, noted that Cat8 will play a major role in data centres and other mission-critical environments upgrading to 25/40Gb BASE-T.
"Cabling manufacturers are now engineering solutions with additional quality and flexibility to meet these demanding new applications," he continued. "But even the most advanced infrastructure relies on high-quality installation practices to ensure the network will operate at its best."
Therefore, strong testing and certification in the field will be essential in minimising disruption and downtime, as well as avoiding any unforeseen additional costs in the future.
Mr Withey noted that in order to meet these demands, cable testing manufacturers are set to shortly release new Cat8 field testing devices, which will enable companies to test and verify the real-world performance of the cabling.
These will be based on revised standards for the technology developed by the Telecommunications Industry Association and International Electrotechnical Commission. Updated standards relevant to Cat8 deployments are ANSI/TIA-568-C.2-1, which relates to balanced twisted-pair cabling, and ANSI/TIA 1152A, which covers field test instruments.
Mr Withey explained that having such clear standards for the industry to follow will be essential, as testing Cat8 cabling is not simply a matter of increasing the upper frequency of the testing module.
"Category 8 cabling requires tighter performance specifications in the tester, and new adapters capable of supporting that performance," he stated.
For the first time, the final standards for Cat8 cabling include performance requirements such as transference conversion loss and resistance unbalance between pairs, which have previously been optional for installed cabling due to their complexity.
Although contractors are not required to perform them when certifying Cat8 cabling for the warranty, it is highly recommended that they include these tests if they have these capabilities.
"A full range of tests will provide better peace of mind for their clients that the installed Category 8 cabling is working properly, and can handle the client's applications," Mr Withey said.
