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FEATURE COPPPER CABLING


Next Generation Technology and Copper Cabling In with the Old, In with the New By Davy Edgar, Managing Director of UK Operations, Psiber Data


During the last three decades, communications technologies have seen a dramatic evolution. One aspect of this evolution is bandwidth demand, which continues to grow exponentially from 1 Mbps to 100 Gbps.


In the past, there were well defined mediums for specific types of communications. Post cards, telegrams, fax, telephone, datagrams - each method had a well-defined application. With the arrival of IP and internet, convergence of media started and most applications could use IP and Ethernet for exchanging information. Another phenomenon that has had a great impact is the huge growth in wireless communications systems. In terms of physical media, wireless has become the most common media for personal communications. Interestingly, the growth story


of communications technologies is not limited to speed. It is also about accessibility. Breaking technological limits of performance is one objective; another is using available technologies more effectively for society. On one hand, technologies like HSPA+, WiMAX, and LTE push the data rates on mobile devices higher towards tens of megabits per second; and on the other hand there is a proliferation of applications that use low speed wireless technologies like SMS more efficiently. Similarly, while fibre is enabling


extremely high-speed communication links over large distances, there is also


a proliferation of fibre for end-user access applications like FTTH. The story for copper cabling systems is a similar one. The industry is heading towards 40Gbps speeds on structured copper cabling systems, while copper structured cabling systems are proving to be a low cost and unified medium for security and power distribution to data equipment.


Are you copper-bottomed?


There are many sceptics who believe that structured cabling will lose its relevance after 10GBASE-T. For applications that are not very bandwidth intensive, the primary access mechanism is moving towards wireless. For high-bandwidth links, particularly in data centres, fibre is increasingly justifiable. Despite these factors, the fact remains that the copper structured cabling market is poised for a double digit growth rate in 2011. This level of growth is forecasted to last at least the next five years, driven by applications like VoIP, IP video, and PoE, and demand from growing economies like China and India. The question is, what happens after five years? Recent developments suggest that


copper structured cabling systems are here to stay. In fact, copper is poised to become the dominant connectivity method for data centres. The main reasons for this are that copper still costs less to install and requires a less skilled work force to install compared to fibre. Data centre managers are looking to lower the cost of infrastructure and want the flexibility in moves, adds and changes that comes with copper structured cabling. Besides, large portions of data


centre links are short distance, well within the capability of twisted pair cabling for carrying 40G. Network equipment companies are considering 40GBASE-T as a cost effective migration path to 40G while also providing backwards compatibility. Networking semiconductor companies are looking at 40GBASE-T as new growth opportunity. Copper cable vendors clearly have a strong interest in ensuring relevance and growth of copper cabling systems. Building owners with a huge installed base of copper cables also see great value in having a relatively seamless transition to 40G on copper. Given all these market drivers, arrival of 40GBASE-T is almost certain.


Directivity plot of new field tester suggests high accuracy RF measurements up to 2000MHz. 18 NETCOMMS europe Volume II, Issue 1 2011 www.netcommseurope.com


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