Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1327492
January/February/March 2021 I 35 Finally, in the third phase, the network may be running at Wi-Fi 7 or beyond, requiring all four previously installed Cat 6A cables to meet the targeted transmission speeds of 10 Gb/s to four access points. Two Cat 6A cables will be used to provide power and bandwidth to the Wi-Fi 7 WAPs. While the cost of materials in these scenarios remains the same, labor costs are lowered by installing all cables at one time while the walls and ceilings are open, and the upgrade is simplified. Recent innovations in cable design can help users implement this plan. These include a decrease in overall diameter, from 0.320" in 2007 to 0.250" today. The result is more headroom for alien crosstalk (8 decibels) while maintaining an LP listing of 0.7A. Why is cable diameter important? The answer relates to the need for higher bandwidth and different PoE appli- cations, where more cable in smaller spaces is preferred. Smaller diameter cable allows for greater density in cable trays and conduit (e.g., 484 cables can be installed using a 0.250" diameter cable, compared to 430 cables using a 0.265" product). With a diameter approaching that of Cat 6, Cat 6A cable can more easily be installed in existing pathways, simplifying the upgrade process from a Cat 6 infra- structure through plug-and-play. By contrast, upgrading later to a larger cable would require redesigned cable management and recalculating fill rates for tray, conduit, and J-hooks. CONCLUSION Due to the explosion in IoT applications over PoE, power delivery through 1000 mA per pair and beyond is looming on the horizon. Network designers and users must ensure continued compatibility of their cabling plant in this rapidly changing environment. Cable choice is a critical decision in planning PoE applications. Category cable is rising to the challenge of meeting growing mobile demands and reliably supporting high bandwidth applications, such as next- generation 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6). Higher power applications (60W-200W) will be a part of system design in the future with more advanced WAPs that require PoE, generating heat that lower-end cables cannot handle. The importance of category cable to the success of these applications is highlighted by recent NEC revisions that address PoE and cable choice through both the ampacity table and the introduction of LP-rated cables. LP cables offer superior temperature rating and construction that can simplify system design. Today's smaller Cat 6A cables offer better LP ratings, PoE performance, and superior crosstalk performance, and they can be installed as a plug-and-play upgrade from Cat 6 cable plants. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES: David Fausz is a product development engineer for Data Communications Products for Prysmian Group North America. David holds a BS in materials engineering and has over 10 years of ICT industry experience. He currently supports product development for the Category Cables product line and recently led the engineering efforts behind the launch of the Outside Plant Cat 6A product and Industrial Ethernet product line. David can be reached at david.fausz@prysmiangroup.com. Matt Marcus is the product manager for Category Cable and Optical Fiber Cable for Prysmian Group North America. He is responsible for P&L management, including pricing and go-to-market strategies. Matt attended Xavier University where he received his bachelor of science degree in business administration in 2009 and an MBA degree in 2014. Matt can be reached at matt.marcus@prysmiangroup.com. REFERENCES: 1. "Convergence and Big Data", BSRIA, 2015. 2. Alleven, Monica. "Wi-Fi Community Fetes Historic FCC on 6 GHz," Fierce Wireless, 23 April 2020. There is no restriction on bundle size for LP cable.