NBASE-T Alliance Publishes Cabling Infrastructure White Paper

Describes Cabling Assessment and Mitigation for NBASE-T Deployments

BEAVERTON, OR– August 30, 2016 – The NBASE-T Alliance today announced that member companies CME Consulting, CommScope (NASDAQ:COMM), Fluke Networks and Panduit have jointly authored a white paper that provides guidelines on how to evaluate the readiness of existing Category 5e, 6, and 6A copper cabling infrastructure for NBASE-T deployment. The alliance has released PHY specifications that define 2.5 and 5 gigabit per second (Gb/s) speeds at up to 100 meters using Cat5e and Cat6 cable infrastructure, and the white paper describes performance-measurement procedures for qualifying existing cabling and strategies to maximize networking performance. The alliance also plans to discuss this and other cabling topics at the upcoming BICSI Fall Conference & Exhibition in San Antonio on September 14, 2016, in a panel titled, “Deploying NBASE-T 2.5G/5GBASE-T Technologies.”

“NBASE-T technology runs over the vast installed base of Cat5e and Cat6 cabling, enabling speeds faster than 1Gb/s without the wholesale replacement of cables, which incurs substantial installation cost and disruption of day-to-day operations,” said LK Bhupathi, chair of the Marketing Work Group, NBASE-T Alliance.  “This white paper gives readers a clear understanding of how to evaluate their cabling topologies and infrastructure so they can determine how to get the most out of NBASE-T solutions.”

Full details of cabling requirements are being developed in the draft standard IEEE P802.3bz™ and in TIA TSB 5021 and ISO TR 11801-9904. The white paper provides an overview of the guidance and strategies like minimizing bundles or enabling downshift features to ensure reliable network performance. While NBASE-T systems can compensate for various types of crosstalk and will work at specified speeds in most networks with existing cabling, evaluation of the cabling infrastructure may be suggested where long bundles of Cat5e or Cat6 cables exist.

Status of IEEE P802.3bz Standard

The NBASE-T PHY-layer specification is compatible with the draft version of the IEEE P802.3bz standard, which defines the technical baselines for 2.5G and 5GBASE-T Ethernet. The standard is expected to be ratified in September 2016.

Availability

The white paper is available now for download from the NBASE-T Alliance website.

About the NBASE-T Alliance

The NBASE-T Alliance is an industry-wide cooperative effort focused on enabling the development and deployment of products that support 2.5G and 5GBASE-T Ethernet.   The alliance publishes specifications, sponsors and implements interoperability and certification programs, and facilitates consensus for the purpose of finalizing the IEEE P802.3bz standard.  The alliance has developed and released the NBASE-T specification that is compatible with the technical baselines defined in the current draft of the IEEE P802.3bz standard.  The specification enables member companies to immediately develop and deploy 2.5G and 5GBASE-T products, making use of the large, installed base of copper cabling, such as Cat5e and Cat6, found in enterprise networks, home networks and service providers. The alliance was founded in 2014 and its current board of directors is composed of representatives from Aquantia, Cisco, CME Consulting, Intel, Marvell, NXP and Xilinx. Visit us at nbaset.org or connect with us on Twitter.

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Media Contact:
Erika Powelson
Powelson Communications, Inc.
408-781-4981
erika@powelsoninc.com

Additional Quotes

“CME Consulting is excited by the progress made by the NBASE-T Alliance in conjunction with industry standards groups to fill customers’ needs for Enterprise BASE-T networking. I have been proud to work with the NBASE-T Alliance to bring this technology to deployment, working with the NBASE-T Alliance to expand the utility of the large installed base of copper cabling.” – George Zimmerman, President of CME Consulting, member of NBASE-T Alliance Board and Chief Editor, IEEE P802.3bz Task Force

“CommScope is proud to participate in and help drive the NBASE-T technology forward.  NBASE-T allows our customers to potentially extend the service life of the existing infrastructure while planning ahead for future installations of Category 6A cabling.  NBASE-T bridges the gap between the 1 Gigabit and 10 Gigabit transmission speeds taking into account key drivers like Power over Ethernet.  Our customers can feel secure knowing that the Connected and Efficient Building is real and the future is now.” – Bryan Moffitt, Senior Principal Systems Engineer, CommScope

“As it has been instrumental in the advancement of cabling technology over the past 25 years, Fluke Networks has been working with the alliance to develop practical 2.5Gb and 5Gb test solutions for our customers. Network owners should consult with their cable installation contractor to assure that their cabling plant is ready for NBASE-T. This paper provides critical guidance so owners know what to expect and contractors can provide accurate advice to prevent any cable related problems in deployment.” – Theo Brillhart, Advanced Development Manager, Fluke Networks

“As a leader in the structured cabling industry, Panduit recognizes the need for higher bandwidths and values the work that the NBASE-T Alliance is doing to promote higher data rates over Category 5e and 6 infrastructure. This effort allows our customers to maximize their existing infrastructure to meet immediate business needs, while at the same time it shows why 10 gigabit infrastructure is the right choice for new cable deployments expected to have lifetime of 10 years or more.”  – Thomas Kelly, Director of Enterprise Business Development, Panduit