Emerging technologies push the boundaries of what is achievable in every industry. And it’s no secret that in today’s world of connected everything and smart everything, having an always-on, high-speed internet connection is essential.
And one of the key components in driving today’s age of ultra-fast networking is (still) ethernet cables – specifically the Category 6A (Cat6A) cable. But why the Cat6A?
Cat6A stands out for two reasons: Predictable performance in bundled situations and lower cable losses. It is now the de facto cable of choice for future-proofing cabling infrastructures.
Applications Best Suited to Cat6A
IoT, 10GBASE-T, multigigabit Wi-Fi 6/6E/7, and PoE++ are becoming more widespread as network demands and economics change, implying that infrastructure requirements are becoming more stringent.
Today’s enterprise networks must support:
- Increasing bandwidth and power requirements.
- Ubiquitous cellular and Wi-Fi, requiring multigigabit backhauls.
- Migration to a converged IT/OT network.
- More flexible, cost-efficient design and deployment.
As a result, enterprise network managers planning greenfield projects are considering Cat6A cabling in addition to Cat6 cabling. With twice the bandwidth of Cat6, a significantly longer lifecycle, and no need to replace the cabling for years, Cat6A is ideal for a variety of advanced applications, including:
- Horizontal standard office applications: While most phones and laptops do not require the 10 Gbps bandwidth, employing Cat6A as the basic cabling architecture ensures that the infrastructure is future-proof. It may be years before such everyday applications use such bandwidth but it will be available when required.
- IoT: As IoT devices become more common, Cat6A delivers both the bandwidth and, potentially, the power.
- Wi-Fi 6/6E: Cat6A is required to provide the multi-gigabit backhaul required by Wi-Fi’s next generation.
- Storage Area Networks (SAN)/ Network Attached Storage (NAS): 10 Gigabit Ethernet allows cost-effective, high-speed infrastructure for both Network-Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Networks (SAN).
- High-Performance Computing: Streaming video, medical imaging, centralised apps, high-end graphics, visualisation technologies, and data clustering are just a few of the industries that use high-performance computing platforms to handle very bandwidth-intensive applications.
Overall, Cat6A is the modern Ethernet option that can increase a network’s overall capability without driving up prices. It can complement or bridge fibre networks, and it’s a crucial way to pack a dense network with a huge number of lines without succumbing to alien crosstalk. All in all, Cat6A is the workhorse of more demanding network cabling.
CommScope Sets the Standard
If you’re looking into modernising your network environment, then look no further than CommScope’s SYSTIMAX® Category 6A.
CommScope’s compact Category 6A copper solution, the SYSTIMAX® GigaSPEED® X10D, enables network line speeds of at least 10 Gbps without requiring additional rack space or ventilation. This high-performance twisted-pair cabling includes a smaller core while still minimising alien crosstalk, according to their breakthrough Optimised Material Technology (OMT) platform.
GigaSPEED X10D provides the increased bandwidth that future applications, such as next-generation WLAN networks and in-building wireless requirements, require.
SYSTIMAX delivers performance, flexibility, and dependability that no other system can match, from design and deployment to management and moves, additions, and changes.
Click here to learn more about how CommScope sets the bar for meeting today’s high-speed networking demands.
