CLICK ON THE COVER TO READ THE LATEST ISSUE

This is an industry that relentlessly looks forward and where change is a constant, but every now and again something happens that makes you reflect and wonder where the time goes. One of these occasions happened last month when HellermannTyton announced that it intends to cease production of Category 5e cable at the end of 2020.

 

When Category 5e first came on to the market it certainly caused a great deal of excitement, with Gigabit Ethernet support and an ability to operate at distance without being impacted by crosstalk. It was truly a game changer and there’s still a lot of it in use! That said, things move on and, if they haven’t already done so, others will soon be joining HellermannTyton in saying goodbye to Category 5e.

 

Back to the present and Wi-Fi technology continues to push on, with Wi-Fi 6 set to positively impact the design and configuration of intelligent buildings by allowing multiple users and devices to stay connected simultaneously. To outline the key considerations when specifying a network cabling infrastructure to support Wi-Fi 6, we have assembled a panel of industry experts to offer their advice.

 

Also in this issue, we have a special features dedicated to pre-terminated systems and UPS and power management. Experts from Leviton, Legrand, Austin Hughes and Vertiv have provided excellent articles on topics including how to design smarter with pre-terminated optical fibre, using MPO cable assemblies, optimising rack power management and specifying UPS systems to protect critical infrastructure from power disruptions

 

Rob Shepherd Editor