The phone wiring of the past, often referred to as
"quad" wiring because it has four copper wires, is now obsolete. Faster
and more reliable unshielded twisted pair (UTP) copper information
wiring (often called 'structured wiring') rated Category 5 or better
should now be installed in every room in the modern home.
Why?
Because today's homeowners don't use their phone lines the way they
did even 10 years ago. Homes today have multiple phone lines, fax
machines, internet access, video distribution and entertainment services,
data and security systems, and other services that require high-quality
communications wire.
Copper UTP wire is now used extensively in offices, schools, and factories
for local area networks (LANs), which allow computers to talk to one
another and receive and send Internet and high-speed computer data
outside the facility. Copper UTP wiring offers greatly increased bandwidth
compared to old-fashioned quad wiring. The cable is small (roughly
3/16-in. diameter), inexpensive, and easy to pull.
While the typical home does not yet require the capacity to move computer
signals around as the typical office, it is prudent to install Category
5 or better UTP wiring during home building so that the wiring can
suit the evolving needs of homeowners without the need for electrical
wire upgrading.
Cat 5 or higher speed wiring has four twisted wire pairs, or eight
wires, which are needed to provide the multiple services at home in
the new economy. Cat 5 has an approved bandwidth of 100 MHz, which
is many orders of magnitude greater than the bandwidth required for
a modern 56 kbps modem. Category 6 wiring will likely accommodate
250 MHz, and will be able to carry at least 1 gigabite of information.
Avoid Interference on Telecommunications Lines - Interference
on telecommunications lines can result in scrambled faxes, interrupted
online sessions, and distorted video and audio signals. High-tech
twisted pair copper wiring is designed to resist interference from
sources in the home, such as microwave ovens, vacuum cleaners, fluorescent
lights, power tools, other appliances, and external communications
signals. The tight, accurate twist of the wire pairs and their balanced
mode of transmission are the reasons.
Optimizing the Internet - The Internet is now available at
high speed to many homes, but homeowners won't be able to take full
advantage of it if their wiring is inadequate. One high-capacity technology
now being offered by local phone companies is DSL (digital subscriber
line). Cable modems are also being offered by cable TV companies that
access the Internet on the same coaxial cable carrying the TV signal.
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