Copper ‘twisted pair’ cables are available in a range of ‘categories’, with different categories of cable offering different levels of performance.

 (The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) serve as joint governing bodies for defining these cable category standards.) 

• Cat 5e and earlier cable categories are now considered obsolete for new installations.
• Cat 6 cables offer data transfer speeds from 1 gigabit per second (Gbps); with up to 10 gigabits per second for cable distances under 55 metres. It’s the economical yet future-proof option for small to medium business premises.
• Cat 6A offers a solid 10 Gbps over a maximum 100-metre distance, with improved crosstalk resistance compared to Cat 6. The 6A standard is great for larger businesses which deal with large volumes of data; such as video downloads and HD video conferencing.
• Cat 8 boasts ultra-fast 40 Gbps transfer speeds over shorter 23 metre runs, but longer distances reduce this top speed; with distances of 100 metres offering the same 10 Gbps of Cat 6A. Cat 8 is best suited to shorter run applications where the increased speed is absolutely necessary; such as data centre connections.

 A well-designed network will often combine multiple cable categories in different individual roles, ensuring optimal performance speeds while also balancing costs.

At JC Electrical UK, our engineers can design, supply and install a complete high-performance data cabling solution which makes the most of your budget. Get in touch to arrange a consultation today.

Cat 7 and Cat 7A cables offer 10 Gbps and 40 Gpbs respectively, similar to their Cat 6A and Cat 8 counterparts.

However, the Cat 7 and 7A standards are not officially supported by the ISO/IEC, and they come with proprietary connectors which makes them incompatible with most network equipment.

JC Electrical UK can provide Cat 7 and 7A installations if desired, but we strongly recommend choosing an IEC/ISO endorsed cable standard like Cat 6, Cat 6A or Cat 8.

While copper cables carry data via electrical signals, fibre optic cabling transmits data as rapid sequences of light pulses. Fibre optic cabling offers far superior bandwidth, reliability, interference immunity, energy efficiency, and performance over larger distances. What’s the catch? The main issue is cost, with all-fibre networks historically being significantly more expensive than copper cabling. That said, prices have come down in recent years as fibre has become more widely adopted across the UK. Depending on your requirements, a fibre network installation may actually be more cost-effective than a copper cabling installation. Our team can provide a full site survey to identify the best cabling options for your needs.

Coaxial cabling is an older copper cabling technology which is less commonly used in modern data cabling setups. Twisted pair copper cabling has overtaken traditional coaxial cabling in terms of bandwidth, affordability and ease of installation. Our team offers maintenance and repair for legacy coaxial cabling systems; or if you’re looking to upgrade from coaxial, we can provide future-ready twisted pair and fibre optic replacements.

While telephone communications traditionally required dedicated telephone cables, Voice over Internet Protocol (or VoIP) enables you to receive and transmit phone calls over the internet via network data cabling. VoIP technology offers cost-effective communication (particularly for long-distance calls), and easier and cheaper installation with no need for separate telephone line hardware. It also provides easy scalability, remote accessibility for mobile and remote-working staff, easy portability for office moves, and a range of modern add-on features like call queuing, call recording, auto attendant systems, instant messaging and more. J C Electrical UK can set up VoIP telephone systems and install, test, maintain and repair network cabling to support VoIP communications. Get in touch to find out more.