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PIC separator-free Cat 6 cable is awarded third-party certificate by Delta Denmark
Released 24 May 2002

When Cat 6 networking cable was first developed, all manufacturers found that the only way in which the crosstalk could meet the levels required to support Gigabit Ethernet was to include a star-shaped separator between the four twisted pairs in the horizontal wiring cable.  Whilst this achieved the primary objectives of increased signal integrity, reduced skew and lower crosstalk, it also made the finished cable thicker, more rigid and more time-consuming to terminate.

PIC has received what is believed to be the first approval to the draft Cat 6 standards for separator-free cable.  Following testing by the prestigious Delta test house, located in Denmark, PIC’s PVC jacket UTP Cat 6 cable has passed the requirements of prEN 50173: 2001 and prEN: 50288-6-1: 2001. The new PIC Cat 6 separator-free cable is 10% thinner at 5.8mm, so flexibility and therefore ease of installation is increased, and without a centre member to cut out, termination is quicker.  Eliminating the separator also reduces the cost, making the product more attractive in a price-driven market sector.

Richard Gray, PIC’s International Sales & Marketing Manager, commented, “As the ratification date of the draft Cat 6 Standards draws closer, and as Gigabit Ethernet becomes more widely supported by equipment manufacturers, IT managers and specifiers require a solution that will provide them with a degree of long-term future-proofing.  In some cases, this may mean a jump to fibre, although media migration costs are significant once installation, connectors, networking card upgrades and telephony integration are taken into account.  Cat 6 copper cable offers the benefit of an existing technology, legacy support and greater bandwidth and future-proofing.”  

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Notes to Editors.

For further information:

PIC contact:	
Richard Gray
International Sales & Marketing Manager
PIC Limited
West Portway
Andover
SP10 3LF

tel: + 44 (0)1264 333444
fax:+ 44 (0)1164 332051
richardg@pic-cables.com
www.pic-cables.com

Agency contact:		
Nigel May	
Parkfield
Parkfield House
Damerham
Hants
SP6 3HQ

tel: + 44 (0)1725 518321
fax: + 44 (0)1725 518378
Nigel_May@parkfield.co.uk
www.parkfield.co.uk
	
PIC is the centre of excellence for copper data cable production within the Twentsche Kable Group, a global conglomerate based in The Netherlands.  PIC has been manufacturing data cables for more than forty years and is the cable supplier partner to many leading network systems manufactures; its products are also widely available through wholesalers and distributors throughout Europe and the Middle East.  In addition to a broad portfolio of standard UTP, FTP and S-FTP horizontal and patch cables, PIC works closely with its customers to develop innovative, quality cable designs to meet the increasingly demanding requirements of a rapidly evolving market.