The TIA TR-42.7 Copper Cabling Subcommittee has finally approved the Category 8 cabling, the newest and the latest copper cable system for Network cabling. Category 8 can be considered an extreme powerhouse of Data transmission as it uses a frequency of 2000 MHz and is specified with transmission performance of up to 2 GHz which is 4 times the bandwidth of Category 6A or Cat6 cabling which is specified to 500 MHz with more stringent alien crosstalk requirements. However, Category 8 will require shielded cabling. Cat8 Cable is intended primarily for 25G and 40G applications for short distances (up to 30 meters) for switch-to-server connections in a data center. The cable connectors and jacks would be significantly different from Cat 6a and would use the 8-pin modular (RJ45) connector. Category 8 jacks will require proper grounding to the cable and to the device they are installed into (patch panel or outlet). As per Panduit, the leading network cabling company, if shielding and length limitations are put aside, Category 8 is fundamentally the same cabling system as prior categories; it is simply made to perform at much higher bandwidth.
Usage: Category 8 will be most useful in data center applications or small enterprise LANs in commercial buildings. Because of the reach, connector limitations and its shielded-only requirements, Category 8 is targeted for data center switch-to-server interconnections, primarily in top-of-rack or end-of-row topologies. stay tuned for more updates for Cat 8 cable.
