Houston Phone and Network Cabling Terminology

• CAT 5 Cable: Includes four twisted pairs in a single cable jacket. It is used for high performance voice communications and larger phone systems and networks. The balanced lines help preserve audio quality and prevent interferences.


• CAT 5e Cable: This is the enhanced version of CAT 5 Cable that adds for far end crosstalk. However, this enhanced cable is designed for stricter performance for telephone systems and network systems, it does not enable longer distances.


• CAT 6 Cable: This cable doubles the transmission performance of the CAT 5e Cable, giving the network system more bandwidth. It offers superior protection from external noise. This cable has more of a "Electrically Balanced" circuit design to prevent electromagnetic interference. It is the top-notch design that is designed to work over the CAT 5e Cable and provide better performance.


• Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable (UTP): Twisted Pair Cables have been around since the beginning of the invention of the telephone. These cables are open wire that guard against electromagnetic interference. This is the majority of our data and voice communications are used by these wires. This wire is unshielded, which gives this cable more flexibility as well as durability. Can be used for ethernet networks and telephone systems.



• Shielded Twisted Pair Cable (STP): These cables are much like the UTP Cables, however, they are shielded to provide more protection from electromagnetic interferences. They are designed with a metal shielding over each individual pair of copper wires.

• Coaxial Cable: Radio-Grade Electrical Cable that is either rigid or flexible. Rigid cables have a solid sheath and flexible cables have a braided sheath design. It is used for high-frequency transmissions or broadband signals. It is highly protected from electromagnetic interference due to its encasing design of conductors. This cable is ideal for transmissions that involve high frequency such as video, broadband and cable connections.

• Optical Fiber Cable: These cables allow digital data transmissions over a long range of distance with higher data rates. These cables are designed with glass or plastic fiber to guide light along its length by "total internal reflection". Fiber Optic Cable is used for both wireless and wired communications and because optical fiber is highly flexible it can be bundled as cables. This high-tech fiber replaces copper for long distance communications and internet traffic.