Telecommunications Cabling and Wiring Standards

Major advances in telecommunications technologies have taken place in the past two decades and those advances have resulted in unprecedented acceptance of networking by the client community. That acceptance has meant:

• More demand for network services and the associated network connection equipment.
• Upward pressure on network speeds.
• Demand for better and friendlier user station connections.
• Changing requirements for connection mediums.

The most basic of networking elements, wiring, has had to keep pace with the networking advances and changes. The days of the old twisted copper pairs with their attendant technologies, installation procedures and physical layouts have given way to advanced wiring techniques, facilities, planning, processes and indeed, more specialized types of cable. Modern networking success or failure rests on access to the right type of wiring.

Through the years the State of South Dakota has, in most locations, been able to stay current with wiring technologies. However, staying current doesn’t mean there aren’t concerns about the future. At some point there will be a need for some expensive and time-consuming wiring upgrades, wiring fixes, testing and other major wiring revisions.

Along with standards there must be recognition of the fact that in state government there has never been and probably never will be total freedom from economic pressures which often result in compromises in what the planners would like to install and what can realistically be installed. However, with solid standards in place compromises need not have a negative impact nor prevent installation of modern cabling components.

It should be noted that this is a living document, and The Bureau of Information and Telecommunications (BIT) is an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) that enforces codes, standards, and regulations to keep buildings and structures safe for occupants and therefore reserves the right to change processes and procedures at will.

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