The American National Standards Institute creates standards for a wide range of devices and infrastructure. ANSI standards must be followed during cable installation and certification. ANSI standards 568, 569 and 606 are used for certifying various types of cable installations. Buildings cannot receive certification for use if they do not meet these ANSI standards.
Phases of Cable Installation
The first step of cable installation is the rough-in phase. This is the laying and pulling of cabling into place. The second step of cable installation is the trim-out phase. This is when splicing and terminating of cables is done. The final phase is the finish phase. This is when the testing and certification of the cabling occurs.
ANSI Standard 568A
ANSI standard 568A defines the installation practices and certification of fiber optic cable and unshielded twisted pair cable. This ANSI standard is used only for communication cables. According to "CRC Handbook of Modern Telecommunications, Second Edition", ANSI standard 568A is the definitive guideline to use during the design phase of a building.
ANSI Standard 568B
ANSI / TIA standard 568-B is used for twisted pair cabling. According to "Cisco LAN Switching Fundamentals" by David Barnes and Basir Sakandar, twisted pair cable most commonly comes in the categories 3, 5, 5E, and 6, with these categories representing the certification of the radio frequency capability of the cabling.
ANSI Standard 569
ANSI standard 569 applies to telecommunication room design. For example, according to "Cabling: The Complete Guide to Network Wiring," ANSI standard 569-A states that if a building has more than 70,000 usable square feet, a dedicated and locked room with plywood termination fields on two walls must be included. ANSI standard 569 requires a minimum of one telecommunication closet per floor.
ANSI Standard 606
ANSI standard 606 is the Administrative Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings. This standard defines how cabling must be labeled and color coded. ANSI standard 606 states that network connection cables are green while first-level telecommunication cables are white.
