Spec Comparison Matrices
Side-by-side spec comparisons for low-voltage and ICT design — copper categories, fiber grades, Power over Ethernet, surveillance procurement, and UPS form factors — each anchored to its published source.
Twisted-pair copper categories — channel reach, 10GBASE-T, bandwidth, and PoE[1][2]
| Category | Channel limit | 10GBASE-T reach | Bandwidth | PoE (802.3bt) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat 5e | 100 m | Not rated | 100 MHz | Type 1–4 |
| Cat 6 | 100 m | 37–55 m | 250 MHz | Type 1–4 |
| Cat 6A | 100 m | 100 m | 500 MHz | Type 1–4 |
| Cat 8 | 30 m | 30 m | 2000 MHz | Type 1–4 |
Optical fiber grades — 10G/40G/100G reach, core diameter, and mode[3][2]
| Fiber | 10G reach | 40G reach | 100G reach | Core | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OM3 | 300 m | 100 m | 70 m | 50 µm | Multimode |
| OM4 | 400 m | 150 m | 100 m | 50 µm | Multimode |
| OM5 | 400 m | 150 m | 100 m | 50 µm | Multimode |
| OS2 | 10 km | 10 km | 10 km | 9 µm | Singlemode |
Power over Ethernet types — IEEE 802.3 power budget and pair count[2]
| Type (clause) | W at PSE | W at PD | Pairs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 (802.3af) | 15.4 W | 12.95 W | 2 |
| Type 2 (802.3at) | 30 W | 25.5 W | 2 |
| Type 3 (802.3bt) | 60 W | 51 W | 4 |
| Type 4 (802.3bt) | 90 W | 71.3 W | 4 |
Surveillance procurement under NDAA §889 — statutory categories and federal eligibility[4]
| Equipment category (§889) | Federal procurement status | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment from §889(f)(3) covered entities | §889-restricted | Statute names Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, Dahua |
| Compliant non-covered video-surveillance equipment | Compliant | Not a covered entity under §889(f)(3) |
| Components incorporating covered telecommunications equipment | §889-restricted | "Substantial or essential component" clause, §889(f)(2)–(3) |
UPS form factors — typical capacity, runtime posture, and deployment[5]
| Form factor | Typical capacity | Runtime posture | Use-case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tower | 500–3000 VA | Fixed internal battery | Workstation, edge closet |
| Rackmount | 1000–10000 VA | Internal plus external packs | Server rack, IDF/MDF |
| Modular | 10000–50000 VA | Scalable hot-swap modules | Data-center power room |
References
ANSI/TIA-568.2-E — Balanced Twisted-Pair Telecommunications Cabling and Components Standard (2024)
Defines the balanced twisted-pair category channel reach (100 m for Cat 5e/6/6A, 30 m for the Cat 8 data-center channel) and the tested bandwidth per category. (paraphrase)
Last verified: 2026-06-14. View on TIA store →
IEEE Std 802.3 — IEEE Standard for Ethernet
Specifies the 10GBASE-T copper reach, the multimode SR application distances, and the Power over Ethernet Type 1–4 powered-device classes (802.3af/at/bt) — the power budget per type and pair count. (paraphrase)
Last verified: 2026-06-14. View on IEEE store →
ANSI/TIA-568.3-E — Optical Fiber Cabling and Components Standard (2022)
Specifies the optical-fiber grades (OM3/OM4/OM5 multimode at 50 µm core, OS2 singlemode) and the cabling-component performance the application reach budgets rest on. (paraphrase)
Last verified: 2026-06-14. View on TIA store →
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, Section 889 — Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Equipment
Prohibits federal agencies from procuring covered telecommunications and video-surveillance equipment from the entities the statute names in §889(f)(3) — a federal sourcing constraint, not an industry standard. (paraphrase)
Last verified: 2026-06-14. View the statute text →
IEC 62040-3 — Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPS) — Part 3: Method of specifying the performance and test requirements
Defines the UPS output power rating (VA / W) and the stored-energy runtime characterization that frames the tower / rackmount / modular form-factor capacity bands. (paraphrase)
Last verified: 2026-06-14. View on IEC store →