Residential Communications Wiring - Special Report This is a summary of a report prepared by the NAHB Research Center for the NAHB High Production Home Builder Council. The full report is available in PDF format. PURPOSE AND SCOPE In the summer of 2000, a new rule from the Federal Communications Commission became active. It requires that all of the telecommunications wiring in new residences be Category 3 or better. Category 3 is a cable that includes 2 to 4 twisted pairs of copper wire enclosed in a plastic sheath. Builders are now required to use this cabling in place of the old 4-wire telephone cable. An article in the July 17, 2000 Nations Building News states "The new FCC requirements will give home owners a basis for making a civil claim against builders or contractors if they experience telecommunication problems --- due to noncompliant telephone wiring." This means that, as a minimum, builders will need to assure that their subs are installing Category 3 cable. This rule can easily be satisfied by installing Category 3 cables to outlets in a few rooms around the house. However, the current and growing number of communication services and electronic equipment has many homebuyers looking for homes that have the right kind of wires connected to the right places to meet current and future needs. This means installing Category 3, or even better, Category 5 cables to the right places and including the right kind of coaxial cables to meet television/video needs. This report is intended to give home builders information that will help them to decide what kind and how much communications wiring to install in a new home. It is focused on wiring, not home automation. It talks about wiring to meet current and future needs of the homeowner. The report provides recommendations, not just an array of options and tradeoffs. These recommendations are not claimed to be "right" but they are rational at the time this report was being written—summer of 2000. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Cable TV and high-speed modems can function well over existing coaxial cable and plain old telephone wires. However, new technologies like direct broadcast satellite TV or in home data networking need more than the standard telephone wires and coax. Special wiring done right can meet the requirements for these new technologies and provides the flexibility to support future technologies. The conclusions and recommendations below summarize the information presented in this report. A wiring system using special telephone/data cables (Category 3 and preferably Category 5 cables -- explained later in this report) and special coaxial cable (RG-6) will meet the communication needs of most families now and in the foreseeable future. The key to making this wiring useful now and in the future is to wire with a separate cable run from a distribution panel to each outlet. If this wiring is done as a system, including the panel, the cables and the outlets and documentation, then it is often called a structured wiring system. Builders have three options available for offering a structured wiring system to homebuyers. - Assemble a system made up from components available from distributors like Branch Electric, Grainger, or Graybar. Leviton Telcom offers the components needed to make up a system through a variety of distributors.
- Buy a system from a systems integrator who packages components. HomeTech Solutions is one such company.
- Buy a system from a structured wiring system manufacturer. The best known and most widely used products are those from OnQ (formerly a division of AMP), Home Director (formerly a division of IBM), and Lucent.
Although option 3 is probably easiest and lowest risk, it may be worth looking into the others to compare cost. A qualified contractor with trained installers will be needed. Installing the cables correctly and attaching the connectors properly is critical to the performance of the wiring system and requires special knowledge and skills. The system should be tested after it is installed. Also, laying out a flexible configuration—deciding where to cable and provide outlets and how many and what type of cables to use is very important. This is especially true if home theater, audio distribution, and other relatively sophisticated functions are to be offered. This report provides several leads for finding local installers. Or, a national account with Brinks or ADT is another possibility. A structured wiring system as described in this report should be all the wiring a homeowner needs for a future home automation system. This structured wiring, when supplemented by communications that operate over the AC power lines in a home, should be able to support all of the home controls that a home automation system offers. Optical fibers for communication inside the home aren't necessary. Twisted pairs and coaxial cable will meet in-home communication needs well into the future—maybe "forever.” However, there is always the possibility that some day fibers will be practical for in-home communications. A very economical form of insurance is to install 2 inch conduit from the basement to the attic to make future fiber installation easier. | 
