Patrick McLaughlin
Verified- Chief Editor, Cabling Installation & Maintenance
- Content Director, Endeavor Business Media
- Group Editorial Director, ISE Magazine
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Articles by Patrick McLaughlin
Multicore Fiber Specification Completed
Multicore Fiber Specification Completed The SDM4 Multicore Fiber MSA Technical Specifications Version 1.0 has been publicly released. It defines common geometrical, optical, mechanical, and measurement requirements for a four-core multicore fiber. Taken directly from the publicly available SDM4 Multicore Fiber MSA Technical Specifications, Version 1.0, this image depicts schematic cross sections of four-core multicore fiber.
Fifteen Years of Proof: How Category 6A Became the Industry’s Most Versatile Cabling System
Fifteen Years of Proof: How Category 6A Became the Industry’s Most Versatile Cabling System Originally developed for 10GBASE-T, Category 6A has proven that exceptional margin can support far more than its designers imagined. Key Highlights Category 6A was originally designed to support 10GBASE-T over 100 meters, overcoming alien crosstalk challenges faced by earlier cabling standards.
Fifteen Years of Proof: How Category 6A Became the Industry’s Most Versatile Cabling System
Fifteen Years of Proof: How Category 6A Became the Industry’s Most Versatile Cabling System Originally developed for 10GBASE-T, Category 6A has proven that exceptional margin can support far more than its designers imagined. Key Highlights Category 6A was originally designed to support 10GBASE-T over 100 meters, overcoming alien crosstalk challenges faced by earlier cabling standards.
Data Centers Account for More Than 40% of All Cabling Installed Worldwide
Data Centers Account for More Than 40% of All Cabling Installed Worldwide BSRIA’s latest report on the worldwide structured cabling market says the data center market grew 54% last year, with most of that growth coming from the U.S. Meanwhile, the LAN cabling market could recite an infamous Monty Python line: “I’m not dead. I’m getting better.” Key Highlights The global structured cabling market reached $9.08 billion in 2025, marking significant growth driven by AI data center projects.
Underground Utility Damage Worsened in 2025, and Telecom Networks Got Hit the Most
Underground Utility Damage Worsened in 2025, and Telecom Networks Got Hit the Most The Common Ground Alliance’s Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) data show telecom and MSO networks suffered more than half of all underground-damage incidents last year. And 70% of those incidents were caused by other utilities. ID 63078926 © Fedecandoniphoto | Dreamstime.com Excavator It looks like backhoe fade is not fading away anytime soon.
FCC Asking if E-Rate Program Has Run Its Course
FCC Asking if E-Rate Program Has Run Its Course The Federal Communications Commission has issued calls for input on E-Rate’s future, seeking perspectives on the extent to which the program has achieved its original objectives, and if it merits significant modification.
Clearfield’s Fault Managed Power System is a Problem Solver for Service Provider Networks
Clearfield’s Fault Managed Power System is a Problem Solver for Service Provider Networks Delivering Class 4 power to sites including cellular towers, distributed antennas, and data centers can alleviate hassles associated with permitting, pathways, and labor. Clearfield's FMP Outdoor Receiver Clearfield recently introduced its Fault Managed Power technology portfolio, which it will display publicly for the first time at ISE Expo in August.
How AI Is Rewriting Cabling Best Practices in the Data Center
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the design priorities inside the data center, and for structured cabling professionals, the shift can be significant. The rise of GPU-based computing clusters, high-performance computing (HPC) fabrics, and ultra-high-speed interconnects is changing cabling-system design requirements and doing away with traditional assumptions. For contractors, designers, and installers, AI isn’t just another application layer.
TIA Will Publish AI-Focused Addendum to 942 Data Center Standard
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) has begun the official process of publishing an addendum to the ANSI/TIA-942-C data center standard that will focus on artificial intelligence (AI) computing. The TIA officially issued a call for interest on this project on February 26.
Building-to-Building Connectivity in Campus Environments: Technologies, Standards, and Next-Generation Approaches
Campus environments present unique challenges and opportunities for network cabling designers, installers, and end-users. Unlike traditional single-building offices, campuses require robust outside plant (OSP) infrastructures that interconnect multiple buildings, facilitate high-capacity connectivity, and support evolving digital applications ranging from WiFi to IoT sensors and real-time video surveillance.
TIA Cabling Standards Committee Elects Chair; Vice Chair TBD
At the February meeting of the Telecommunications Industry Association’s (TIA) TR-42 Telecommunications Cabling Systems Engineering Committee, the group elected Cindy Montstream of Legrand as its Chair. The selection was made by acclamation during a meeting of the entire TR-42 Committee. Montstream is a long-time contributor to, and leader of, TR-42 and several of its subcommittees.
Join Us In a Gathering to Remember Harry J. Pfister
On Thursday, February 5 at 2:00pm EST, Cabling Installation & Maintenance will host an online gathering via Zoom, open to anyone who wishes to share their memories of the late Harry J. Pfister, the industry icon who passed away in late January. There is no preregistration for this event. Participants can join at this Zoom login link at the time of the gathering—2:00pm EST Thursday, February 5. Participation is limited to 300 individuals.
Sherwood Repeats as Installer of the Year, Exhorts Peers to Compete, Volunteer
In January 1999, in a competition held in the state of Florida, Denver Broncos quarterback and team captain John Elway won his second consecutive Super Bowl championship in what was his final NFL game. Elway retired as a football player before the next season began.
Authors of ‘Beyond 100 Meters’ White Paper Discuss What Comes Next
Diane Forbes and Bob Voss—two of the four authors of the TIA’s recently published white paper on supporting applications beyond 100 meters—recently spent some time answering our questions about the white paper, the motivations being writing it, and the TIA’s current project to publish a telecommunications systems bulletin (TSB) addressing the topic.
TIA Committee Vice-Chair Explains Plan to Consolidate Cabling Standards
We recently had the opportunity to interview Cindy Montstream, who holds several positions within the Telecommunications Industry Association’s (TIA) TR-42 Telecommunications Cabling Systems Engineering Committee. One of those positions is Vice Chair of the TR-42.1 Subcommittee that currently is working to consolidate 3 cabling standards into 1.
5 Trends That Will Impact the ICT Industry in 2026
Like any industry, the cabling and larger information and communications technology (ICT) trade are subject to a number of drivers that influence its relative health, including growth or recession in a given time period. Technology evolution, macro and microeconomic conditions, and socioeconomic factors all affect the industry in which we work.
TIA Consolidating 3 Cabling Standards Into 1
TIA Consolidating 3 Cabling Standards Into 1 The TR-42 Engineering Committee has been hard at work on ANSI/TIA-568.1-F, which will replace the previous 568.1 standard, the 568.0 standard, and the 862 standard. Telecommunications Industry Association The Telecommunications Industry Association’s (TIA) TR-42 Telecommunications Cabling Systems Engineering Committee is nearly two years into the process of revising the ANSI/TIA-568.1 standard.
Watch: BICSI’s CEO Discusses New Conference Format, Financial Position, Credential Renewal Changes
In a recently published episode of the Let’s Talk Cabling Podcast, host Chuck Bowser interviewed BICSI’s chief executive officer John Daniels and the two discussed a number of topics. The interview took place during the BICSI Beyond 2025 Conference, which was held in August. The first-of-its-kind conference format was a significant point of discussion between Bowser and Daniels.
For Smart Building Infrastructure, is AI the Game-Changer?
By some definitions, a smart or intelligent building is one in which multiple systems gather data about their use, transmit that data to a centralized database, and that data is used as the basis for decisions that optimize those building systems’ use and efficiency. The means of physically connecting building systems, which are well-established, continue to evolve and improve to meet up-to-the-moment requirements of smart buildings.
TIA Specification Will Address Greater-Than-100-Meters Over Twisted Pair
The Telecommunications Industry Association’s (TIA) TR-42 Telecommunications Cabling Systems Engineering Committee will tackle the topic of supporting more than 100-meter distances over twisted-pair copper cabling.
It’s Time to Move Toward a Standardized Fault Managed Power Connector Interface
It’s Time to Move Toward a Standardized Fault Managed Power Connector Interface Defining a common connector interface for FMP cables will help speed up adoption of this technology innovation. ID 29176989 © Viorel Sima | Dreamstime.com Fault managed power (FMP) is poised to change the way property owners power their buildings, networks, manufacturing plants, and other assets.
Check Out the Neatly Dressed Cabling Inside Colossus 2
On Tuesday, July 22, Elon Musk posted two photos on X showcasing cabling inside the social media platform’s artificial intelligence (AI) data center known as Colossus 2, located in Memphis, TN. That same day news outlets reported the Colossus 2 facility was set to go online within weeks.
Cabling Industry Quiz: It’s About People
This installment of our Cabling Industry Quiz focuses on people who have achieved noteworthy accomplishments and have made significant contributions to the cabling and information and communications technology (ICT) industry. We’re highlighting four people, and will give you a few facts about them before offering a multiple-choice guess at who they are. As was the case with our previous quiz, we’ll give a $50 gift card to one participant who correctly answers all the questions.
BEAD Restructure Eliminates Fiber Preference
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a notice on June 6 eliminating the so-called “fiber preference” from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and rescinding all previous approval of final proposals because “those final proposals no longer effectuate the goals of the program or the agency priorities that are detailed in [the] notice.” In its 23-page notice, the NTIA explained the document “modifies and replaces certain...
2 Twisted-Pair Cable Brands May Pose a Fire Hazard
UL Solutions recently posted public notices about two brands of cable that claim to be riser-rated but do not meet the requirements of the riser-rating test UL 1666 Standard Test for Flame Propagation Height of Electrical and Optical-Fiber Cables Installed Vertically in Shafts. UL recommends that both cables be removed from service and discarded. Images of the boxes of each of these cables are shown on this page.
Data Centers’ Staggering 35% Growth Paced Structured Cabling Market in 2024
BSRIA’s Worldwide Marketing Intelligence (WMI) business recently released its annual analysis of the global structured cabling market, revealing the total market grew 10% during the year and the data center segment grew 35%. The total worldwide market for structured cable and connectivity reached $7.6 billion in 2024.
Application Assurance with Copper Cabling
Since the time twisted-pair copper cabling began supporting data transmission in the 1990s, the cable itself and the components within it have been designed and manufactured to ensure an installed circuit can indeed support the transmission of signals to achieve the prescribed data rate.
TIA-942-C Data Center Standard Brings a Host of Changes and Updates
This article originally appeared in Cabling Installation & Maintenance magazine, a sister publication. The years-long undertaking to revise the Telecommunications Industry Association’s TIA-942 telecommunications infrastructure standard for data centers culminated in the publication of ANSI/TIA-942-C in May 2024.
5 Things You Should Know About BIMMF
Cable 5 Things You Should Know About BIMMF From its disruptive introduction to its widespread use today, bend-insensitive multimode fiber has changed design, installation, and testing methods. ID 46542888 © Nobohh | Dreamstime.com Bend-insensitive multimode fiber (BIMMF) was introduced more than 15 years ago as a solution to the challenge of attenuation caused by tight bends in fiber-optic cabling systems.
Aloha! Average Telecom Lineman Pay in Hawaii Exceeds $100K
Design Install Aloha! Average Telecom Lineman Pay in Hawaii Exceeds $100K Bureau of Labor Statistics says Hawaii employs 400 of the nation’s 98,950 telecommunications line installers and repairers.
What Do Ted Cruz's BEAD Criticisms Mean for Fiber Broadband?
Editor's Note: The following contains reporting and analysis originally published on Cabling Installation & Maintenance: Senator Ted Cruz takes aim at BEAD program. It’s difficult keeping up with the deluge of recent political news, especially with all the hot takes, commentary, and analysis alongside each new story.
TIA-942-C Data Center Standard Brings a Host of Changes and Updates
The years-long undertaking to revise the Telecommunications Industry Association’s TIA-942 telecommunications infrastructure standard for data centers culminated in the publication of ANSI/TIA-942-C in May 2024.
Twisted-Pair Cable with Holographic UL Label May Pose Fire Hazard
UL Solutions recently issued a notification that 150 units (boxes) of Category 5e cable that include holographic UL labels “do not comply with the appropriate safety standards” and should be removed from service. The boxes’ holographic labels contain UL serial numbers ranging from L97358461 to L97358610. In its notice, UL Solutions said the boxes were sold through VNS Tech Inc. and only boxes within that series of serial numbers is subject to the notice.
Fiber Technicians in NYC Victims of Road-Rage Explosive Attack
Design Install Fiber Technicians in NYC Victims of Road-Rage Explosive Attack Two Verizon technicians working on fiber-optic equipment and high-speed data lines in Brooklyn were injured when another driver threw an incendiary device into their van.
Johnson Controls Creates Dedicated Data Center Solutions Arm
Johnson Controls recently announced the creation of the dedicated Global Data Center Solutions organization within the company. The company said the new organization is “focused specifically on operationalizing Johnson Controls’ global scale to provide integrated solutions to data center customers around the world in support of the company’s business segments.” The new unit within Johnson Controls includes HVAC, building management, fire, security, life safety, services, and integrated solutions.
BSRIA: Category 6A Will Outsell Category 6 for the First Time This Year
Cable BSRIA: Category 6A Will Outsell Category 6 for the First Time This Year In its measurement of channel sales worldwide, BSRIA reveals 2024 is the crossover year when growing Category 6A channels will surge ahead of declining Category 6. In a series of newly published market intelligence reports, BSRIA tracks the market size of structured cabling systems through the year 2023 and forecasts growth or decline through 2028.
Variation in Androgen Deprivation Therapy Use Among Men With Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer: Results From a Statewide Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium
For men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer treated with definitive therapy, the addition of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) reduces the risk of distant metastasis and cancer-related mortality. However, the absolute benefit of ADT varies by baseline cancer risk. Estimates of prognosis have improved over time, and little is known about ADT decision making in the modern era.
ICT Engineering Experts Compare Class 4 Fault Managed Power vs. AC Power Infrastructure for Data Centers
Fault managed power (FMP) is a relatively new topic of conversation in information and communications technology (ICT) circles. The recognition of Class 4 power in the 2023 National Electrical Code raised FMP’s profile, and the topic has been an agenda-topper for many ICT industry conferences, articles, and educational materials. But the technology itself is more than a decade old and has in excess of a thousand deployments in multiple environments and applications.
TIA-942-C Data Center Standard Published
Standards TIA-942-C Data Center Standard Published The latest revision of the Data Center Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard includes revisions related to edge data centers, cable and connector types, and cabinet widths. Photo 127247900 © Vladimir Timofeev | Dreamstime.com The Telecommunications Industry Association has published ANSI/TIA-942-C Data Center Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard.
Fault Managed Power in the Data Center? Absolutely.
Data Center Fault Managed Power in the Data Center? Absolutely. The traditionally power-hungry data center is an ideal setting to deploy fault managed power, as a recent explanation from an electrical engineer described. Photo 25256070 © Tombaky | Dreamstime.com Fault managed power (FMP) is relatively new topic of conversation in information and communications technology (ICT) circles.
Factory-Terminated Multifiber Connectivity Portfolio for Service Providers
As the first quarter of 2024 winds down and BEAD-fund disbursements get closer, service providers are grappling with the practicalities of delivering fiber for broadband services under less-than-ideal conditions. Despite some outsiders’ belief that providers will be awash in funding for these rollouts, the reality is BEAD-funded projects will have to be tightly cost-controlled based on the amount of federal funding available.
'C' Revision of TIA-942 Data Center Standard Specifies for Fiber Connectivity, Cabinet Widths
At its most recent meeting, held the week of February 5, the Telecommunications Industry Association’s Engineering Committee TR-42.1 Premises Telecommunications Infrastructure authorized the publication of the “C” revision of the TIA-942 Data Center Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard.
Revised TIA-942 Data Center Standard Approved for Publication
Data Center Revised TIA-942 Data Center Standard Approved for Publication The “C” revision of TIA-942 includes requirements for fiber connectivity and cabinet widths, as well as guidelines for thermal management and humidity levels.
Data Center Caught Up in Corruption Probe
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Sticklers™ Pro 360™ Touchless Cleaner
Rick Hoffman discusses Sticklers™ Pro360™ Touchless Cleaner with Patrick McLaughlin, Editorial Director for Endeavor Business Media's Digital Infrastructure Group, while showcasing the product at ISE EXPO 2023. The touchless cleaner is the future of high-performance fiber optic end face cleaning.
Sticklers™ Pro 360™ Touchless Cleaner
Rick Hoffman discusses Sticklers™ Pro360™ Touchless Cleaner with Patrick McLaughlin, Editorial Director for Endeavor Business Media's Digital Infrastructure Group, while showcasing the product at ISE EXPO 2023. The touchless cleaner is the future of high-performance fiber optic end face cleaning.
Fault-managed power and the burden of expectations
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BICSI trivia: Take our quiz
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