| Full title | ANSI/TIA-1179-B, Healthcare Facility Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard |
| Publisher | Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), subcommittee TR-42.1 |
| Current revision | ANSI/TIA-1179-B, approved 27 June 2023 |
| Status | Current. Supersedes ANSI/TIA-1179-A (July 2017) |
| Previous revisions | TIA-1179-A (2017); TIA-1179, first published 2010 |
| Related standards | ANSI/TIA-568.0, 568.1, 568.2, 568.3, 569, 606, 607 |
What it covers
ANSI/TIA-1179 sets requirements for telecommunications infrastructure in healthcare facilities such as hospitals and clinics. It covers cabling, cabling topologies and cabling distances. It also covers pathways and spaces, including their size and location, and ancillary requirements.
The cabling is intended to support clinical and non-clinical systems. The standard gives nurse call, security and access control as examples of systems that use, or can use, IP-based infrastructure.
The standard was started by healthcare facility end users who approached TIA. It recognises that some spaces have restrictions on access after occupancy, for example for infection control.
Structure of 1179-B
Revision B was restructured to follow the general format of ANSI/TIA-568.1. Its main clauses are:
| Clauses | Subject |
|---|---|
| 4 and 5 | Cabling system structure and topology |
| 6 to 8 | Entrance facilities, equipment rooms, telecommunications rooms and enclosures |
| 9 and 10 | Backbone cabling (cabling subsystems 2 and 3) and horizontal cabling (cabling subsystem 1) |
| 11 and 12 | Work areas and coverage areas |
| 13 | Multi-tenant building spaces |
| 14 to 16 | Cabling installation, administration and office area requirements, and cabling performance |
| 17 to 20 | Data centres, intelligent building systems, educational facilities and outside plant campus cabling |
| 21 and 22 | Cabling for wireless access points and distributed antenna systems |
| 23 to 27 | Grounding and bonding, pathways, firestopping, security and administration |
Healthcare work areas
TIA-1179 (2010) defined 11 work area classifications:
- Patient services
- Surgery, procedure and operating rooms
- Emergency
- Ambulatory care
- Women’s health
- Diagnostic and treatment
- Caregiver
- Service and support
- Facilities
- Operations
- Critical care
Clause 11.3.2 of 1179-B covers outlet density, and Table 3 gives recommended work area outlet densities. The 2010 edition graded areas as low, medium or high density.
Recognised media and minimum categories
| Item | 1179 (2010) | 1179-A (2017) | 1179-B (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal balanced twisted-pair | Category 6 recommended minimum | Category 6A minimum | No change listed |
| Backbone balanced twisted-pair | Not covered here | Category 6A minimum | No change listed |
| Multimode fibre | 50 µm for high-bandwidth uses | OM4 recommended minimum | No change listed |
| Broadband coaxial cabling | Not covered here | Requirements added | No change listed |
| Single twisted-pair cabling | No | No | Added as recognised media |
| Wireless access points | Not covered here | Recommendations added | At least two Category 6A or higher runs per access point |
1179-A also required at least two fibres in optical fibre backbone cabling, allowed array connectors for fibre in the work area, and allowed multi-user telecommunications outlet assemblies (MUTOAs) and consolidation points.
The changes listed for 1179-B are updated references, single twisted-pair cabling as recognised media, the wireless access point minimum and the new structure. Check other minimums against the 1179-B text.
Pathways and spaces
- 1179-A added requirements for pathways and spaces that supplement ANSI/TIA-569, plus bonding and grounding, firestopping and multi-tenant building spaces.
- Enclosed pathways are advised where infection control applies, particularly in air-handling spaces.
- Segregation of networks and colour-coding of cables are recommended. No specific colours are assigned.
How it relates to other standards
- ANSI/TIA-568.0 and 568.1 are normative references. 1179 applies the 568 series structure and adds healthcare requirements.
- ANSI/TIA-568.2 and 568.3 set the component and cabling performance for twisted-pair and optical fibre.
- ANSI/TIA-569, 606 and 607 cover pathways and spaces, administration, and bonding and grounding.
- ISO/IEC 11801 and EN 50173 have no healthcare-specific part.
What it means in practice
- Check which revision the specification calls for. 1179-B replaced 1179-A in 2023.
- Use the work area tables to plan outlet counts per room type rather than a single figure for the whole building.
- Allow for at least two Category 6A or higher runs to each wireless access point.
- Plan pathways for infection control. Access to some spaces may be restricted once the building is occupied.
- Where the project is in the UK, confirm how 1179 sits alongside the ISO/IEC 11801 or EN 50173 series in the contract documents.
Related reading: The complete guide to Cat6A cable · What is structured cabling?.