| Full title | Balanced Twisted-Pair Telecommunications Cabling and Components Standard |
| Publisher | Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), committee TR-42.7 |
| Current revision | ANSI/TIA-568.2-E, published 24 October 2024 |
| Status | Current. Revises ANSI/TIA-568.2-D (2018) and absorbs its addenda D-1 and D-2. |
| Related standards | ANSI/TIA-568.0, 568.1, 568.3, ISO/IEC 11801-1, EN 50173-1 |
What it covers
ANSI/TIA-568.2 sets the transmission requirements for balanced twisted-pair cables, connecting hardware, cords, permanent links and channels. It also sets the field test requirements used to certify installed cabling. It is part of the TIA-568 family, alongside 568.0 (generic customer premises), 568.1 (commercial buildings) and 568.3 (optical fibre).
Revision history
| Document | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ANSI/TIA-568-C.2-1 | 2016 | Added Category 8 |
| ANSI/TIA-568.2-D | 2018 | Replaced 568-C.2. Brought Category 8 into the main standard. Added MPTL and 28 AWG cords. |
| ANSI/TIA-568.2-D-1 | April 2019 | Balun requirements for Category 8 testing |
| ANSI/TIA-568.2-D-2 | August 2020 | Power delivery over balanced twisted-pair cabling. Added DC resistance unbalance limits for Category 5e, 6 and 6A |
| ANSI/TIA-568.2-E | October 2024 | Current revision. Includes D-1 and D-2, corrects errors and updates terms. |
Categories and frequency ranges
| TIA category | Specified up to | Typical maximum channel | Nearest ISO/IEC class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category 5e | 100 MHz | 100 m, 4 connections | Class D |
| Category 6 | 250 MHz | 100 m, 4 connections | Class E |
| Category 6A | 500 MHz | 100 m, 4 connections | Class EA |
| Category 8 | 2 000 MHz | 30 m, 2 connections | Class I |
TIA does not recognise Category 7 or 7A. Category 8 is designed for 25GBASE-T and 40GBASE-T and uses the RJ45-style modular interface. It aligns with the ISO Class I approach built from Category 8.1 components.
Links and channels
| Term | What it includes | Maximum length |
|---|---|---|
| Channel | The whole path between two active devices, including patch and equipment cords | 100 m (Category 5e to 6A) |
| Permanent link | The fixed cabling between the outlet and the panel, excluding end cords | 90 m (Category 5e to 6A) |
| Category 8 channel | Permanent link plus cords, no more than two connections | 30 m |
| Category 8 permanent link | Fixed cabling only | 24 m, leaving up to 6 m for cords |
Modular plug terminated link (MPTL)
An MPTL is horizontal cable terminated with an RJ45 plug at the device end, plugged directly into the device. It is recognised for devices where an outlet and cord are impractical or unsafe, such as wireless access points and security cameras. It is tested with a permanent link adapter at the panel end and a patch cord adapter at the plug end.
Cords
568.2-D added recognition of 28 AWG patch cords in a normative annex, with guidance on DC resistance and insertion loss. Before that, only 24 AWG to 26 AWG cord conductors were recognised. Thinner cords have higher loss, which reduces the permitted channel length.
Temperature and power delivery
Insertion loss rises with temperature. TIA cabling design reduces the maximum horizontal cable length when cabling operates above 20 °C, and unscreened cable needs a larger reduction than screened cable.
568.2-E includes the power delivery content from addendum D-2 as Annex H. For non-engineered channels carrying power it gives:
- Category 6A or higher cabling recommended
- maximum ambient temperature of 45 °C
- minimum cable temperature rating of 60 °C
- connecting hardware that meets IEC 60512-99-002 for un-mating under load
- 26 AWG or smaller cords not to be installed in conduit or similar pathways
- cables left unbundled where possible, or split into smaller bundles
Addendum D-2 extended DC resistance unbalance limits, previously applied only to Category 8, to Category 5e, 6 and 6A. 568.2-E carries them into the main standard. Cabling certified to 568.2-D may not meet these -E limits.
How it relates to other standards
- ISO/IEC 11801-1 and EN 50173-1 are the international and European equivalents. They use classes for channels and categories for components. TIA uses categories for both.
- TIA Category 5e corresponds to ISO/EN Category 5 components and Class D.
- Power delivery over bundled cabling is also covered by ISO/IEC TS 29125 and by the IEEE 802.3 PoE standards.
What it means in practice
- Check that a test report names the correct revision and limit, for example ‘TIA Cat 6A Perm. Link’ or ‘TIA Cat 6A MPTL’.
- When re-certifying older work, note that a pass against 568.2-D may not be a pass against 568.2-E because of the DC resistance unbalance limits.
- Plan Category 8 only for short links, typically in data centres: 30 m channel, 24 m permanent link.
- For PoE-heavy installs, follow the Annex H guidance on temperature rating, bundling and cord gauge.
Related reading: How to read a cable test certificate · Cat5e vs Cat6 vs Cat6A: which cable is right?.