Telco Data assists our customers with a variety of services. We can connect your business with Voice & Internet Carrier Services; we can furnish & install your new phone system; we can connect it all together with infrastructure cabling. However, it is this last service that our customers often find most unfamiliar.
Cabling, sometimes preceded by “structured,” “low-voltage,” “network,” “voice/data,” “communications,” or “technology,” is the installation of non-electrical wiring connecting your internet service/router to your end user. This first leg, carrier drop-off to customer server room, is often referred to as a Demarcation (dmarc) Extension or Riser Backbone Cabling.
Some carriers, like Spectrum and Grande Communications, bring their services all the way in to the customer’s suite. However, when this is not the case, Telco Data can install cabling to bring this connection to you. Cat6, Cat6A and Fiber are the most common types of cable used in this application. Exact specifications must be determined by your carrier and IT provider to ensure compatibility with all devices.
Once internet is installed all the way to your server room/IT room/MDF/IDF, you must connect to network switches to disperse the signal throughout the office. While this hardware is provided/programmed by your IT staff/third party vendor, Telco Data can provide the labor and patch cords to connect these switches. This scope of work is often called a Rack & Stack. While additional cost is involved, Telco Data can ensure your server closet is clean and net from Day One.
The Rack & Stack also includes patching your switches into the next leg of your cabling, often called Horizontal or Permanent Link Cabling. These are the cables that run from your server room to each individual user. Most common types of cable here include: Cat6, Cat6A, and Cat5e for voice/data, RG6 and RG11 for coax/cable boxes, “Banana” Composite and “Siamese” cable for access control, as well as various types of speaker cabling for white noise/sound masking.
This cabling connects Phones, PCs, Speakers, TVs, Printer/Fax Machines, Video Conferencing, Room Schedulers, Wireless Access Points, and more. To provide a secure connection, Telco Data will terminate these cables in the wall or ceiling with a female hand-off.
Typically, customers prefer their staff take the last leg, connecting the female hand off to the device with a preterminated patch cord. This allows users to set up their stations uniquely. However, Telco Data can complete this scope as well, dressing these cables neatly after all computers/etc have been installed. The most common examples of Telco Data installing the final leg include Wireless Access Points, TVs, and Speakers.
For more information regarding additional Telco Data AV & Mounting Services, see “Bridging the Gap” or contact Telco Data today for a free design consultation!
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