INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Cabling
Cabling market outlook 2020:
Insights into developments in
public, data centre and LAN
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R&M, the provider of cabling
systems for high-quality
network infrastructures,
presents its market outlook for
2020. Nabil Khalil, Executive
Vice-President of R&M Middle
East, Turkey and Africa,
provides us with his insights.
U
ntil relatively recently, the public,
data centre and LAN cabling
segments existed side by side with
little overlap. However, as market segments
keep merging, this separation will all but
disappear. These are the trends that we can
look forward to:
LAN cabling trend #1: Convergence
Deployments such as cloud, software-as-a-
service, 5G, IoT and smart buildings have
changed the network landscape. Integrated
pools of virtualised resources are increasingly
shared across applications.
IP is becoming a common medium for
previously separate systems and structured
cabling will increasingly transport data along
with power, lighting, security and more.
As LANs merge with Building Automation,
a new kind of connectivity is emerging,
requiring high levels of standardisation,
availability and reliability.
An ‘All over IP’ approach facilitates this,
with building technology and building
management devices communicating over
Ethernet and IP. LAN provides a physical
layer, with Internet and cloud integrated in
the background.
Ethernet will be increasingly used to network
ever-increasing numbers of devices, and
www.intelligentcio.com
Power over Ethernet (PoE) will efficiently and
inexpensively power more end devices over
data cables, enabling advanced lighting and
sensor applications.
LAN cabling trend #2: Single pair
Ethernet verses Field Bus
High density, connection speed and ease
of installation – prerequisites for network
flexibility and scalability – can be achieved
by replacing the traditional field bus with
Single Pair Ethernet.
Instead of introducing connectivity for
each application, uniform manufacturer-
independent connectivity can be used. This
simplifies installation and maintenance,
increases the number of possible
connection points and reduces material and
operation costs.
Smart, converged networks support energy-
saving technologies and applications, such
as intelligent management of building
space, resources and lighting. PoE can power
ACCORDING TO
STUDIES BY THE
FTTH COUNCIL
EUROPE, INVESTING
IN FIBRE MEANS
OPERATORS
CAN GET 5G
PRACTICALLY
‘FOR FREE’.
Nabil Khalil, Executive
Vice-President of RM
Middle East Turkey
and Africa
and address LEDs via individual IP addresses
throughout buildings. Infrastructure
companies can integrate more devices in
their systems, leveraging the benefits of a
unified network.
Telecom networks trend #1:
Leveraging FTTx
Once rolled out, 5G should be able to
link 100 billion devices. Connecting 5G
base stations using radio links will no longer
suffice – antennas must be integrated into
fibre networks and connected to edge
data centres.
The required small cells, 5G macro cells and
antennas require considerable bandwidth
and low latency. Without ubiquitous fibre,
introducing 5G would make little sense.
Service providers are combining FTTx and
5G rollouts to benefit from a common
infrastructure that supports both platforms.
In fact, according to studies by the FTTH
Council Europe, investing in fibre means
operators can get 5G practically ‘for free’. n
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