Healthcare, Structured Cabling Standards and HIMSS

Telecommunication Industry Association-1179 (TIA-1179) standard; what is it and why is it needed?

The Telecommunication Industry Association (or TIA) has historically provided best practices on cabling in traditional premises environments though its TIA-568 series of standards. Over time, TIA has continued to build on the 568 series and has released recommendations for other types of environments, including residential premises (TIA-570), datacenters (TIA-942), and industrial facilities (TIA-1005).

In August 2010, healthcare came under the spotlight when the TIA-1179 standard was published. This standard provides guidance on the unique cabling requirements of healthcare facilities. Anybody who has been in a position to design a telecommunications infrastructure for a hospital can tell you that the cabling requirements are different from that of any other type of facility. TIA-1179 provides guidelines that should make the design process a bit easier.

Even though the spec has been around for a while, many people are still unaware of what it is and why it is needed. We recently released a FAQ to help explain the importance of the standard and what implications it can have on your cabling infrastructure. You can see it through this link or by scanning the QR code below and selecting How Does The TIA-1179 Cabling Standard Affect My Healthcare Facility? under Related Supporting Documentation.

If you have questions about TIA-1179 or in-building wireless (or distributed antenna systems), come visit us at HIMSS12 at booth #4623 the week of February 20. The HIMSS Annual Conference is the premier conference for IT in healthcare. We will be sharing booth #4623 with InnerWireless, one of our in-building wireless solution business partners. We can help answer your questions “live” at that time.

Our goal is to be your trusted advisor for wired and wireless solutions. Come let us know how we can help you meet your connectivity goals. (Did I mention the conference is in Vegas?)

See you soon! (Reach me on LinkedIn if you plan on attending the show.)