Many newly-constructed houses in America fall short of basic FCC communications-wiring requirements for computers, entertainment systems and hi-tech home electronics, according to the Copper Development Association (CDA). “Homebuyers are increasingly savvy about how they want their homes to be wired,” says John Cowie, who tracks telecommunications applications for CDA. “In today’s dream homes, high-performance communications are essential.”
Cowie also says, the FCC revised the minimum standard for residential communications wiring in 2000, yet many builders neglect to adhere to the ruling or even fully understand the updated guidelines. “A few still build homes that don’t even measure up to the basic FCC requirement. Others barely meet the standard,” says Cowie. “Consequently, homeowners who want more than the bare minimum often have to rewire at a cost substantially higher than the cost of installing adequate wiring in the first place.”
In the 1990s, the FCC established that the standard for inside broadband wiring was lacking, because the technology was ten years old. The CDA recommends a simple fix for this. Changing over to high-performance copper communications wiring can be installed in all new constructions.
