Ningbo Xiangshan’s model LC2001 Cat 5e UTP cable assembly uses copper-clad aluminum or pure-copper conductor.

Companies sustain manufacture to cater to the home application market as adoption of Cat 6, 7 and fiber-optic rivals widens.

Higher requirements in the expanding networked environment continue to fuel the interconnects sector, spurring the release of matching products. In China’s cable assemblies segment, this trend has shifted suppliers’ emphasis from Cat 5e, which is now mainly adopted in home installations. Greater-speed applications in office and commercial setups are boosting demand for Cat 6, 7 and the more-advanced fiber-optic units.

There are still about 500 manufacturers in the country offering Cat 5e variants, although there is a notable decrease in the type’s share of makers’ output. Such products now account for only 10 percent of Ningbo Longtime Cable Co. Ltd’s yield, for instance. The supplier turns out Cat 6 units as well. It will drop out of the Cat 5e segment in the future.

Keeping the category in the local selection is its popularity in short-distance uses in homes and offices. Cat 5e cable assemblies support up to 1,000Mbps at 100MHz, and exhibit low return loss, crosstalk and time-delay error and high attenuation-to-crosstalk ratio.

In comparison, Cat 6 has 1Gbps and 1 to 250MHz, and lesser return loss and crosstalk. Cat 7 can handle up to 10Gbps at 600MHz to 1GHz.

Local and overseas demand for Cat 6 units will grow by more than 15 percent annually. This will climb further with lowering prices. On the other hand, sales of Cat 5e products are projected to go down by 5 to 10 percent this year and the next. Exports are expected to follow the same trend.

Fiber-optic variants have also been eating into the line’s market share in recent years. These support a wide bandwidth, low signal loss, long transmission distance, and are insensitive to EMI, besides being smaller and more lightweight. The adoption of such products, however, has a high cost, hampering broader utilization at present.

In home networking in Europe and the US, nevertheless, fiber-optic patch cords have gradually replaced Cat 5e and 6 cable assemblies. This trend may extend to China and other countries in the years ahead.

Locally, there is an ongoing switch to fiber-optic products. The provincial government of Hebei, for instance, has issued the Plastic Optic Fiber Wiring System Design and Installation Technology Requirements, and the Plastic Optic Fiber Wiring System Test and Approval Method. These parameters offer a standard for fiber-optic wiring systems in access networks, and promote the technology’s development within the province.

This advancement bid is reflected in China’s plastic optical fiber sector. Its market value is projected to surge to $16.1 billion by 2015 from $3.3 billion in 2012, according to the China Market Report Center. This is an increase of more than 380 percent in just two years.

Growth will be driven by fiber-to-the-home deployment, and the industrial control, medical and military fields.

More than 70 percent of China suppliers of Cat 5e cable assemblies are locally owned and the rest with foreign investment. Fewer than 100 manufacturers have annual sales surpassing $8.1 million. Domestic and international players also turn out Cat 6, 6A and 7 variants.

Guangdong province remains the largest production base, gathering over half of the makers in the cities Dongguan and Shenzhen. The provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang are the other centers of Cat 5e cable assemblies production in China.

Typical selection

Mainstream Cat 5e cable assemblies from China companies have RJ-45 plugs on both ends. These adopt UTP, STP, FTP or SFTP wires, with most releases based on the first two.

In terms of diameter, the choices are 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, 0.5 and 0.51mm. Units in 0.51mm lead supply. By cable length, there are 1, 2, 3, 5, 10m and custom models.

Most products comply with RoHS requirements.

Copper, aluminum, PE and PVC are among the key materials adopted in the manufacture of Cat 5e cable assemblies. The majority of makers source these inputs locally. Some obtain plastic overseas depending on buyers’ requests.

A few suppliers produce the plugs in-house, while the rest purchase them from domestic or China-based foreign providers.

The cost of materials has been stable and is expected to remain so in the months ahead. Prices will follow this trend and may even drop due to shrinking demand.

Related report:
Fiber-optic patch cords: Plastic variants on the rise

Product gallery

Changzhou Evernewcable Electronics Co. Ltd
(Mainland China)

Model: ENC0202
MOQ: 1km
Delivery: 10 days
Description: Molded plugs; T568A or T568B wiring; FCC Part 68; custom lengths, colors accepted

Guangzhou GHT Wire & Cable Co. Ltd
(Mainland China)

Model: Cat5e UTP
MOQ: Negotiable
Delivery: 8 days
Description: UTP, FTP, STP or SFTP; copper-clad aluminum or copper conductor; HDPE insulation; PVC, PE or LSZH jacket; in custom colors; CE, RoHS, UL

Mars Networking Inc.
(Taiwan)

Model: PC64-A-01F-XX
Description: UTP; 8P8C; right-angle type; T568A or T568B wiring; PVC or LSZH jacket; in various colors

Ningbo Excellence Communicated Connector Co. Ltd
(Mainland China)

Model: 5EUTRDB032050010
Delivery: 3 to 4 weeks
Description: UTP; stranded 24AWG bare-copper conductor; PE insulation; PVC, CMX, CM, CMR, leaded, lead-free or LSZH outer jacket, boots; UL94V-0- or UL94V-2-rated PC plug housing; 75V, 1A; 20mohm maximum contact, 500mohm minimum insulation resistance at 500VDC; 9kgf minimum cable-to-plug tensile strength; 750 insert/withdraw cycles; 0.5 to 100m cable length; REACH, RoHS, UL

Ningbo Longtime Cable Co. Ltd
(Mainland China)

Model: LTPC 502
MOQ: 500 units
Delivery: 20 days
Description: UTP; four twisted pairs, standard 24 or 26AWG copper conductor; straight T568A or T568B pin-out configuration; custom cable lengths, colors accepted

Ningbo Xiangshan Tianshuo Electronic Technology Co. Ltd
(Mainland China)

Model: LC2001
MOQ: Negotiable
Delivery: 30 days
Description: UTP; copper-clad aluminum or pure-copper conductor; HDPE insulation; PVC or LSZH jacket; CE, REACH, RoHS

Shenzhen Xin Xin Da Communication Technology Co. Ltd
(Mainland China)

Model: XXD-10P01
Description: RJ-45 patch cable; pure-copper conductor; HDPE insulation; PVC jacket;
100 to 500MHz; 100 to 150m operating distance; TIA/EIA-568-A/B

Wang Hsing Co. Ltd
(Taiwan)

Model: QYP19R5eSYEXXXBM
Description: 8P8C; stranded 32AWG copper, copper-clad aluminum or steel or copper composite conductor; polyolefin insulation; PVC or LSZH jacket; unshielded RJ-45 plug; snagless FR-PVC boot; 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5m or custom cable length; TIA/EIA-568-B-2.1 Draft 9, CE, RoHS; OEM orders accepted