The IEEE 802.3bz-2016-Standard for Ethernet Amendment is aimed at meeting growing capacity demands across more than 70 billion metres of Category 5e and Category 6 cable that is already in operation.
It supports the growing need for Ethernet connectivity over structured twisted pair wiring beyond the 1Gbps capability offered by IEEE 802.3ab, it said.
The new standard, which took 18 months to develop, defines Ethernet Media Access Control (MAC) parameters, physical layer specifications and management objects over 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps transfers.
The IEEE SA claims this will allow enterprise interconnect solutions over structured Category 5e or better twisted pair cabling to support modern wireless access points.
"The development team for IEEE 802.3bz-2016 has done a commendable job and responded quickly to a market demand that represents a huge cost savings for enterprises by allowing them to improve their network performance over existing cabling," said David Chalupsky, chair, IEEE 802.3bz 2.5G/5GBASE-T Task Force.
"This project is yet another example of how IEEE 802.3 Standards development is quickly adapting to the changing needs of the Ethernet user community and playing a significant role in driving the Ethernet ecosystem forward."
