ICT Today — April/May/June 2026 (Vol. 47, No. 2)

Message from the Board Chair
FROM THE BICSI BOARD CHAIR
Members
William "Bill" FoyCable TestingConnectors & SplicingCopper CablingFiber OpticsPower DistributionPower over EthernetStructured Cabling2 min
How FMP and PoE are Rewiring the Modern World
COVER ARTICLE
Members
Bob Voss*The hum of the modern building is changing. For more than a century, that hum was the literal 60Hz vibration of AC power pushing through steel conduits filled with copper wire. Now one can walk into a cutting-edge data center, a high-tech hospital, or a "smart" skyscraper today, and they will find a different pulse. It is the silent, efficient, and intelligent flow of DC power delivered through the very same cables that carry our data.*Data CentersFault Managed PowerNetwork InfrastructurePower DistributionPower over EthernetStandards & Compliance13 min
The Weakest Link: Exposing the Dangers of Non-Compliant 8P8C (RJ45) Connectivity
Feature
Members
David Jeskey, Betsy Conroy*The 8-position, 8-contact (8P8C) modular connector, more commonly known as the RJ45, is a highly engineered interconnection system of jacks and plugs with eight equally spaced contacts. Though its history began in the 1960s for telephony, it achieved widespread adoption with the rise of Ethernet networking over twisted-pair cabling.*Connectors & SplicingCopper CablingNetwork InfrastructurePower over EthernetStandards & Compliance15 min
The Role of Ongoing Optical Fiber Testing in Maintaining Reliable Networks
Feature
Members
Chris PorterModern networks run on a simple promise: fast, reliable services that scale on demand. Behind every AI query, cloud storage request, and virtual workload sits a physical layer that must deliver clean, predictable performance – optical fiber. These optical fiber links connect switches, routers, and firewalls to servers and storage arrays.Cable TestingFiber OpticsLabeling & DocumentationNetwork OperationsStandards & Compliance12 min
Extended-Reach Structured Cabling: Applying Engineered Guidance Beyond the 100-Meter Channel
Feature
Members
Diane Forbes*Structured cabling has long provided the foundation for predictable, interoperable communications infrastructure. For decades, the 100 meter (m) horizontal channel defined by ANSI/TIA-568.1 has balanced performance, power delivery, and administrative simplicity across commercial buildings and campus environments. However, facilities are increasingly requiring connectivity in locations that challenge traditional topology assumptions.*Copper CablingNetwork InfrastructurePower over EthernetStandards & ComplianceStructured Cabling9 min
Optical Fiber Connectivity Trends: Practical Termination Choices for High Bandwidth, Low Loss Networks
Feature
Members
Megan Wolfe, Katherine Asbeck, Elizabeth Pezeu*Across the optical fiber market, networks continue to grow more complex as they support an expanding range of devices and data-intensive applications across security, industrial, and enterprise environments. This article examines cabling trends and their effect on approaches used today, including mechanical connectors, splice-on connectors, fusion-splice pigtail cassettes, and pre-terminated solutions.*Connectors & SplicingFiber OpticsSinglemode FiberStructured Cabling16 min

April 2026