Washington, DC – CCCA announced a new initiative to sample and test copper and fiber patch cords from commercial distribution channels for compliance to fire safety and electrical performance standards. This program follows CCCA’s program which evaluated compliance of communications cables to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) fire safety requirements and Telecommunications Industries Association (TIA) electrical performance standards. The previous evaluation program on communications cables identified major deficiencies and non-compliance of some lesser known brands of cable produced offshore and imported into North America, resulting in strengthened quality assurance measures by UL.

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There was both good news and bad news to report regarding the flow of offshore-manufactured telecom cable to North America. The bad news is that the Communications Cable and Connectivity Association, Inc. (CCCA) reported at IWCS that, a year after its initial field-test report found that eight of nine randomly selected samples from Asia failed to meet the minimum requirements for fire safety, its follow-up field test showed that the U.S. cable marketplace continues to receive sub-standard cables. The good news, however, also reported at IWCS, is that UL announced a series of steps it plans to take in response to that situation.

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WASHINGTON, D.C., November 2, 2009 – The Communications Cable and Connectivity Association, Inc. (CCCA) announced today that the prevalence of offshore-manufactured communications cable products which fail to meet industry fire safety requirements continues to plague the industry and marketplace. In July 2009, the CCCA commissioned an independent test laboratory to again analyze whether eight offshore-manufactured cable samples met National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) minimum requirements for fire safety. Test results showed that six of the eight samples failed to meet the minimum NFPA code requirements for low flame spread and/or smoke generation for installation in commercial buildings, schools and multi-tenant residences. All of the failing samples exhibited catastrophic results, indicating an unacceptable public safety hazard still exists.

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Full Press Release – Independent Testing Uncovers Serious Fire Safety Concerns… CCCA Proposes New Certification Program

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