Let's Talk Cabling!

Send us Fan Mail We answer rapid-fire questions from the field on how structured cabling is changing as AI expectations, PoE power, and converged building systems reshape what “good design” means. We share practical guidance on Cat 6A decisions, fiber-first momentum, technician retention, and how to protect margins when budgets do not keep up with technology.  • designing AI-ready buildings by lea...

Send us Fan Mail We talk with Donald Sanders about how to squeeze real, job-ready value out of training and certification, from what to do before class to how to show up once you’re in the room. We share practical habits for learning structured cabling standards faster, testing better, and building a long-term career in the ICT industry without pretending you know everything.  • preparing for trai...

Send us Fan Mail We answer rapid-fire questions from the field on AI estimating, fiber adoption, data center density, and what owners really notice when they walk a finished job. We keep coming back to the same edge that separates good technicians from great ones: communication, clean execution, and professional habits that protect profit and reputation.  • using AI for takeoffs and bills of mater...

Send us Fan Mail We talk with TJ Pate about what makes OPGW fiber splicing different, from calibration discipline to enclosure build quality that holds up for decades. We also get practical about tools, training paths, and the safety mindset required when fiber lives alongside power.  • splicing OPGW with a “right the first time” standard  • building clean trays for easier adds and troubleshooting...

Send us Fan Mail We answer a rapid run of ICT project management questions, from BIM and digital twins to workforce risk, documentation overload, and coordination challenges on fast-moving builds. We push for practical balance: model what matters, plan for labor like a real constraint, and treat communication as a core construction tool.  • BIM detail levels that prevent clashes without creating b...

Send us Fan Mail We talk with TJ Pate from Florida Power and Light about OPGW optical ground wire and why installing fiber on transmission towers demands a different level of planning, safety, and precision. We break down how utility fiber gets built, tested, and repaired across massive distances, plus the skills that separate average troubleshooting from confident, fast problem solving.  • what O...

Send us Fan Mail We take live questions on copper and fiber, career growth, and what’s changing in ICT as AI, smart buildings, and data centers accelerate demand. We share hard-earned lessons on communication, planning, and why the “right” technical answer still fails if the business and people side is ignored.  • AFEXT explained and why far-end interference matters in the field  • technician vers...

Send us Fan Mail InfoComm can sound like “an AV show,” but if you pull cable for a living, it’s really a massive showcase of where low voltage work is headed next. We sit down with Bob Neyens, VP at Vertical Cable and a long-time InfoComm regular, to translate the pro AV world into plain English and show exactly why structured cabling installers, project foremen, project managers, and designers ca...

Send us Fan Mail We take rapid-fire questions from the field and turn them into practical guidance for low voltage pros who want stronger designs, cleaner execution, and fewer budget surprises. We get blunt about what really drives performance and profit, from cable pathways and fiber choices to labor risk, change control, and training.  • Framing AI-ready buildings around business outcomes not hy...

Send us Fan Mail Due to technical difficulties we bring back a great episode with JATC instructors to make volts, amps, current, and watts feel practical for low voltage work as PoE and modern power delivery move into our lane. We trade water-pressure analogies, real safety stories, and jobsite mistakes so you can size power correctly and stop burning up gear.  • why PoE and fault managed power ma...

Send us Fan Mail Perfect-looking terminations and clean certification results can still hide the interference that slows networks weeks later. We break down EMI, RFI, and crosstalk in plain terms, then lay out the practical install rules that protect performance and your reputation.  • why EMI is invisible but disruptive to Ethernet signals  • common EMI sources on job sites, from lights to motors...

Send us Fan Mail We come back live after a short break and jump into rapid fire field questions that hit the real pressure points in structured cabling work. We talk about protecting quality, protecting profit, and building a career that keeps up with the pace of the low voltage industry.  • planning cable bundles before the first pull so racks stay clean  • keeping the telecom room controlled so...

Send us Fan Mail We get real about why bad labels turn simple service calls into expensive downtime and frustration for techs and customers. We define telecommunications administration, break down how it scales from a small office to enterprise sites, and share practical labeling rules that hold up years later. • why messy telecom room labels force “detective work” • what telecommunications admini...

Send us Fan Mail We take on a hard jobsite reality: being asked to fake cable certification results to close out a project and secure a manufacturer warranty. We explain why that choice is fraud, how it wrecks trust and careers, and what doing it right looks like for technicians, contractors, manufacturers, and customers. • why faking certification results is fraud and not a shortcut  • warranty a...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with fiber optics expert John Bruno to talk about what is changing fastest in fiber and what those changes mean for real technicians and designers. We dig into hollow-core fiber, multi-core fiber, and MMC connectors, then zoom out to the mindset and habits that build a long career in the ICT and low voltage trades.  • why fiber demand keeps rising with AI data centers...

Send us Fan Mail We answer rapid-fire questions that separate pretty cabling from high-performing structured cabling systems, from tie-wrap pressure and bend radius to the real reasons links fail certification. We also get practical about project realities like crushed schedules, scope creep, testing expectations, and the skills that keep techs and PMs valuable as AI and fiber adoption grow.  • ch...

Send us Fan Mail We break down how BICSI leadership really works and why volunteering is one of the most direct ways to improve the ICT industry. Justin Hobbs shares what the Board focuses on, how the LDC protects the election process, and why servant leadership matters more than titles.  • why volunteering keeps ICT moving forward  • what the BICSI Board of Directors does at a high level  • how o...

Send us Fan Mail We break down seven common field mistakes that quietly ruin structured cabling performance even when the work looks clean. We also share the mindset habits that separate average installs from work that passes certification, earns trust, and holds up years later.  • untwisting pairs too far at termination and losing noise resistance  • setting the punch tool wrong and risking bad I...

Send us Fan Mail We replay a practical guide to firestop selection and explain why the right choice starts with the barrier, the penetration, and the tested UL system. We break down mechanical and non-mechanical firestop systems so you can seal penetrations correctly, support future cable adds, and avoid costly code violations.  • four selection factors: assembly type, barrier construction, penetr...

Send us Fan Mail We record from BICSI CALA, Costa Rica to clear up a stubborn myth about the National Electrical Code and explain how it becomes enforceable outside the United States. Fernando Escelente frm the NFPA clears up some confusion. We also dig into how NFPA supports adoption across Latin America through translation, access, training, and certification as new technology and new NEC editio...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with the Goldilock team to challenge the default “add more software” mindset and focus on a blunt truth: if a network is not connected, it cannot be hacked from the outside. We dig into how Layer 1 physical disconnection works with existing security tools, what it means for installers and PMs, and why protecting backups and controlling third-party access can change you...

Send us Fan Mail We explore how women build careers across ICT—from field installation and union apprenticeship to BIM-driven design and executive leadership—and why mentorship and culture make or break growth. The conversation closes with practical steps for newcomers and companies to open doors. • why Women in Construction Week matters to ICT • three career paths across field, design, and leader...

Send us Fan Mail We dig into the cable combing debate with Henry Frank, separating myth from practice and explaining how modern Cat 6A design and standards testing changed the rules. Along the way, we talk PoE heating, short channels, culture clashes, and why neat work still wins trust. • what cable combing actually is and why it matters • where old randomization advice came from • alien crosstalk...

Send us Fan Mail We break down why acronyms help experts move fast and why they lock out newcomers. We map old and new ICT terms, show how meanings shift across trades, and share a free handbook and simple rules to write clear, usable documents. • barriers created by acronym-heavy talk • MDF and IDF history and current TR and ER terms • bonding and grounding updates including TMGB to PBB and TBB I...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with outgoing TR-42 chair Henry Frank to unpack how standards are made, why contracts turn “voluntary” rules into must-do requirements, and what’s changing in cabling for extended reach, fiber polarity, and the 568 family. Clear takeaways for installers, designers, and owners on navigating codes, specs, and practical testing. • codes vs standards vs specifications and...