Recently, there has been an emerging trend where electrical service companies have begun offering network infrastructure cabling—and are basing their abilities on the idea that their electrical engineering background translates into other fields. However, and according to multiple government agencies, electricians and network cable technicians do not share any “related field” capabilities.
In this blog post, the network cabling experts at Connectivity will explain the difference between a cabling technician and an electrician. Furthermore, we will outline why you should never hire an electrician to handle work on your network cabling infrastructure.
Different Job Descriptions
According to the Institute for Apprenticeships, the role of the network cable technician is to install, terminate, test and certify network cable infrastructure components in accordance with National and International industry standards. This network infrastructure will provide the communications backbone for the digital infrastructure ecosystem. Cable technicians install copper cables, widely used to inter-connect communicating devices e.g. computers, scanners and printers to servers within office buildings and fiber optic cables, which are widely used for connecting between floors within buildings, buildings to buildings.
According to the Institute for Apprenticeships, Electrical Power Network Engineers work within the power sector with other Engineers to provide engineering solutions to solve complex electricity network scenarios in order to safely manage electricity supplies in normal and abnormal conditions. Using company/client network strategies, engineers undertake engineering activities to plan, manage, control, construct, replace, maintain and repair assets on the electricity network.
Side Note: Network Cable technicians install low voltage cables to industry standards, while electricians install high voltage cables that provide power to industry standards. Low voltage cable transmits voice & data.
Ultimately, electricians do not work with technology, networking, or data.
Be Wary of Electricians Who Advertise Network Cabling Services
With all due respect to our electrical trade brothers and sisters, we recognize their talent, professionalism, and expertise. And we also know that the majority do not advertise network cabling services as part of their business’s service offering.
With that being said, also note that network cabling technicians and electricians are not recognized in any mutual field at any government level—and each profession follows different standards, uses different materials, adheres to different codes, and each has their own best practices.
For instance, cabling technicians:
Follow American National Standards Institute (NASI) accredited BICSI and Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) standards
Electricians follow:
Standards from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
Cabling technicians:
Train and execute per the ANSI-approved TIA-568 Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standards
Abide by TIA/EIA Fiber Optic and Building Telecommunications Wiring Standards
Are educated on physical requirements such as length restrictions and diameter, installation requirements such as application specification, and best practices such as pulling tension and cable management
Ultimately, cabling techs work with data. Electricians work with electricity. There is not an intersection here, and both professions, should, if they run a good business, stay in their appropriate lane.
In Conclusion
Just as the team here at Connectivity would never try to tackle a job meant for an electrician, you should never hire an electrician to handle your network cabling job. The expertise between each profession is different and, in the end, choosing an electrician will not save you time or money when compared to hiring a qualified cabling technician—in fact, it could cost you plenty of both in the long run when you need to fix problems related to quality, materials used, or the installation itself.
Learn why working with a company like Connectivity on your company’s next network cabling project will benefit you and enable efficiency and productivity to be realized at your business. Reach out to our team today and schedule a consultation.