Telecom and networking is infrastructure work — base stations, data center halls, enterprise wiring closets, broadband cabinets, and satellite ground stations. Different from IoT (which we cover on the IoT solutions page as terminal nodes), telecom is the backbone that makes IoT possible. Customer base is concentrated: a handful of major equipment vendors per segment, plus large telecom operators and data center operators. Programs run high volume per SKU with extended product lifecycles. For RF cable product technology, see our RF cable page.
Five Telecom Subcategories We Build
5G Base Station Infrastructure
The largest growth area in telecom over the past five years. Macro base stations (3-5 km coverage, 2T2R through 64T64R Massive MIMO), micro and pico cells for street-level densification, indoor distributed systems, and mmWave 28 GHz small cells for high-density urban areas. The architecture splits across BBU (BaseBand Unit), RRU (Remote Radio Unit), and AAU (Active Antenna Unit) — increasingly toward AAU integration where radio and antenna combine in one outdoor unit. CPRI and eCPRI fronthaul fiber connects BBU to AAU/RRU. Customer base includes Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, ZTE, and Samsung Networks — the five major equipment vendors globally. Programs reach us through these vendors’ Tier-1 supply chain rather than direct.
Data Center Interconnect
The fastest-growing telecom segment by data volume. ToR (top-of-rack) switches connect 24-48 servers each at 25G or 100G, then uplink to spine switches at 100G/400G/800G. Cable types split into Direct Attached Copper (DAC, 1-3 m, lowest cost), Active Optical Cable (AOC, 5-30 m, mid cost), and pluggable optical modules with separate fiber (everything beyond 30 m). InfiniBand HDR (200G) and NDR (400G) dominate AI training cluster networking, where bandwidth-per-node and latency matter more than cost. PCIe 5.0 (32 GT/s) and 6.0 (64 GT/s) interconnect inside servers. Customer base includes data center operators (Equinix, Digital Realty, NTT GDC) and the equipment vendors selling into them (Cisco, Arista, NVIDIA networking). For data center cabinet outdoor connections, our waterproof harness page covers IP-rated transitions.
Enterprise Networking
Office and campus deployments running Cat6A, Cat7, and increasingly Cat8 Ethernet. PoE (Power over Ethernet) variants — IEEE 802.3af (15.4W), 802.3at (30W), and 802.3bt (60W or 90W) — power IP cameras, wireless access points, VoIP phones, and small IoT sensors over the same cable that carries data. Multi-Gigabit Ethernet (2.5G and 5G NBASE-T) extends installed Cat5e/6 plant for incremental upgrades. Industrial Ethernet variants like M12 X-coded for 10G applications cross over with our industrial automation solutions work. Customer base includes Cisco, Juniper, Aruba (HPE), Ubiquiti, and Ruckus, plus value-added resellers and integrators serving enterprise and campus customers.
Cable TV and Broadband Access
The traditional broadband infrastructure. DOCSIS 3.1 and emerging DOCSIS 4.0 over coaxial (RG-6, RG-11) for cable internet and TV; GPON, XGS-PON, and 25G PON over fiber for FTTH (Fiber to the Home). F-type connectors for cable TV last-mile, SC/UPC and SC/APC for fiber. Customer base includes North American MSO operators (Comcast Xfinity, Charter Spectrum), European operators (Vodafone Cable, Sky), and global telecom incumbents migrating from copper to fiber. Volume is high but per-piece pricing is low — installer-grade products built to install fast and tolerate field abuse.
Satellite Communications
Smaller volume but technically demanding. VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) for fixed satellite communications, LEO (Low Earth Orbit) ground stations for newer constellations like Starlink, OneWeb, and Project Kuiper, and traditional GEO satellite TT&C (telemetry, tracking, command) ground equipment. Frequency ranges include Ka-band (20-30 GHz), Ku-band (12-18 GHz), and X-band (7-12 GHz). Phased array antenna FPC integration is increasingly common for LEO ground stations that need to track moving satellites electronically rather than mechanically. Customer base includes SpaceX (Starlink), OneWeb, Viasat, Hughes Network Systems, and Inmarsat.
Data Center Bandwidth Generation Map
| Generation | Speed | Module Form Factor | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1G / 10G | 1 / 10 Gbps | SFP / SFP+ | Edge devices, legacy |
| 25G | 25 Gbps | SFP28 | Top-of-rack server connectivity |
| 40G / 100G | 40 / 100 Gbps | QSFP+ / QSFP28 | Spine switches, server uplink |
| 400G | 400 Gbps | QSFP-DD / OSFP | Super-spine, AI training |
| 800G | 800 Gbps | OSFP-XD / QSFP-DD800 | AI training cluster (current frontier) |
| 1.6T (next gen) | 1.6 Tbps | OSFP-XD-1600 | Anticipated 2026-2027 commercial |
For AI training applications specifically, 400G and 800G with InfiniBand NDR is now standard for new deployments. Pre-AI-boom data center work was mostly 100G; the transition to 400G+ has been compressed into the past two years driven by GPU cluster demand.
5G Base Station Connector Ecosystem
| Connector | Frequency Range | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| FAKRA (SMB-based) | DC to 6 GHz | Inside-cabinet RF, automotive crossover |
| mini-FAKRA | DC to 6 GHz, smaller footprint | 5G small cell, V2X, dense radio applications |
| Rosenberger HSD/HMTD | 10+ GHz | Base station internal high-speed signaling |
| N-type | DC to 11 GHz (some to 18 GHz) | Traditional base station antenna feed |
| 4.3-10 | DC to 6 GHz | Smaller alternative to N-type with similar power capability |
| DIN 7/16 | DC to 7.5 GHz, high power | High-power transmitter feed lines |
| QMA | DC to 18 GHz, quick-connect | Rack-internal patching |
| SMA / TNC | DC to 18 GHz / 11 GHz | Test, measurement, small signal |
The connector mix on a single 5G site can be substantial — N-type or 4.3-10 for outdoor antenna feed lines, FAKRA or mini-FAKRA for the AAU internal RF distribution, Rosenberger high-speed for digital sampling paths, and standard fiber connectors (LC, MPO/MTP) for CPRI/eCPRI fronthaul. Each site is essentially a small connector ecosystem.
Customer Tier Structure
- Equipment OEMs (Tier-1). Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, ZTE, Samsung Networks for cellular infrastructure. Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Aruba for enterprise and data center networking. NVIDIA networking (formerly Mellanox) for InfiniBand AI clusters. We sell to their qualified suppliers and component vendors rather than direct.
- Telecom operators. AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile in the US. Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Orange in Europe. NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, SoftBank in Japan. China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom in China. Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel in India. Operators specify equipment and infrastructure but rarely buy cable directly.
- Data center operators. Equinix, Digital Realty, NTT GDC, Coresite, Cyrusone, and a long tail of regional operators. Hyperscale operators (AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Meta) typically engage through specialized integrators rather than direct, but cable specifications often originate with hyperscaler engineering teams.
- Enterprise integrators. Value-added resellers and systems integrators serving large enterprise, campus, and federal/government deployments. Volume is dispersed across many programs but cumulatively significant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you build 800G AOC cable for AI training clusters?
Yes, through qualified optical engine partners. We assemble OSFP-XD and QSFP-DD800 cable assemblies; the optical engines come from specialty providers (Innolight, Hisense Broadband, Eoptolink, Source Photonics). Lead time runs longer than copper assemblies because optical engine availability dominates the schedule. For pure copper DAC at 800G, distance is limited to 1-2 m typically.
Do you support InfiniBand HDR and NDR cable?
Yes. InfiniBand HDR (200 Gbps) and NDR (400 Gbps) DAC and AOC assemblies for AI training and HPC clusters. Cable lengths from 1 m to 30 m typical, with NDR generally requiring AOC for runs beyond 3 m. NVIDIA-qualified suppliers’ tooling and specifications referenced when programs need NVIDIA Networking Partner alignment.
What’s your experience with mmWave 28 GHz 5G cable?
mmWave RF assemblies need precise impedance control and low-loss substrate selection. We build mmWave assemblies for 5G small cells through specialty cable stock (PTFE-based, low-loss formulations) and mini-FAKRA or Rosenberger high-frequency connector families. Insertion loss measured per assembly; phase matching available for MIMO applications.
Can you produce Cat8 patch cable for data center applications?
Yes. Cat8 (40 Gbps over 30 m) assemblies typically use shielded twisted pair construction with field-tested terminations. Patch cable lengths 0.5 m to 5 m most common. Channel testing per TIA-568.2-D Cat8 specifications available.
Do you handle PoE++ (802.3bt 90W) installations?
Yes. PoE++ (90W via four-pair power delivery) requires shielded Cat6A or higher to handle the cable temperature rise. We build PoE++-capable patch and structured cable that meets thermal performance requirements for full 90W operation. PoE+ (30W) and basic PoE (15.4W) on legacy infrastructure also supported.
Can you support DOCSIS 3.1/4.0 coaxial work?
Yes. DOCSIS 3.1 (currently dominant) and DOCSIS 4.0 (emerging) coaxial cable in F-type connector format. RG-6 and RG-11 cable construction, varying degrees of shielding for noise immunity, and quad-shield variants for high-RFI environments. North American MSO operator programs typically run high volume; we supply through MSO equipment vendors rather than directly to operators.
What’s your lead time for telecom programs?
5G base station programs: 8-12 weeks from kickoff including any required RF testing. Data center DAC and AOC: 4-6 weeks for new programs, 2-3 weeks repeat. Enterprise networking patch and structured cable: 2-4 weeks for standard products, longer for custom lengths or special PoE++ thermal requirements. Satellite communications: 8-12 weeks given lower volume and qualification overhead.
Related Pages
- RF Cable Assembly — RF cable product technology covering FAKRA, N-type, SMA, and similar.
- Industrial Wire Harness — M12 X-coded 10G industrial Ethernet cable.
- Waterproof Wire Harness — outdoor base station and remote radio unit construction.
- Custom FPC — phased array antenna FPC for satellite ground stations.
- IoT Solutions — terminal nodes that connect through telecom infrastructure.
- Aerospace and Defense Solutions — overlapping satellite communications work.
Ready to Discuss Your Telecom Program? Contact a telecom cable harness manufacturer.
Send us the segment (5G base station / data center / enterprise / broadband / satellite), expected volume, target deployment region, and any specific equipment vendor or operator alignment requirements. NDAs executed within 24 hours for pre-launch programs.