Relative Capacity of Signal Conductors
| Wire Type |
Description |
Used For |
Relative Capacity |
| Standard Telephone Cable |
A pair of twisted wires per telephone line. |
Was for telephone, no longer suitable for use. |
1/10" Drinking Straw |
| Category 5 Twisted Pair |
4 twisted pairs of high-capacity wire enclosed in an insulated sheath |
Normal telephone, fax, modem and infrared signals plus higher speed
connections such as ISDN and networks. |
3/4" Garden Hose |
| RG6 Coaxial Cable |
Heavily shielded and insulated copper core |
Video signals, digital signals |
3.5" Fire Hose |
| Fiber Optic Cable |
Glass-lined cable passing laser light pulses which transmit voice,
data and image signals at the speed of light |
Capacity is high enough to handle all data currently exchanged in the
home or planned for the future |
10-foot Culvert |