Black Box Explains...Augmented Category 6 (CAT6a).
CAT6a is a 10-Gigabit Ethernet over copper proposal to the CAT6 standard. The IEEE published a draft standard (Std 802.3an) in October 2004.
The draft calls for 10-Gigabit data transmission over a 4-pair twisted-pair copper cable for a distance of 100 meters on Class F or Class E-augmented copper cabling.
Class E cabling requires a line-encoding scheme (PAM 12) and electronics to achieve the 10-Gbps transmission for 100 meters. Current CAT6 cabling systems may support 10-Gigabit Ethernet over limited distances.
The draft extends CAT6 electrical specifications from 250 MHz to 500 MHz. It also proposes a new measurement: Power-Sum Alien Crosstalk to 500 MHz. Alien Crosstalk is a coupled signal in a disturbed pair arising from a signal in a neighboring cable.