TS 13164

TS 13164 is a service standard that sets out general rules for workplaces providing structured cabling services. It aims to define a basic framework for the physical arrangement, technical equipment, operating structure, and staff qualifications of organisations that deliver cabling services. The subject is not only the cable installation itself, but also the workplace organisation that supports a consistent and workable communications infrastructure service.

The technical context of structured cabling services

Structured cabling refers to the organised cabling infrastructure used inside buildings to support voice, data, and similar low-voltage communication systems. In this field, workplace layout, measurement and installation equipment, material handling, and personnel competence all have a direct influence on service quality. In general terms, a standard of this kind defines organisational principles needed to carry out the work in a consistent way; it does not necessarily spell out every project design choice, product selection issue, or installation method in the same level of detail.

Main dimensions covered by the standard

• General structural and physical arrangement of the workplace
• Technical equipment and work tools in broad terms
• Operating and management organisation rules
• Expected characteristics and qualification framework for personnel
• A general basis for evaluating workplaces providing structured cabling services

This edition has been withdrawn, but it remains a reference point for how workplaces providing structured cabling services were organised and assessed in its period of use. In communications infrastructure projects, the quality of the supporting workplace and technical capability matters alongside the installation itself, and TS 13164 addresses that relationship in service-standard form.