Which category provides 16 MHz bandwidth?

Which category provides 16 MHz bandwidth?

• A. Cat5e
• B. Cat6
• C. Cat3
• D. Cat6A

Answer: (C)

Bandwidth rating for copper cables is the highest frequency the cable is designed to carry reliably. As you move to higher categories, the usable frequency—and thus the potential data rate—increases. Cat3 was defined with a 16 MHz bandwidth and was commonly used for voice and early Ethernet (10 Mbps). In contrast, Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6A are rated for much higher frequencies (about 100 MHz, 250 MHz, and 500 MHz respectively), which means they handle far more data and do not cap at 16 MHz. So the category that provides 16 MHz bandwidth is Cat3.

Bandwidth rating for copper cables is the highest frequency the cable is designed to carry reliably. As you move to higher categories, the usable frequency—and thus the potential data rate—increases. Cat3 was defined with a 16 MHz bandwidth and was commonly used for voice and early Ethernet (10 Mbps). In contrast, Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6A are rated for much higher frequencies (about 100 MHz, 250 MHz, and 500 MHz respectively), which means they handle far more data and do not cap at 16 MHz. So the category that provides 16 MHz bandwidth is Cat3.