NEWS

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIO

THE INTE RNA TION AL

NS

ICF - INTERNATIONAL CABLEMAKE

CAB LE • CON
RS FEDERATION
NECTIVITY SYMPOSIUM
RY ASSOCIATION
Issue 77 | October 2015

INTERNATIONAL WIRE & MAC HINE

TIONAL INC.
THE WIRE ASSOCIATION INTERNA
RERS’ ALLIANCE
THE WIRE & CABLE MANUFACTU

REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
CTURERS ASSOCIATION
ARABCAB - ARAB CABLE MANUFA
- ASIA N WIRE & CAB LE INDU STRY COOPERATION ALLIANCE
AWCCA
EUROPACABLE
Y SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION
WCISA - WIRE AND CABLE INDUSTR
REGIONS
OCIATIONS FROM DIFFERENT
EXAMPLES OF NATIONAL ASS
TRICI
STRIE CAVI E CONDUTTORI ELET
AICE - ASSOCIAZIONE ITALIANA INDU TIVIT Y ASS OCIATION
LE AND CON NEC TION
CCCA - COMMUNICATION CAB EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY ASSOCIA
- ELEC TRIC CAB LE AND WIRE BRANCH OF CHINA ELECTRICAL TRIC OS Y DE FIBR A OPT ICA
ECWB-CEEIA CONDUCTORES ELEC
DE FABRICANTES DE CABLES Y
FACEL - ASOCIACION ESPANOLA
TION
FOA - THE FIBER OPTIC ASSOCIA
BRITISH CABLES ASSOCIATION
SELCABLE (SWEDEN) OCIATION
WIRE AND CABLE MAKERS’ ASS
JCMA - THE JAPANESE ELECTRIC Y CENTER
TRIC CAB LE TEC HNO LOG
JECTEC - JAPAN ELEC
CTURERS ASSOCIATION
MCMA - MALAYSIA CABLE MANUFA
TRIC CAB LE RESEARCH INSTITUTE MUNICATION
SECRI - SHANGH AI ELEC CABLES ELECTRIQUES ET DE COM
IONN EL DES FABRICANTS DE FILS ET
SYCABEL - SYNDICAT PROFESS
-RELATED ASSOCIATIONS
EXAMPLES OF APPLICATION
ON LARGE ELECTRIC SYSTEMS
CIGRE - INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL S, ASIA-PACIFIC, EUROPE, MENA
-THE -HO ME COUNCILS – AFRICA, AMERICA
FTTH COUNCILS - FIBER-TO
ATIONS AND INSTITUTES
STANDARDS-RELATED ASSOCI
DARDS INSTITUTE
ANSI - AMERICAN NATIONAL STAN ERIALS
AME RICA N SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MAT
ASTM INTERNATIONAL - DS ASS OCIA TION
STAN DAR

WIRE AND
CCSA - CHINA COMMUNICATIONS
STANDARDIZATION
CEN - EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR DARDIZATION
EE FOR ELECTROTECHNICAL STAN
CENELEC - EUROPEAN COMMITT DS ASS OCIA TION
N STAN DAR
CSA GROUP - FORMERLY CANADIA
ICATION STANDARDS INSTITUTE
ETSI - EUROPEAN TELECOMMUN
AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS
IEEE - INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL

CABLE INDUSTRY
AL ELEC TRO TEC HNICAL COMMISSION
IEC - INTERNATION
ATIO N FOR STANDARDIZATION
ISO - INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZ
RNA TION AL TELE COM MUN ICATIONS UNION
ITU - INTE
IONS INDU STR Y ASSOCIATION
TIA - TELECOMMUNICAT NT INSTITUTE
P - RUS SIAN CAB LE SCIE NTIF IC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPME
VNIIK

TRADE
ASSOCIATIONS
ICF NEWS | ISSUE 77

ICF NEWS
MESSAGE FROM
THE ICF SECRETARY GENERAL
CONTENT
WIRE AND CABLE
INDUSTRY TRADE ICF Congress 2015 – 13 to 17 October at the Hotel Mayflower
ASSOCIATIONS Building on the well-received program of Amsterdam last year, this year´s
(pages 1-12)
Congress will focus on North America. The program with high-level speakers will
STATISTICS feature sessions on:

• Items of General Interest

• Industry Reports
• Power Management
• Communication Management
• Customer Perspectives
• Supplier Perspectives and
• Manufacturer Perspectives presented by 3 leading CEOs of our industry

I.C.F The program will be complemented by key notes on Global Trade, the US elections
International Cablemakers and Corporate Philanthropy.
Federation
For more detail please check our website ([Link]), which also provides
information on registered participants.
Paulusgasse 12
A-1030 Wien
Austria ICF Internal – Renate´s farewell
Phone +43-1-532 96 40
At the Washington Congress we will bid good-bye to Renate, the heart and soul
Fax +43-1-532 97 69
of ICF since its foundation, who will retire at the end of the year. On behalf of the
Web [Link] ICF Council, the ICF Standing Commission, all members and myself I would like to
Contact office@[Link] express gratitude for her dedicated services, commitment and human touch in so
many little invisible aspects of a successful congress organization.
The ICF Newsletter is published
several times each year by the
International Cablemakers
Federation. Sincerely yours
Thomas Neesen
The ICF accepts no responsi­bility
for the accuracy or the content of
materials provided by third parties
as identified.
 ICF NEWS | ISSUE 77

WIRE AND CABLE

INDUSTRY TRADE
ASSOCIATIONS Provided by CRU

CABLE END-USE MARKETS ARE CHANGING RAPIDLY. THERE IS A

STEADY FLOW OF NEW STANDARDS AND NEW RULES AFFECTING
RECYCLING, SAFETY, TRADE, AND CABLE APPLICATIONS. TRADE
ASSOCIATIONS HELP CABLE MAKERS NAVIGATE THESE CHANGING
FACTORS.
review of various trade associations in
WHAT IS A TRADE the wire and cable industry shows the
WHERE TRADE
ASSOCIATIONS CAN ASSOCIATION? following objectives:

HELP A trade association is an organi-

zation of individuals or companies »» Represent the industry to gov-
Wire and cable companies must
who have joined to work toward ernment organizations involved
address a wide range of internal and
in regulations, trade, etc.;
external factors to succeed – mak- common goals or interests affect-
ing top-quality cable is not enough. ing their industry or profession. »» Data collection and dissemina-
There are local, national, and inter- tion – market information, trade
Often, these goals include promo-
national regulations to understand. statistics, other data;
tion of the group or industry’s inter-
There is a need for good market
information. There are standards ests to government policy makers, »» Publications for industry news,
to develop and to follow. There are programs to increase domestic and technical articles, and other
laws and rules under development international commerce, or edu- information;
that could affect cable markets. The cational activities. Trade associa- »» Education, training, career devel-
cable company employees benefit tions are distinct from trade unions, opment programs;
from training programs. The industry
which aim to promote the interests »» “Networking” events for industry
needs good conferences and exhi-
of individuals to their employers. professionals;
bitions. And sometimes, it’s useful
just to meet and socialize with other »» Funding for joint laboratory work
people in the same business, catch WHY JOIN ? and other technical cooperation;
up on colleagues and contacts, etc.
WHAT DO THEY »» Organize trade missions, trade-
Trade associations address these show pavilions, other interna-
needs. Throughout the world, there
ACCOMPLISH? tional market development,
are hundreds of trade associations The general answer is that the trade
that can help wire and cable mak- »» Supply standard publications;
association uses the resources of
ers, ranging from big international »» Develop standards, or partici-
multiple members for objectives that
groups with hundreds of corporate pate in international standards
would be difficult for an individual or
members, to small regional or local committees.
groups with fewer than 10 members. a single company to accomplish. A

page 1
ICF NEWS | ISSUE 77

modern industries. Some trade associa-

NETWORKING IS A WHEN DID TRADE tions are national, some are international,
MAJOR BENEFIT ASSOCIATIONS some have local or regional chapters, and

For many individuals, the information START? some have various committees and sub-
groups for different objectives.
and “networking” functions are attrac-
In a newsletter of the Specialty Coffee
tive reasons to stay involved in a trade
Association of America, the group’s
association. Often, the term “network- HOW MANY TRADE
executive director writes that trade
ing” refers to a process of making con-
associations date back to the guilds of
ASSOCIATIONS?
tacts for finding a new job or advancing
the Middle Ages, which were organized In the US, there were 92,231 trade and
one’s career. professional association in 2010. This
to promote craftsmanship, and these
guilds “largely replaced the religious fra- figure comes from the ASAE, which
With the trade association benefits is the Center for Association Leader-
ternities that organized craftsmen from
discussed here, the term is used ship, previously known as the American
Roman times.” Directory listings for US
more broadly to refer to a chance to Society of Association Executives. It is
and UK trade associations show some
exchange information for example on an association of people who work for
dating back to the 1800s in their current
changing legislation affecting the wire associations. The ASAE attributes the
form. In the US, for example, the federal
and cable business or future technol- 92,231 figure to the US Internal Revenue
law recognizing the tax-exempt status of
ogy trends. Service – the federal agency that collects
trade associations took effect in 1913.
income taxes. In the US, professional
Since the 1800s, of course, the number societies and trade associations register
THE INTERNET HAS of professions has increased with eco- with the government to receive a special
CHANGED THINGS nomic growth, technological advances, tax-exempt status, so the federal gov-
and the advent of new industries. ernment has an accurate tally of them.
As in many areas of personal and
Based on information from other coun-
business activities, the Internet has tries, we estimate the world has several
brought big changes in the role of
THOUSANDS
hundred thousand trade associations.
trade associations in the past 20 OF INDUSTRIES In China, for example, there are many
years.
AND TRADE industries with provincial and local trade
associations, including the cable industry.
The Internet enables instant com-
ASSOCIATIONS
munication to other individuals and The Standard Industrial Classification sys- HOW BIG ARE TRADE
groups. This makes it easier for trade tem, lists 450 industries using a four-digit
coding scheme. The SIC system dates
ASSOCIATIONS?
associations to communicate with
members, but it also makes it more back to 1937 and has been used by the In the US, the American Chemical Soci-
US, UK, and other government organi- ety (ACS) is the largest professional and
important for trade associations to
zations to track employment and other trade association. As of 2014, the ACS
provide opportunities for face-to-face
industrial statistics. In 1997, the US gov- had 161,000 members, 1,984 full-time
meetings at conferences and meet-
ernment developed the North American employees, US$ 775 million in total
ings. Some trade associations also
Industrial Classification System, which assets, and US$ 486 million in full-year
have developed websites that serve
uses six-digit codes to categorize 1,065 total expenses. The IEEE has its head-
as a clearinghouse for information – quarters in New York City but is an inter-
industries. In both the SIC and NAICS
offering databanks, directories, index- schemes, there are 10 to 15 codes cov- national society. It describes itself as the
es, and other tools that members can ering wire- and cable-related industries. world’s largest professional society, hav-
access or search while logged into the The number of trade associations and ing 430,000 members in 160 countries,
association’s site. their objectives reflect the complexities of US$ 500 million in assets, and operat-

page 2
 ICF NEWS | ISSUE 77

ing expenses of US$ 425 million in 2013. that go back much further. The IEEE their membership to maintain communi-
Like other large associations, the IEEE’s evolved from the American Institute of cations and organize their meetings. The
largest expense categories include pub- Electrical Engineers (AIEE), which start- US’s National Armored Cable Manufac-
lications and conferences. According to ed in 1884, and many of its early lead- turers Association, for example, has five
the US’s ASAE, “The average trade asso- ers were from the telegraph, power, and members, and officials from the member
ciation spent nearly US$ 1.2 million on telephone industries. (The AIEE merged companies manage the association’s infor-
program activity in 2009 – which includes with the Institute of Radio Engineers in mation services and scholarship program.
publications, conferences, seminars, 1963 to from the IEEE.
and other forms of education – and US$ OVERVIEW OF THE
66,400 on lobbying activity...”
HOW BIG ARE CABLE MAIN WORK
TRADE ASSOCIATIONS The remainder of this article describes a
CABLE TRADE sampling of some wire and cable trade
Most wire and cable associations are
associations. We cannot summarize the
ASSOCIATIONS small compared with the IEEE, ACS,
activity of all cable associations here. Rath-
How many cable trade or other multi-industry groups. The
er, the goal is to illustrate the range of activi-
associations? Wire Association International (WAI), for
ties currently underway among wire and
We estimate the number of wire-and- example, has about 2,400 members.
cable associations. As a group, these asso-
cable-related trade associations to be Like the ACS and the IEEE, the WAI’s
ciations are addressing the following areas:
near 100, possibly between 100 and 150. membership is individuals, not compa-
There are many national cable organiza- nies. The largest wire and cable asso- 1. information on “green” cable
tions, some having as few as five to ten ciations with corporate members have materials, recycling, and “cradle-
corporate members. There are several hundreds of members: to-grave” life-cycle issues;
regional associations, such as Europaca- 2. how cable materials, technologies,
ble, Arabcab and AWIA (Australasia Wire • The Electric Cable and Wire and designs can help improve
Industry Association). There are interna- Branch of the China Electrical energy efficiency in key application
tional cable organizations having hun- Equipment Industry Association areas;
dreds of corporate members. There are (ECWB-CEEIA) has more than 3. certification and other programs
associations for wire and cable makers, 500 corporate members. to prevent mislabelling or counter-
as well as associations for companies in • The International Wire & Machinery feiting;
related industries – machinery for making Association (IWMA) has more than 4. providing current information on
wire and cable, polymers used in cable, 300 members in 50 countries. standards and developments in
cable users and applications, cable stan- • Europacable represents large new market areas, such as solar
dards groups, and many others. multi-national companies and, via cable, offshore wind cables, data
National Associations, around 200 centres and premises networks,
CABLE ASSOCIATIONS highly specialized small- and medi- broadband telecom networks;
um sized businesses from across 5. training, education, and the
GO BACK 100 YEARS Europe in all areas of wire, cable, exchange of technical information.
In the cable industry, Sycable of France accessories and winding wires.
was started in 1917, the Wire Associa- • The International Cablemakers Fed- The associations below are grouped into
tion International was started in 1930, eration has close to 100 members, international, regional, national, and oth-
and the JCMA of Japan was started in many of which are large multina- er categories, and listed alphabetically
1948. Most of the wire and cable asso- tional cable-making groups. within those categories. There are at
ciations appear to have started in the least 25 national cable associations, and
last 50 years, although some countries in There also are many smaller national and we have described a handful from each
Europe have precursors or cable asso- local organizations, some of which have region to help illustrate the background
ciations (possibly under a different name) no full-time staff, but use volunteers from and history of cable associations.

page 3
ICF NEWS | ISSUE 77

Trade  Associations  Help  Wire  and  Cable  Companies  

Address  Many   Internal  and  External  Business  Factors        

Manufacturing   expertise External: Economic   cycles Trade  Associations  

Cost  control Market   Material  costs   Can  Provide:
Product  and  process   R&D Competition
Factors
Market   trends ü Material  price  info.
ü Market  data
ü Other  industry  
data  Standards:  
Internal: Successful   External: Information  &  
Technology   Wire  and   Regulatory   Development
Factors Cable   Factors ü Regulatory  info.
Company ü Lobbying
ü Product  info.
ü Conferences  and  
seminars
Product   standards
Mktg.   &  sales  e xpertise Internal: Trade   policies ü Employee  training
Employee  training ü Trade-­‐shows  
Human   Environmental  rules
Market    knowledge ü Marketing  support
Other   national     and
Customer  relationships Factors
international  regulations

*   Yellow   font  =   Where   Trade   Associations   offer  support

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
ICF €13.2 billion (US$14.2 billion). Prys- The ICF objectives include its annual
International Cablemakers mian has plants in 50 countries, and congress, collection of industry statis-
Federation Nexans has plants in 40 countries. tics, and programs to promote con-
Founded in 1990, the ICF has close to These two companies represent the tacts and relationships with suppliers
100 corporate members from almost largest geographic “footprints” in the of machinery and raw materials and
40 countries. Many of the members wire and cable industry, but many with other organizations.
are large cable-making groups with other ICF members have operations
factories or subsidiaries in many coun- in multiple countries throughout the The ICF’s information and promotional
tries. The two largest groups, Prysmian world. The ICF membership directory programs are focused on topics such
and Nexans, for example, had 45,000 is organized so that web users can as health and safety, improved utilization
employees between them in 2014, and search it by region, country, or product and recovery of cable materials, and cur-
their 2014 sales figures combined for (type of cable or wire). rent trends in cable design and usage.

page 4
 ICF NEWS | ISSUE 77

IWCS IWMA WAI

The International International Wire & Machinery The Wire Association
Cable • Connectivity Symposium Association International Inc.
formerly, the International The IWMA dates back to 1970 when The WAI is a professional society for
Wire & Cable Symposium several UK wire industry executives individuals, not corporations. The WAI’s
The IWCS is not an association with formed the Wire Manufacturers Associa- mission is to support technical, manu-
corporate or individual members, tion (WMA) to promote the capabilities facturing, and general business seg-
but it serves several roles common of companies making machinery for wire ments of the wire and cable industry.
to other associations – an annual and cable production. Initially the group It does this with educational programs,
meeting for sharing technical infor- had 44 companies as founding mem- conferences and exhibits, and publica-
mation, scholarship programs, and bers, and they organized several UK tions. In addition to its monthly maga-
an archive of technical information. technical conferences in the early 1970s. zine (Wire Journal International), the WAI
The major activity of the IWCS is the has an on-line store with more than 50
annual symposium, currently called Within a few years, the WMA was technical reports, handbooks, industry
the IWCS International Cable & Con- attracting overseas members, and in guides, reference books, and confer-
nectivity Symposium. 1976, the organization changed its ence proceedings for sale, along with
The IWCS has two permanent staff name to the IWMA. By the 1980s, the more than 1,000 technical papers.
members and a large group of volun- group’s bi-annual exhibition in Switzer-
teers from the industry that plan and land had become an important event, The WAI’s main event is the biennial
develop the annual program, chair the and in 1986 it was moved to Dussel- Interwire conference and exhibition held
sessions, oversee the symposium’s dorf, Germany. Also in the 1980s, the in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. WAI describes
financial structure, and help deliver IWMA established events in other coun- this event as “the largest wire and cable
the group’s missions of technical tries, including one in Atlanta, Georgia, manufacturing trade show in the Ameri-
information and education. USA, organized in cooperation with cas.” It attracts attendees from more
the WAI. During the 1990s, the IWMA than 50 countries
The symposium committee and the established a relationship with Messe
annual conference date back to 1952, Dusseldorf for the industry’s biannual WCMA
when US government and industry Wire Dusseldorf exhibition. The Wire & Cable Manufacturers'
officials organized the first confer- Alliance
ence to discuss and support techni- Currently, the IWMA is involved in The WCMA was established in June
cal advances in military wire and cable numerous exhibitions and conference 2004 as the successor organization
systems. The sessions expanded to throughout the world, some in coop- to the Wire & Cable Clubs of America.
cover more topics, and the agenda eration with local partners. Wire Dus- WCMA’s corporate members include
attracted more international par- seldorf is held in even-numbered years, manufacturers of electrical, electronic
ticipants, so the group adopted the and the Atlanta Interwire is held in odd- and fiber optic wire and cable with a
name International Wire and Cable numbered years. base in North America.
Symposium in 1967. The membership also includes suppli-
The IWMA also publishes the semi- ers of materials, machinery, distribu-
The most recent conference, held in annual WCN, an industry directory, tors and other service suppliers, affili-
November of 2014, had more than and various technical proceedings. The ated companies and organizations
100 technical papers, 10 training IWMA also manages an educational serving the wire and cable industry.
courses, more than 100 exhibitors, trust fund that provides scholarships A major function of the WCMA is net-
and about 1,000 attendees. and grants.
working events.

page 5
ICF NEWS | ISSUE 75

REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Arabcab AWCCA’s charter members include APK- tives of developing ethical, sustainable
Arab Cable Manufacturers Association ABEL (Indonesia), ECWB-CEEIA (China), and high-quality cables.
Arabcab has more than 50 members HECA (Vietnam), MCMA (Malaysia), and Europacable is a partner of CENEL-
in 14 countries in the Middle East and TEWCA (Taiwan). The AWCCA provides EC and is registered in the European
North Africa, including Sudan. The Asso- a monthly “news clipping” service. Commission´s transparency register.
ciation says that the combined cable
production of its members was more Europacable According to CRU, the total output of
than US$10 billion in 2012. Arabcab Europacable is the voice of all lead- Europe’s wire and cable industry was 2.8
dates back to 2004 and has its head- ing European wire and cable produc- million conductor-tonnes in 2014, with a
quarters in Bahrain, near the Bahrain ers. Members include the largest cable market value of US$31 billion. Europa-
City Centre. makers in the world providing global cable is a partner of CENELEC, which is
The association’s main focus is organiz- technology leadership, as well as highly an electronic standards organization rec-
ing the annual Arabcab conference, held specialized small- and medium sized ognized by the European Commission.
in the fourth quarter, in different cities businesses from across Europe.
throughout the Middle East and North WCISA
Africa. The 2014 conference was held Europacable´s mission is to represent Wire and Cable Industry Suppliers
in Aswan, Egypt. the wire and cable industry in relevant Association
EU policy debates, notably the creation The WCISA has 90 corporate mem-
AWCCA of the “EU Energy Union”, the “Euro- bers, which either have headquarters
Asian Wire & Cable Industry pean Digital Single Market” as well as or subsidiaries in the US or Canada. Its
Cooperation Alliance environmental issues. Furthermore, the members are companies manufactur-
In 2012, a group of Asian wire and cable Europacable objective is to be a trusted ing machinery, dies, resins, yarns, lubri-
industry associations from China, Indo- source of technical information on wire cants, instruments, and other products
nesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam and cable products and to be actively used to make wire and cable. A major
established the AWCCA to promote engaged in relevant standardization pro- function of the WCISA is to exhibit at
communications among the different cesses. On July 15, 2015 Europacable events for its members, including par-
national associations and professional launched the “Europacable Industry ticipation in about 10 trade shows in
groups in Asia. The AWCCA’s objectives Charter”, expressing its members' com- 2015. The WCISA also has a scholar-
include: mitment to the principles and objec- ship program.

• share success stories and best

practices for manufacturers with-
in the region;
• improve product standards and
specifications;
• exchange information on
advanced technologies;
• training activities and meetings
with experts;
• share investment information.

page 6 Slide 4 | Graphic courtesy of Commscope

 ICF NEWS | ISSUE 75

EXAMPLES OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS
AICE including data centres and a wide FACEL
Associazione Italiana Industrie arrange of other organizations that have Asociacion Espanola de Fabricantes
Cavi e Conduttori Elettrici internal networks for computer, video, de Cables y Conductores Electricos
The AICE is the association that rep- and telephone applications. “Code com- y de Fibra Optica
resents Italy’s wire and cable industry pliance” refers to the CCCA’s work with Spain’s FACEL was established in 1977
within the country’s broader federation organizations such as BICSI (Building to support industry planning and devel-
of national associations in the electrical Industry Consulting Service Internation- opment programs and to promote the
industry, the ANIE – National Association al), the National Fire Protection Associa- interests of Spain’s cable industry in
of Electrotechnical Indusrie. The ANIE tion, the Telecommunications Industry national and international administra-
was established in 1945. The AICE has Association (TIA), and other committees tions. Within Spain, FACEL works with
32 member companies, and their com- and institutions with safety, interoperabil- the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, and
bined sales in 2013 amounted to €2.4 ity, and product performance standards. Trade on issues such as regulations for
billion euros (US$2.6 billion). The AICE The CCCA has 27 corporate members. HV lines, the Ministry of Environment-
says that this figure represents 85% of It provides a quarterly newsletter and Climate on issues such as packaging
the country’s wire and cable turnover, other information services. and waste, the Ministry of Health and
according the Italy’s national statistics Consumer on issues of cable quality and
agency. ECWB-CEEIA safety, and various regional government
The AICE has four subgroups, repre- Electric Cable and Wire Branch of authorities.
senting two segments of energy cables, China Electrical Equipment Industry
communication cables, and winding Association FACEL also works with the Asociacion
wire. The AICE’s mission is to repre- The ECWB says it is one of 33 branch- Espanola de Normalizacion y Certifacion
sent the wire and cable industry to es of the broader CEEIA, and the only (AENOR), which represents Spain in
policymakers in Italy and the EU and to nationwide wire and cable association in international standards bodies, including
international standards and certification China. It has more than 500 members, the ISO, IEC, European CEN, CENELEC,
agencies. Another element of its mission including wire and cable manufacturers, and ETSI. AENOR also has activities in
to promote industry growth and techni- research institutes, trading companies, several countries of Latin America, North
cal developments. and suppliers of machinery and materi- Africa, and Europe.
als. Its primary objectives are consulting
CCCA and analysis services for government FACEL has at the time being 32 mem-
Communication Cable and and corporate members. bers companies and their combined
Connectivity Association The ECWB-CEEIA has eight depart- turnover in 2014 was € 1.5 Billion.
The CCCA is a US-based organization ments covering different areas of wire According to FACEL's statistics, 63%
established in 2007 to support educa- and cable technology, and one for of this total was Export sales.
tion, code-compliance, environmen- international communication and coop-
tal, and anti-counterfeit initiatives for eration. The ECWB-CEEIA website says The 2014 total also had decreased
companies involved in the structured “Shanghai Electric Cable Research 6,1% from the 2013 total, due to
cabling market. The expression “struc- Institute (SECRI) is responsible for the the lower demand in the sectors of
tured cabling” refers to communication operation and management of ECWB construction and electric power genera-
networks within a building or campus, secretariat.” tion / distribution.

page 7
ICF NEWS | ISSUE 77

FOA European (CENELEC) and International SELCABLE is committed to engaging in

The Fiber Optic Association Standards (IEC). In addition they help the following three dimensions:
The FOA is a US-based non-profit edu- publish codes of practice and guides to
cational organization. Its main function safe cable and cable accessory manu- • To be recognized as a fully trans-
is to support the training of fiber optic facturing and usage. parent lobby organization repre-
technicians and installers by evaluating senting the cable industry in rel-
and certifying training programs, certify- Whilst its work is varied, the BCA also: evant EU and national regulations
ing instructors, and supplying textbooks, and policies.
programs, and other training programs. • meets with external influencers • To be trusted source of technical
The FOA also supplies a monthly news- including those managing the information on cable products and
letter, participates in standards commit- issue of metal theft, utilities, be actively engaged in relevant
tees, and maintains a web-based train- wholesalers, distributors, standardization processes.
ing resource called “Fiber-U.” As of late contractors and installers • To raise visibility of the Swedish
2014, the FOA had approved more than • supports the Approved Cables cable industry.
250 training programs in 40 countries, Initiative and its campaign against
and more than 50,000 technicians had substandard and non-approved JCMA
completed requirements for FOA certifi- cables The Japanese Electric Wire and
cation. FOA membership is available for • assists BASEC (a UK approvals Cable Makers’ Association
both individuals and corporations. body) through its certification The JCMA membership includes 123
committees and with technical regular member companies, 23 support-
British Cables Association advice ing member companies, and four pub-
Founded in 1899, the British Cables • provides technical and environ- lic organizations.. The JCMA estimates
Association (BCA) is the trade asso- mental secretarial services to that Japan has about 300 companies
ciation for British manufacturers and Europacable – as well as attend- making wire and cable and that its 123
associate companies manufacturing ing product group meetings, shar- regular members represent 90% of the
insulated cables, wires and accesso- ing discussion papers, communi- country’s wire and cable market.
ries. Representing its members on rel- cation opportunities and providing
evant policy issues across four product technical support The JCMA provides monthly market data,
sectors – energy cables, supertension • collates monthly import data information on overseas markets, inter-
cables, communications cables and from 3rd parties, producing a national trade data and other industry
power accessories – the BCA promotes statistical digest statistics, analyses of international stan-
their interests throughout Europe and dards activities, technical studies, indus-
worldwide markets. SELCABLE (Sweden) try news, and other information services.
Where appropriate, BCA provides ser- Selcable is, since the year of 2000, the JCMA also reports cable industry data
vices with the objective of contributing Swedish business organization for cable to government agencies and reports on
to the commercial success of the UK and wire manufacturers. The objectives government policies to its members.
cable systems industry and it also runs are to promote and communicate the
a forum for discussion on environmental interests of the organization in the areas JCMA publications include “The Wire
and Health & Safety matters. of standardization, drafts from authori- Handbook,” “JCS Standard,” “Wire Indus-
ties etc. The organization represents the try Overview,” “The Wire Statistics Annual
BCA staff and members are involved five major Swedish cable manufactur- Report,” and the “Wire Times Journal.”
in more than 70 BSI committees con- ers in the European cable association Technical studies currently underway
tributing to the development of British, EUROPACABLE. include work on the use of materials derived

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from non-fossil sources, such as plants, full-time employees, an annual budget under local government management
increased use of recyclable materials, and of about ¥ 400 million (US$3.4 million), -- the State-owned Assets Commission
other developments that address issues of assets of ¥800 million (US$6.7 million), of Shanghai, the High-tech Enterprise of
chemical substances and recycling. and 3,600 square metres of floor space. Shanghai, and the Experimental National
Innovative Enterprise. SECRI’s main mis-
In addition, the JCMA develops stan- MCMA sion continues to be scientific research,
dards for safety, product performance, Malaysia Cable Manufacturers design, testing, and international affairs
and uniform specifications with a goal of Association for the country’s wire and cable industry.
maximizing the uniformity of Japanese was established in 1980 and currently has SECRI has more than 400 staff members,
and international standards, such as IEC 18 member companies. Its mission is to including 90 senior engineers. For interna-
standards. Specific standards projects promote cooperation among its members tional affairs, SECRI has a unit known as
currently underway include standards for for standardization of products and ser- SECRI-TI (SECRI Trading International).
superconducting cable, optimal conductor vices, and to provide a liaison with govern-
size for low-voltage, environmentally friendly ment authorities, including the Ministry of SYCABEL
cables, triple-insulated winding wire, and Finance, the Ministry of International Trade Syndicat Professionnel des
“solar” cables for photovoltaic systems. and Industry, and SIRIM (the Standards Fabricants de Fils et Câbles
and Industrial Research Institute of Malay- Electriques et de Communication
JECTEC sia). SIRIM is a corporation that is wholly France’s national cable association, Syca-
JCMA cooperates with JECTEC for owned by the national government. SIRIM bel dates back to 1917. The 24 corporate
training and human resources pro- handles the implementation of standards, members of the association represent
grams,. JECTEC is the Japan Electric and the MCMA contributes to the writing 90% of France’s wire and cable industry.
Cable Technology Center. JECTEC is of cable-related standards. The MCMA Among them are some of the worldwide
located in Hamamatsu, a city of about meets monthly and facilitates participa- leaders. Like other European associations,
800,000 people. Hamamatsu is about tion in other conferences for its members. Sycabel represents its member’s interests
250 km southwest of Tokyo in western in the EU as well as with the national gov-
Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. JECTEC SECRI ernment. Sycabel also works with the
was established in 1991 as cooperative Shanghai Electric Cable standards organizations and other profes-
testing, research, and training labora- Research Institute sional societies. Sycabel provides news
tory. JECTEC says it is evolving from SECRI was founded in 1957 under the alerts on current topics trough a regular
its initial mission emphasizing R&D, to State Council with the mission of con- e-newsletter sent to their partners. It par-
a qualified authority for testing, inspec- ducting R&D for the cable industry. In ticipates in the digital data evolution with
tion, and certification. JECTEC has 31 1999, SECRI was re-organized and put the CABLE-BASE® website.

EXAMPLES OF APPLICATION-RELATED ASSOCIATIONS

CIGRE information to improve power system on new materials and designs for high-
International Council on Large operation and efficiency. In recent years, voltage cables is a major thrust of the
Electric Systems, it has been particularly active with pro- R&D spending for many cable compa-
CIGRE was established in 1921 with the grams to promote sustainable power nies, and CIGRE is a key resource for
aim of promoting international coopera- technologies, international transmission publications and papers in this area.
tion on power systems. It is active in projects, environmental practices, and CIGRE is based in Paris, and it orga-
developing standards and publishing high-voltage technologies. Research nizes a biennial conference there, held

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ICF NEWS | ISSUE 77

in even-numbered years. In recent include cable-related topics. CIGRE fur- of related engineering and economic
years, this event has attracted 3,000 nishes a vast array of technical papers, issue. The Americas council, organized
attendees and presented about 400 proceedings, a bimonthly journal, and in 2001, was the first, and in 2009, the
papers. In addition, CIGRE has spon- other information services. LATAM chapter was formed within the
sored additional symposia, colloquia, Americas Council. The Europe council
and annual meetings on specific top- FTTH Councils was established in 2004, and the Asia-
ics and in various countries throughout Fiber-to-the-Home Councils – Pacific council in 2005. Each of the
the world. CIGRE has national commit- Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific, councils organizes an annual confer-
tees in more than 60 countries. CIGRE Europe, MENA ence and exhibition, and these events
members include individuals, compa- The FTTH Councils are associations have become an important venue for
nies, and other organizations involved in of companies involved in fibre-based discussing issues with cable installation
power system engineering. Thousands access networks who have organized in access networks and new fibre and
of people participate in its committees the councils to promote the use of fibre cable designs optimized for those appli-
and working groups, organized into 16 and to share information on topics such cations. In addition, the FTTH Coun-
topic areas, one of which is focused spe- as network costs, best practices in net- cils arrange various quarterly and local
cifically on insulated cables, but others work construction, and a wide range meetings for their corporate members.

STANDARDS-RELATED ASSOCIATIONS AND INSTITUTES

ANSI In 2013, ANSI had expenses of US$36.5 in the railroad and construction industries.
American National Standards million, over half of which went for pub- The ASTM currently has more than 140
Institute lications and accreditation services. standards-writing committees, and more
Established in 1918, ANSI oversees the Altogether, US$29.7 million of ANSI’s than 12,000 published standards. More
creation, acceptance, publication, and expenses went for standards programs than 6,500 of these have been adopted as
use of standards for a wide range of and US$6.8 million was spent on mem- the basis of national standards or used as
industries, as phrased on its website: bership, administration, and manage- reference documents in countries outside
“from acoustical devices to construc- ment functions. ANSI is the official US the US. The ASTM has completed hun-
tion equipment, from dairy and livestock representative to the ISO and via the US dreds of standards on materials used in
production to energy distribution, and National Committee, to the IEC. making cable or on procedures for testing
many more.” As of 2014, ANSI’s mem- cables and cable materials.
bership included 647 companies, and ASTM International
338 organizations (trade associations, American Society for Testing CCSA
professional societies, standards com- and Materials China Communications Standards
mittees, consumer and labour groups), ASTM has both individual and organiza- Association
57 government agencies, 26 educa- tional memberships, with total member- The CCSA was established in 2002 when
tional and institutional organizations, and ship exceeding 30,000 individuals from eight precursor standards bodies were
38 international organizations. ANSI has 150 countries. The ASTM dates back to restructured into one unified nationwide
accredited 235 standards-writing orga- 1898, when it was founded as the Ameri- organization. In 2013, the CCSA had 369
nizations and it has approved 11,197 can Society of the International Associa- members – mainly corporate bodies --
standards. ANSI also participates in 574 tion for Testing Materials. Its first standard including manufacturers, R&D institutes,
International Standards Organization was “Structural Steel for Bridges,” and operators, universities, and other societ-
(ISO) technical advisory groups. other early standards addressed problems ies. The CCSA works on standards in

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 ICF NEWS | ISSUE 77

all areas of ICT – information and com- for both ([Link] CSA Group
munications technology. China’s tele- that explains the 2010 creation of a formerly Canadian Standards
com operators are installing mobile and joint CEN-plus-CENELEC management Association
fixed broadband networks, including centre in Brussels. The centre has 80 The CSA was established in 1919 as the
4G and FTTx systems, at a rapid rate. full-time employees. CEN and CENELEC Canadian Engineering Standards Asso-
The operators also are upgrading their both support international standards by ciation (CESA), with an initial focus on
backbones with the latest technologies, working with the International Standards developing standards for railway equip-
such as Tbps-rate transmission sys- Organization (ISO) and the International ment and safety. The organization’s first
tems. As a result a major thrust of the Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). published standard in 1920 was on steel
CCSA’s recent work is developing stan- railway bridges. By 1950, the group had
dards for new-generation transmission CENELEC broadened its mission to cover a wide
and access systems. In 2013, the CCSA European Committee for range of electrical equipment and was
completed 34 standards and 23 techni- Electrotechnical Standardization renamed as the Canadian Standards
cal report/research projects. The CCSA CENELEC is recognized by the European Association (CSA). In the 1970s, the
also reviewed 209 national and industry Commission as the sanctioned standards CSA began work on quality-manage-
standards in 2013. The CCSA works with organization for electronics, including the ment standards that became the basis
the ITU on communication standards. following sectors: electric vehicles, smart of the international ISO 9000 standards.
grids, smart metering, household appli- Since 2000, the CSA has expanded its
CEN ances, information and communication testing and certification programs with
European Committee for technologies (ICTs), electromagnetic six labs Europe, three in Asia, and sev-
Standardization compatibility (EMC), electrical engineer- eral others in planning stages.
CEN is a Europe-wide standards organi- ing, fibre optic communications, fuel cells,
zation. It accepts, certifies, and publish- medical equipment, railways, and solar Currently, the CSA Group has 1,600
es standards and reference documents. (photovoltaic) electricity systems. employees in 14 countries, and 7,800 mem-
CEN publications are known as Techni- CENELEC has 33 members, which are bers (individuals) that work on standards and
cal Specifications, Technical Reports, the national electrotechnical standards technical committees. The Group has devel-
Guides, and Workshop Agreements. organizations of 33 European countries. oped more than 3,000 codes and stan-
These four different types of publica- CENELEC also has 13 affiliate members, dards in many areas, including automotive,
tions have different methods of devel- which are from countries in E. Europe, construction, consumer products, energy,
opment, approval, and implementation. the Middle East, and north Africa. 33 industrial materials, and wire and cables.
CEN’s 33 members are the national countries are members, with another 14
standards organizations of the 28 EU countries as affiliates. ETSI
member countries, plus Iceland, FYR European Telecommunication
Macedonia, Norway, Switzerland, and CENELEC has 300 technical bodies Standards Institute
Turkey. It is organized with 450 Techni- working on standards in all areas of ETSI drafts standards for a wide range
cal Bodies and Workshops, which are electrical and electronics. It has 6,519 of telecom and information technologies,
further segmented into 1,650 working active standards, and it published 509 including fibre and cable, and DSL sys-
groups and subcommittees. CENELEC new standards or amendments to exist- tems for copper pairs. Some of the stan-
dards are used globally, and ETSI has 800
is a companion organization with the ing standards in 2014. CENELEC is one
member organizations from 64 countries.
same objective as CEN but focused on of three European standards organiza-
ETSI says “we are officially recognized by
electrical and electronics technologies. tions that are recognized by the Europe-
the European Union as a European Stan-
CEN and CENELEC have their own an Commission as European standards:
dards Organization.” The telecom cable
websites, plus there is third website CEN, CENELEC, and ETSI
standards are organized under the “Net-

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ICF NEWS | ISSUE 77

works” cluster, one of ten clusters includ- lubricants, shielding, wrapping cable in members. Its members are the stan-
ing wireless, security, interoperability, and aerial installations, cable raceways, etc. dards bodies from 164 countries. It is
others. An example of a recent standard A search of the IEEE standards database the world’s broadest and most influential
under this cluster was version 3.1 of DOC- with the keyword “cable” brings up refer- standards organization. The ISO works
SIS, the Data Over Cable Service Interface ences to 294 standards. with the IEC and ITU, as well as with the
Specification, which defines cable-modem World Trade Organization and United
technology so that CATV operators can IEC Nations agencies. The ISO also works
offer broadband Internet over their coax International Electrotechnical about 650 other international, national,
or fibre-plus-coax networks. Commission and technical standards organizations.
The IEC was established in 1906, but The ISO has 138 full-time staff members.
IEEE it has several precursor organizations Its headquarters is in Geneva. Each of
Institute of Electrical and – including national congresses – that the 163 member countries contributes
Electronics Engineers predate it by several years. Since then, a fee toward the ISO’s operational cost
The IEEE dates back to a precursor orga- the IEC has become the predominant based on its GDP and trade statistics.
nization founded in 1884 as the American international standards organization that Other costs associated with develop-
Institute of Electrical Engineers. In 1963, is responsible for standardizing product ing standards – travel, time, etc. – are
this organization merged with the Institute specifications and test methods in the contributed by each national standard
of Radio Engineers, which also dates back areas of electrical and electronic technol- organization or organization participating
more than 100 years – to 1912. The IEEE ogies. The IEC is one of three global orga- in standards development work.
currently is the world’s largest professional nizations with a major role in international
organization, with around 430,000 mem- standards, along with the ISO and the The standards work is governed by Tech-
bers (individuals) in 160 countries. With this ITU. The IEC has 28 main committees, nical Committees, which oversee 3.483
size, the IEEE is organized into 39 societ- and four shared committees – shared technical bodies working on standards
ies and special interest groups, plus many with the ISO or ITU. The main committee in different industries and technologies.
national and local chapters. The IEEE has structure oversees 174 Technical Com- In 2013, the ISO completed 1,103 new
hundreds of technical councils, standards mittees (TCs) and subcommittees, 506 standards, representing 59,000 pages. As
committees, and other working groups. working groups, and more than 14,000 of 2013, the ISO had 19,977 active stan-
The IEEE publishes more than 130 jour- experts. Several TCs address cable and dards in force. Of these, 17% were in elec-
nals, proceedings, and magazines, and it cable-related products, including TC 11 tronics, IT, and telecommunications, 11%
has 1,300 active standards and projects Overhead Lines, TC 20 Electric Cables, were in transportation, 23% in materials,
under development. SC 23A Cable Management Systems, 27% in engineering technologies, and the
TC 46 Cables, Wires, Waveguides, RF rest in food, agriculture, health, environ-
None of the IEEE’s 39 societies are Connectors, and RF accessories, SC46A ment, construction, and others. The ISO
focused specifically on cable, but there Coaxial Cables, SC46C Wires and Sym- has published standards with the specifi-
are several societies devoted to systems metric Cables, TC 86 Fibre Optics, SC cations of cable in specific industries, but
and applications using cable, including 86A Fibres and Cables, TA 5 Cable Net- the development of standards for cable
societies for communications, control works for TV Signals, and many others. materials and testing is done by the IEC,
systems, dielectrics and electrical insula- The IEC’s members are the standards the ISO’s partner handling electrotechincal
tion, intelligent transportation, photonics, bodies from different countries. It has 60 standards.
power electronics, and vehicular technol- full members and 23 associate members.
ogies. IEEE standards activities affecting ITU
the cable industry include a wide array of ISO International Telecommunications
power and energy standards, the widely International Organization for Union
used IEEE 802 Ethernet standards, and Standardization The ITU is a United Nations agency. The
standards covering many detailed design Formed in 1946 with delegates from ITU’s mission is to coordinate interna-
and installation practices, such as pulling 25 countries, the ISO currently has 164 tional communications and promote the

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 ICF NEWS | ISSUE 77

development of information and com- including the annual report; 4) business VNIIKP has 240 employees directly
munication technologies throughout development and events, including con- involved in R&D, including 29 PhDs.
the world. Key elements of this mission ferences, webinars, and courses; 5)
include allocation of global RF spectrum, marketing assistance. The TIA is based It also contributes to international
managing satellite orbits, and develop- in Washington, DC, general members research projects and industry pro-
ing technical standards for telecom must be US companies, and the policy grams, and furnishes information to
hardware and systems. and marketing initiatives are to promote its members on technical and prod-
the interests of US companies. The stan- uct developments. In addition to its
The ITU has 193 member countries plus dards that address cable or equipment research, information, and testing ser-
700 corporate and academic members. performance, testing, and compatibility, vices, VNIIKP also organizes exhibitions
The standards work is run by a sector however, are used in many countries at international events plus an annual
known as “ITU-T,” which has a series of conference for officials from Russia’s
numbered Study Groups looking at dif- The TIA has about 350 members, cable manufacturers and users.
ferent types of products and systems. including 15 that make cable and
Study Group 15 (SG 15) is responsible another group of about 15 that make
materials or test instruments used when
for network technologies, including trans-
CONCLUSIONS
port (long-distance or backbone), access making or installing cable. The commit-
(local loop), and inside-the-home. Within tee known as TR-42 is responsible for
Cable makers must spend consid-
SG 15, there are many working groups work on cable standards, and it has
erable time and money to keep up
covering fibre and cable standards. several sub-committees. The main
cable related standards are TIA-942 on the changes in applications and
These recommendations are published
and available from the ITU with a num- (infrastructure for data centres), TIA- regulations. Standards work is a
bering scheme as follows: ITU-T [Link], 568 (building cabling), TIA-569 (build- good example – it takes time to
such as ITU-T G.652. Some recommen- ing pathways and spaces), and TIA-455 develop the standards as well as
dations have amendments or additional (fibre optic test procedures). to develop the requisite products
sets of specifications, noted with more and testing procedures. There are
digits in the numbering scheme. The ITU VNIIKP new environmental and recycling
has more than 4,000 active standards or Russian Cable Scientific Research rules. There are rules for certifying
“recommendations” in force. and Development Institute products.
VNIIKP was founded in 1947 to provide
TIA centralized R&D and testing services There are numerous external mar-
Telecommunications Industry for Russia’s cable industry. Through ket factors to address so that a
Association the 1950s and 1960s, the institute cable maker stays current. Many
The TIA was formed in 1988 by the merger expanded its mission to research all of these problems can be shared
of two other groups both of which were kinds of wire and cable, plus it devel- among the cable makers – that’s
parts of larger groups that dated back oped post-graduate programs to pro- the role of the industry associa-
to the 1920s, the United States Inde- vide research and technical training for tions. The main functions of trade
pendent Telephone Association and the the cable industry. The institute works associations include lobbying
Information and Telecommunications with officials from about 50 cable manu-
when new regulations are being
Technologies Group of the EIA (Electronic facturing sites in Russia, representing
developed, help with standards
Industries Association.) Both precursor the country’s full range of wire and
groups represented companies that sup- development and implementation,
cable products.
ply equipment and network materials to employee training, market and
the network operators. The TIA has five In 1993, the institute became an open technical information, and last but
missions:1) government affairs; 2) technol- joint stock company, registered with not least, meetings and events.
ogy and standards; 3) market intelligence, the Moscow Chamber of Registration.
I.C.F - International Cablemakers Federation

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A-1030 Wien
Austria

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