 What is CAT 6A cabling? CAT 6A cabling was the new structured cabling standard that was ratified in 2008 and was the first category to be suitable for 10 gigabit transmission over the standard permanent link distance of 90 meters. In a similar manner to CAT 5E and CAT 6 cable, it is constructed of eight separate cores split into four pairs of colors. Thus, it is classified as a twisted pair data cable. These pairs are twisted together throughout the length of the cable in color groups. Therefore, we have four pairs of different colors. The CAT 6A cable pairs the same as the other categories. These color pairs are a solid and a white slash solid combination. The colors are orange, green, blue, and brown. In comparison to previous categories, it can have a thicker outer jacket, tighter twists, and increased internal airspace. All these elements are created to reduce noise crosstalk during higher transmission speeds. However, these elements result in a larger cable size.