REELEX Packaging Solutions is now an active member of the Communications Cable & Connectivity Association (CCCA), a non-profit group comprised of manufacturers, distributors, and material suppliers. CCCA is a resource on timely topics affecting the structured cabling industry to help ensure the safety, quality, and performance of communications cable and connectivity products.
“As the first thing installers see when they purchase cable, the package can also be one of the first indications that an end-user might be dealing with suspect cable quality,” said Timothy Copp, vice president of business development at REELEX. “By joining CCCA, REELEX is honored to be part of the organization leading the charge against counterfeit and non-compliant cabling, much of which is typically supplied in knockoff REELEX look-alike packaging. Since many of our licensees are already CCCA members, it is only natural that REELEX joins in the fight against counterfeit and substandard cabling.”
Earlier in 2015, REELEX began its own anti-counterfeiting campaign aimed at educating installers and manufacturers alike about the perils of knockoff REELEX packaging and substandard cabling. Besides frequent knotting, tangling, and poor package performance, knockoff REELEX packages can cause cable damage leading to significant performance degradation, according to the company.
Partially due to this campaign, REELEX signed four new licensees (wire and cable manufacturers/brands) in the first half of the year, stating that never before in its history had so many licensees come on board.
“Counterfeit cable in general is a big deal, and installers need to know it can seriously affect their livelihoods,” said Copp. “Today more than ever, growing technologies like 4K, HDBaseT, and PoE (Power over Ethernet) place heavy performance demands on the cable infrastructure. Inferior cable as the result of copper-shaving, poor materials or just blatant, fraudulent claims of specs and/or certifications not only lead to poor performance but open the door to significant fire and safety issues – all of which can pose liability risks to the installer. Underwriters Laboratories regularly releases warnings about fraudulent and non-compliant wire and cable products.”
