Structured wiring vs. conventional wiring
Think of wiring as a pipeline for information. Conventional wiring has the data capacity of a squirt gun. By comparison, structured wiring, using Category 5 cables, has the capacity of a fire hose. Structured wiring can transmit more information, faster.  Conventional wiring, which is found in most homes, consists of one or two twisted pairs of wires, and is adequate for basic voice, fax or data communications.  Structured wiring is more advanced wiring. Not only can it handle traditional telephone, fax and data communications, but also sophisticated video and data signals from computers.

Components of a home wiring system
An advanced home wiring system is usually comprised of three main components:

• The service center
  The service center is the part where all outside services enter the home, including cable TV, telephone, DSS satellite, Internet, etc. This central hub distributes these services to locations throughout the house in a way similar to how the electrical breaker panel controls electricity flow.

• High-performance cables
  Certain services like digital satellite, high-speed Internet, and digital TV require high performance cables to allow full access throughout the home.  Most systems include RG-6 coaxial cable for TV and video, and Category 5 or better twisted-pair cable for telephone and data. Coaxial cable provides maximum protection from interference with your TV picture. Category 5 or better cable provides high-speed access to multiple phone lines without cross-talk. These cables deliver all the performance you need today, while providing the capacity to handle tomorrow's technologies.

• Multi-use outlets
  The outlets in each room determine which services are available in that room. Each outlet can be customized to a consumer's specific needs based on which services are desired in each room (cable, Internet access, telephone, etc.). Without the proper outlets, the high-performance wiring behind the wall is of little value.

Resale Value
Homes built today without an upgraded wiring system will not be able to accommodate the demands of new technologies. As such, they will not retain value as strongly as those built with a solid technological infrastructure and, in fact, may not even be considered by a large percentage of future homebuyers. With the rapid growth of new technologies for the home, the ever-changing working environment (telecommuting, home business, etc.), and the revolution in home education and entertainment opportunities, it is predicted that installing structured wiring will potentially increase the resale value of a home.