EN IEC 60794-2-21:2019

Optical fibre cables - Part 2-21: Indoor cables - Detailed specification for multi-fibre optical distribution cables for use in premises cabling

IEC 60794-2-21:2019 is available as IEC 60794-2-21:2019 RLV which contains the International Standard and its Redline version, showing all changes of the technical content compared to the previous edition.IEC 60794-2-21:2019 presents the detailed requirements specific to this type of cable to ensure compatibility with the series of International Standards ISO/IEC 11801, Information technology – Generic cabling for customer premises (Parts 1 to 6). The requirements of family specification IEC 60794-2-20 are applicable to cables covered by this document. Particular requirements detailed in Clause 4 define either a specific option in relation to the requirements of IEC 60794-2-20 or additional requirements. This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition published in 2012. It constitutes a technical revision. This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition: a) incorporation of the OM5 cabled fibre performance category; b) incorporation of the OS1a cabled fibre performance category; c) cabled fibre performance categories OM1, OM2 and OS1 are no longer normative, and are retained for information. Keywords: multi-fibre distribution cables

Lichtwellenleiterkabel - Teil 2-21: LWL-Innenkabel - Bauartspezifikation für Mehrfaserverteilerkabel für anwendungsneutrale Standortverkabelung

Câbles à fibres optiques - Partie 2-21: Câbles intérieurs - Spécification particulière pour les câbles optiques multifibres de distribution utilisés dans le câblage de locaux

IEC 60794-2-21:2019 est disponible sous forme de IEC 60794-2-21:2019 RLV qui contient la Norme internationale et sa version Redline, illustrant les modifications du contenu technique depuis l'édition précédente.L'IEC 60794-2-21:2019 fournit les exigences particulières spécifiques à ce type de câble dont l’objet est d’assurer la compatibilité avec la série de Normes internationales ISO/IEC 11801, Technologies de l’information – Câblage générique des locaux d’utilisateurs (Parties 1 à 6). Les exigences contenues dans la spécification de famille IEC 60794-2-20 sont applicables aux câbles couverts par le présent document. Les exigences particulières contenues dans l'Article 4 définissent soit des options spécifiques relatives aux exigences de l’IEC 60794-2-20, soit des exigences complémentaires. La présente troisième édition annule et remplace la deuxième édition parue en 2012. Elle constitue une révision technique. Cette édition inclut les modifications techniques majeures suivantes par rapport à l'édition précédente: a) l’intégration de la catégorie de performance de fibres câblées OM5; b) l’intégration de la catégorie de performance de fibres câblées OS1a; c) Les catégories de performance de fibres câblées OM1, OM2 et OS1 ne sont plus normatives, et sont conservées pour information. Mots-clés: câbles optiques multifibres de distribution

Optični kabli - 2-21. del: Notranji optični kabli - Podrobna specifikacija za razdelilne večvlakenske optične kable za okablenje prostorov (IEC 60794-2-21:2019)

Ta del standarda IEC 60794 predstavlja podrobne zahteve za ta tip kablov za zagotovitev skladnosti z vrsto mednarodnih standardov ISO/IEC 11801, Informacijska tehnologija – Splošni kabli v prostorih strank (deli od 1 do 6).
Za kable, ki jih zajema ta dokument, se uporabljajo zahteve skupinske specifikacije IEC 60794-2-20.
Posebne zahteve iz točke 4 opredeljujejo posebno možnost glede na zahteve iz standarda IEC 60794-2-20 ali dodatne zahteve.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-May-2019
• Withdrawal Date: 16-May-2022
• ICS: 33.180.10 - Fibres and cables
• Technical Committee: CLC/TC 86A - Optical fibres and optical fibre cables
• Drafting Committee: IEC/SC 86A - IEC_SC_86A
• Current Stage: 6060 - Document made available - Publishing
• Start Date: 31-May-2019
• Completion Date: 31-May-2019
• Ref Project: SIST EN IEC 60794-2-21:2019 - Optical fibre cables - Part 2-21: Indoor cables - Detailed specification for multi-fibre optical distribution cables for use in premises cabling (IEC 60794-2-21:2019)

Relations

• Replaces: EN 60794-2-21:2012 - Optical fibre cables - Part 2-21: Indoor optical fibre cables - Detailed specification for multi-fibre optical distribution cables for use in premises cabling
• Effective Date: 04-Jun-2019
• Refers: EN 60794-1-1:2016 - Optical fibre cables - Part 1-1: Generic specification - General
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026
• Refers: EN 60794-2-20:2014 - Optical fibre cables - Part 2-20: Indoor cables - Family specification for multi-fibre optical cables
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026
• Refers: EN IEC 60793-2-50:2019 - Optical fibres - Part 2-50: Product specifications - Sectional specification for class B single-mode fibres
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026
• Refers: EN IEC 60793-2-10:2019 - Optical fibres - Part 2-10: Product specifications - Sectional specification for category A1 multimode fibres
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026
• Referred By: EN 3745-505:2018 - Aerospace series - Fibres and cables, optical, aircraft use - Test methods - Part 505: Cable tensile strength
• Effective Date: 09-Feb-2026
• Referred By: EN 60794-2:2017 - Optical fibre cables - Part 2: Indoor cables - Sectional specification
• Effective Date: 03-Feb-2026
• Amended By: EN IEC 60794-2-21:2019/A1:2021 - Optical fibre cables - Part 2-21: Indoor cables - Detailed specification for multi-fibre optical distribution cables for use in premises cabling
• Effective Date: 26-May-2020

Overview

EN IEC 60794-2-21:2019 specifies the detailed requirements for multi-fibre optical distribution cables designed for indoor use, particularly within premises cabling systems. Issued by CLC, this standard aligns the performance and characteristics of these optical fibre cables to ensure compatibility with the widely adopted ISO/IEC 11801 series, which defines generic cabling for customer premises. The requirements build on the family specification IEC 60794-2-20, adding or specifying options to address the unique needs of multi-fibre distribution cables used in indoor environments.

This third edition introduces significant technical updates, including new cabled fibre performance categories (OM5 and OS1a), while OM1, OM2, and OS1 categories are retained for reference purposes only.

Key Topics

• Performance Categories:
  • Incorporates OM5 for high-bandwidth multimode applications and OS1a for advanced single-mode requirements.
  • OM3 and OM4 remain standard for multimode, with explicit compatibility to updated performance levels.
• Compatibility with International Standards:
  • Ensures complete alignment with ISO/IEC 11801, Parts 1 to 6, supporting structured cabling systems for different types of buildings and premises.
• Requirements Referenced from IEC 60794-2-20:
  • Foundation specifications such as environmental and mechanical performance, test methods, and cable construction.
• Transmission Requirements:
  • Maximum optical fibre attenuation and minimum bandwidth for various fibre types, supporting efficient data transmission in premises networks.

Applications

EN IEC 60794-2-21:2019 applies to the design, selection, and testing of multi-fibre indoor optical distribution cables within a structured cabling system. These cables are critical to:

• Enterprise Office Buildings:
  Providing backbone optical paths for data transmission, supporting local area networks (LAN) and internet connectivity.
• Data Centres:
  Facilitating high-speed, high-density connections between equipment racks, servers, and switch panels.
• Multi-Tenant and Distributed Buildings:
  Enabling flexible and scalable fibre optic distribution between rooms, floors, or service areas.
• Residential and Commercial Premises:
  Supporting FTTH (Fiber to the Home/Building) and smart building infrastructures.

Cables compliant with EN IEC 60794-2-21:2019 are selected for environments where adherence to fire safety, mechanical reliability, and long-term performance under indoor conditions is paramount. The standard establishes optical and environmental performance benchmarks, aiding in compliance with both local safety codes and international best practices.

Related Standards

• IEC 60794-2-20: Family specification for multi-fibre indoor optical cables, providing the baseline requirements that EN IEC 60794-2-21 supplements.
• ISO/IEC 11801 Series: Generic cabling standards for customer premises, including:
  • Part 1: General requirements
  • Part 2: Office premises
  • Part 3: Industrial premises
  • Part 4: Single-tenant homes
  • Part 5: Data centres
  • Part 6: Distributed building services
• IEC 60793-2-10: Specifications for A1 multimode fibres
• IEC 60793-2-50: Specifications for B-class single-mode fibres

By specifying multi-fibre optical distribution cables for indoor premises cabling, EN IEC 60794-2-21:2019 helps ensure reliable, interoperable, and high-performance data transmission infrastructures compliant with global standards. These cables form the backbone of modern premises networks, supporting scalable bandwidth and future-ready connectivity.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2019
Nadomešča:
SIST EN 60794-2-21:2012
Optični kabli - 2-21. del: Notranji optični kabli - Podrobna specifikacija za
razdelilne večvlakenske optične kable za okablenje prostorov (IEC 60794-2-
21:2019)
Optical fibre cables - Part 2-21: Indoor cables - Detailed specification for multi-fibre
optical distribution cables for use in premises cabling (IEC 60794-2-21:2019)
Lichtwellenleiterkabel - Teil 2-21: LWL-Innenkabel - Bauartspezifikation für
Mehrfaserverteilerkabel für anwendungsneutrale Standortverkabelung (IEC 60794-2-
21:2019)
Câbles à fibres optiques - Partie 2-21: Câbles à fibres optiques intérieurs - Spécification
particulière pour les câbles optiques multi-fibres de distribution utilisés dans le câblage
de locaux (IEC 60794-2-21:2019)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN IEC 60794-2-21:2019
ICS:
33.180.10 (Optična) vlakna in kabli Fibres and cables
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN IEC 60794-2-21

NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
May 2019
ICS 33.180.10 Supersedes EN 60794-2-21:2012
English Version
Optical fibre cables - Part 2-21: Indoor cables - Detailed
specification for multi-fibre optical distribution cables for use in
premises cabling
(IEC 60794-2-21:2019)
Câbles à fibres optiques - Partie 2-21: Câbles intérieurs - Lichtwellenleiterkabel - Teil 2-21: LWL-Innenkabel -
Spécification particulière pour les câbles optiques Bauartspezifikation für Mehrfaserverteilerkabel für
multifibres de distribution utilisés dans le câblage de locaux anwendungsneutrale Standortverkabelung
(IEC 60794-2-21:2019) (IEC 60794-2-21:2019)
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2019-05-17. CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC
Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the
same status as the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2019 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
Ref. No. EN IEC 60794-2-21:2019 E

European foreword
The text of document 86A/1925/FDIS, future edition 3 of IEC 60794-2-21, prepared by SC 86A "Fibres
and cables" of IEC/TC 86 "Fibre optics" was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and
approved by CENELEC as EN IEC 60794-2-21:2019.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national (dop) 2020-02-17
level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the (dow) 2022-05-17
document have to be withdrawn
This document supersedes EN 60794-2-21:2012.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard IEC 60794-2-21:2019 was approved by CENELEC as a
European Standard without any modification.
In the official version, for Bibliography, the following notes have to be added for the standards
indicated:
IEC 60794-1-21 NOTE Harmonized as EN 60794-1-21
IEC 60794-1-22 NOTE Harmonized as EN IEC 60794-1-22
IEC 60794-1-23 NOTE Harmonized as EN 60794-1-23
IEC 60794-2 NOTE Harmonized as EN 60794-2
IEC 60794-2-10:2011 NOTE Harmonized as EN 60794-2-10:2011 (not modified)

Annex ZA
(normative)
Normative references to international publications
with their corresponding European publications
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments)
applies.
NOTE 1  Where an International Publication has been modified by common modifications, indicated by (mod), the relevant
EN/HD applies.
NOTE 2  Up-to-date information on the latest versions of the European Standards listed in this annex is available here:
www.cenelec.eu.
Publication Year Title EN/HD Year
1 2
IEC 60793-2-10 — Optical fibres - Part 2-10: Product EN IEC 60793-2-10 —
specifications - Sectional specification for
category A1 multimode fibres
IEC 60793-2-50 2018 Optical fibres - Part 2-50: Product EN IEC 60793-2-50 2019
specifications - Sectional specification for
class B single-mode fibres
IEC 60794-1-1 2015 Optical fibre cables - Part 1-1: Generic EN 60794-1-1 2016
specification - General
IEC 60794-2-20 2013 Optical fibre cables - Part 2-20: Indoor EN 60794-2-20 2014
cables - Family specification for multi-fibre
optical cables
Under preparation. Stage at the time of publication: IEC DECFDIS 60793-2-10:2019.
Under preparation. Stage at the time of publication: FprEN IEC 60793-2-10:2019.
IEC 60794-2-21 ®
Edition 3.0 2019-04
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Optical fibre cables –
Part 2-21: Indoor cables – Detailed specification for multi-fibre optical

distribution cables for use in premises cabling

Câbles à fibres optiques –
Partie 2-21: Câbles intérieurs – Spécification particulière pour les câbles

optiques multifibres de distribution utilisés dans le câblage de locaux

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 33.180.10 ISBN 978-2-8322-6758-5

– 2 – IEC 60794-2-21:2019 © IEC 2019
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 3
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 General requirements . 6
5 Particular requirements . 6
5.1 Fibre selection for cable testing . 6
5.2 Environmental requirements – Temperature cycling . 6
5.3 Transmission requirements . 7
5.3.1 Attenuation of cabled fibre . 7
5.3.2 Fibre bandwidth requirements . 7
Bibliography . 8

Table 1 – Multimode cable maximum attenuation coefficient (dB/km) . 7
Table 2 – Single-mode cable maximum attenuation coefficient (dB/km) . 7
Table 3 – Minimum multimode fibre bandwidth (MHz·km) . 7

IEC 60794-2-21:2019 © IEC 2019 – 3 –
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
OPTICAL FIBRE CABLES –
Part 2-21: Indoor cables –
Detailed specification for multi-fibre optical distribution cables
for use in premises cabling
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications,
Technical Reports, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC
Publication(s)”). Their preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested
in the subject dealt with may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-
governmental organizations liaising with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely
with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by
agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensu
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