November/December 2015 Volume 36, Number 6

THE OFFICIAL TRADE JOURNAL OF BICSIICT TODAY

2 ICT TODAY

COVER STORY

November/December 2015 3

Foryears,nodiscussionaboutfuture-proofingenterprise networks was complete without ponderingthequestionofwhencoppercablingwould become obsolete. Today, it is virtually impossible to debate the overall superiority of opticalfiberversuscoppercablingsincebothhaveuniqueanddistinctadvantageswhennetworksare looked at as a whole—from the device to the data center. Twodecadesago,manyopticalfiberproponentsdeclaredthatcategory6balancedtwisted-pairwouldbethelimitforcoppercabling.However, the advancements that have since broughtuscategory6Aandcategory7A (and will soonbringuscategory8),havedonemorethansimplyprovethatmindsetwrong.Indeed,theyhavepavedthewayforcoppercablingtoremainthedefactomediumtothedesktopandbuildingdevicefordecadestocome.Andadvancementshappeningnowwithcoppercablingtechnologyandwithinstandardsbodieswillupholdalong-term position for balanced twisted-pair copper cablingatthedatacenteredgewhereswitch-to-server connections are supported. Nonetheless,opticalfibercablingwilllikelyremainthestandardforbandwidth-hungryapplicationssuchasbackbonecabling,datacentercorenetworkingandoutsideplantcommunication.Newopticalfibertechnologiesandstandardsaremakingiteasier,cost-effectiveandlesscomplexthanevertodeployhigh-speed links in these areas where there is a need toquicklyandefficientlymovelargeamountsofdataoverlongerdistances.Opticalfiberisalsofindinganewhomeinsomepremisesenvironments where passive optical networks make sense. TheEthernetAlliancepredictsthatEthernetcould have as many as six new speeds in the nextfiveyears,12newspeedsbytheyear2020andgreaterthanterabitpersecond(Tb/s)speedsbeyond2020.Withsuchadramaticcopperandopticalfibertechnologicalrevolutiontakingplace(SeeFigure1onpage8),thereisaneedto

In the data center environment, copper and optical fiber cabling co-exist in a similar fashion to the premises network—copper in the horizontal (or edge) supporting switch-to-server connections and optical fiber in the higher speed backbone (or core) supporting switch-to-switch connections.

By Valerie Maguire, BSEE and Betsy Conroy

4 ICT TODAY

understandthebenefitsthateachmedia type can offer in data center, campus and premises (i.e., all in-buildingcablingexcludingthedatacenter)environments.Thisarticle will examine performance differentiators between media, keyconsiderationsforselectingthe type of copper and optical fibercableandconnectivity,andsomeofthedevelopingstandardsthat will further impact media selection.

Copper is the Premises Power Play Inpremisesapplications,opticalfibercablingiscommonlydeployed for the backbone infra-structurewherelongerdistancesthanwhatcoppercablingcansupportareoftenrequired.Asworkareaandbuildingdevicespeedsanddatathroughputincrease,anopticalfiberbackbonealsooffers the incremental bandwidth capabilityrequiredforaggregation,

future-proofingandtransmittingincreasingamountsofdataatafaster rate.

From the telecommunications room(TR)tothedevice(i.e.,horizontalpremisescabling),balanced twisted-pair copper remainsaprimarycabling medium due to its low cost, the availabilityofequipment,easyinstallationandflexibility,andtheubiquityoftheRJ45networkinterface.Requiredspeedsforhorizontalpremisescablinghavealso remained within copper’s capabilities with limited need forspeedsgreaterthan10gigabitspersecond(Gb/s)tothedesktop orbuildingdevice.However, there is another reason why coppercablingispreferredin this environment—power. Inlessthanadecade,remote poweringtechnologyhasrevolu-tionized the look and feel of the information and communications technology(ICT)world.Unlike

opticalfiber,balancedtwisted-paircoppercablinghasthecapabilitytodeliverdirectcurrent(dc)powertoInternetprotocol(IP)-enableddevices such as surveillance cameras, wireless access points (WAPs),LEDlightingfixtures,radiofrequencyidentification(RFID)readers,digitaldisplays,IPphonesandanever-growinglistof new devices. The popularity of thistechnologyisstaggering—morethan100millionpoweroverEthernet(PoE)-enabledportsareshippingannually.Inaddition to Ethernet, the presence ofHDBaseTsupportedbycoppercablingdeployedintheglobalprofessionalAVmarketisgrowingdramatically and is predicted to exceed21millionportsnextyear.Furthermore,publishedPoweroverHDBaseT(PoH)technologycanpoweranyEnergyStar™6.1-compliant television (typically uptoandincluding60inches)thatconsumeslessthan100watts(W),throwingopenthedoorstoadvancedAVopportunitiessupported by premises networks. Remotepoweringapplicationsarealsocontinuingtoadvance.TheIEEEP802.3btDTEPowerviaMDIover4-PairTaskForceiscurrentlydevelopingstandardsforusingallfourpairsinatwisted-pair copper cable to deliver even higherlevelsofremotepowerthanhas previously been available in existingType1andType2PoEtechnologiesthatusejusttwobalanced twisted pairs. These four-pairPoEprojectswillaugmentthecapabilitiesofexistingpowersourcingequipment(PSE)andpowereddevice(PD)specifications

Ethernet Speeds

1T400G100G40G10G

1G

100M

10M1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Standard Completed

Link

Spee

d (b

/s)

25 GbE

5 GbE

2.5 GbE

200 GbE

50 GbE

400 GbE

100 GbE

10 GbE

GbE

100 Mb/s Ethernet

10 Mb/s Ethernet

FIGURE 1: Composite of past, present and future balanced twisted-pair, multimode and singlemode optical fiber, and twinaxial direct attach Ethernet speeds.

Ethernet Speed

Speed in Development

Possible Future Speed

b/s = bytes per second

Mb/s = megabits per second

GbE = gigabit Ethernet

SOURCE: Ethernet Alliance 2015 Ethernet Roadmap http://www.ethernetalliance.org/roadmap/.

November/December 2015 5

withType3(≤60WatthePSE)andType4(≤100WatthePSE)requirements. Whilecoppertypicallywinsoutoveropticalfiberinhorizontalpremisescablingapplicationsduetoitsremotepoweringcapabilities,there are other factors to consider. Remote power delivery produces temperature rise in cable bundles and the potential for electrical arcingthatcandamageconnectorcontacts.Inextremeenvironments,temperature rise and contact arcingcancauseirreversibledamagetocableandconnectors.ThelatestdraftofTSB-184-A,Guidelines for Supporting Power Delivery Over Balanced Twisted-Pair

Cabling,recommendschoosingconnectinghardwarethathastherequiredperformanceformatingandunmatingundertherelevant levels of electrical power andidentifiesIEC6051299001as an example performance test schedule.Choosinghigher-qualityandspeciallyqualifiedshieldedcategory6Aandcategory7AcablingsystemsandconnectinghardwarethatareindependentlycertifiedforcompliancetoIEC60512-99-001ensures optimum thermal stability and reliable connections for remote poweringapplications. Exceedingtheoperatingtemp- eraturerangeforcoppercabling,whichisspecifiedas-20degrees

FIGURE 2: Horizontal cable length de-rating versus temperature for application speeds up to 10GBASE-T show that category 6A and 7

A shielded cables with enhanced mechanical reliability and

thermal stability require less length reduction to satisfy insertion loss requirements.

Inse

rtion

Len

gth

De-R

atin

g (m

)

Temperature (ºC)

24222018161412108 642020 30 40 50 60 70

Subtract 18 m at 60 oC

Subtract 7 m at 60 oC

Subtract 3 m at 60 oC/4 m at 70 oC

No De-rating up to 70 oC

TIA-ISO/IEC Category 6A UTP (minimally compliant)

TIA-ISO/IEC Category 6A F/UTP (minimally compliant)

Category 6A F/UTP with enhanced mechanical reliability and thermal stability

Category 7A S/FTP with enhanced mechanical reliability and thermal stability

Celsius(°C[4degreesFahrenheit (°F)])to60°C(140°F)byTIA andISO/IEC,canalsohavean irreversible effect on trans-mission performance. Since deployment of certain remote poweringapplicationscanresult in a temperature rise of 10°C(50°F)orhigherwithinbundled cables, the typical rule of thumb is to not install cables inenvironmentsabove50°C(122°F).ThisrestrictioncanbeproblematicinregionssuchastheAmericansouthwest,theMiddle East and northern areas ofAustraliawheretemperaturesinenclosedceiling,plenumand riser shaft spaces can easily exceed these temperatures. Usinghigher-qualityshieldedcategory6Aand7A cables that arequalifiedformechanicalreliabilityupto75°C(167°F)canhelpdesignersovercomethis obstacle. Awarenessoftheamountof heat build-up inside the cable bundle due to remote power delivery is important because cable insertion loss (i.e.,signalattenuation)isdirectly proportionate to temperature—insertion loss increases as temperature increases.Accordingly,bothTIAandISO/IECspecifyaninsertionlossde-ratingfactorforuseindeterminingthemaximumchannellengthattemperaturesabove20°C(68°F).Thetemperature dependence is different for unshielded and shielded cables—in fact, the de-ratingcoefficientforunshieldedcable is actually three times

6 ICT TODAY

greaterthanshieldedcableabove40°C(104°F).1

AsshowninFigure2,at60°C(140°F),thestandards-specifiedlengthreductionforcategory6Aunshieldedtwisted-pair(UTP)horizontalcablesis18meters (m[60feet(ft)]).Inthiscase, the maximum permanent link lengthmustbereducedfrom 90m(295ft)to72m(236ft) to offset increased insertion loss due to temperature. For minimally compliantcategory6AF/UTPhorizontalcables,thelengthreductionisonly7m(23ft)at 60°C(140°F).Simplyput,shield-edcabling’sinherentlysuperiortransmission performance at elevated temperatures translates to less need for reduction in overallchannellengthattemp- eraturesgreaterthan20°C(68°F). Inaddition,cablesspecificallydesignedtoexhibitsuperiormechanical reliability and stable insertion loss performance can supportchannellengthsgreaterthanspecifiedbythestandardsat elevated temperatures. For example, some fully-shielded category7Acables rated for mechanical reliability up to 75°C(167°F)donotrequire anylengthde-ratingtosupportremotepoweringcurrentsupto600milliamps(mA)appliedtoallfour pairs in environments up to 70°C(150°F).TheflexibilitytosupportlongerchannellengthsprovidesdesignerswiththeopportunitytoreachthegreatestnumberofPoEdevicesinpremisesenvironments.Withthehigherpowerofemergingfour-pairPoEType3andType4onthehorizon,

theabilityforcablingtoreliablysupportremotepoweringwillbecome even more critical. Inaddition,multiplelow-speed, low-pair count applications can still be found in many dense premises environments, such asthosesupportingcallcenter,automation and industrial applications, where it is cost prohibitive to provide an optical fibernetwork.Whilethesesystemsdonotrequirehighbandwidthcabling,manyoftoday’scategory7Acableandconnectorofferingscansupportmultiple1-and2-pairlow-speed,high-densityapplicationsoverone4-paircable.Thisstandards-approvedstrategyisreferredtoascablesharingandcan free up valuable pathwayspace, reduce the number of cablesand unused pairs, provide costsavings,andmaybeleveragedalongwithotherpracticesthatreducematerialandenergywasteforgreenperformancecredits.

Optical Fiber Offers Premises Benefits Too

Despitecoppercabling’ssupportforPoEandotherremotepoweringapplications,there are still some scenarios in horizontal premises networks thatcallforfiber-to-the-desk(FTTD)applications.Inadditionto some specialized applications anddevicesthatrequireopticalfiberconnectivity,highlysecurenetworkscanbenefitfromopticalfibersinceitsimmunitytoanyelectromagneticinterference(EMI)andradiofrequencyinterference(RFI)significantlyreducetheriskofhackersaccessingdata.

Premisesopticalfibercablingcanalsobebeneficialinhistoricalfacilities,largewarehouses,hotelsorotherfacilitieswherelocatingTRstomaintainthe100m(328ft)distance limitation of copper is not always feasible or cost effective. Oneoptionthatcanmakesenseinthesehorizontalcablingenvironments is a passive optical network(PON).Havingrecentlyemergedasanalternativetocopperswitchednetworks,PONsarecapableofdistributingvoice,video and data to the desktop over onesinglemodeopticalfiber.InaPON,asinglemodeopticalfiberruns from an optical line terminal (OLT)toapassiveopticalsplitterwhere it splits into multiple opticalfibers.Itthenconnectstoopticalnetworkterminals(ONTs)at work areas that convert the opticalsignalfortransmissionovercoppertwisted-paircabling.PONsofferthebenefitoftransmissiondistances that are well in excess of100m(328ft),aswellaseasydeployment and reduced pathway andconduitspacerequirementsdue to the smaller size of a singlemodecable. There are, however, other considerationswhendeployingaPON.Whilethesesystemsoftenusedirectequipmentconnectionsor“point-to-point”cablingthatis not standards-compliant and canlimitflexibility,implementingstructuredcablingcross-connectsor interconnects between the OLTandsplitterandbetweenthesplitterandONTscanimprovemanageability.ThisallowsOLTports to be easily allocated to any splitter, and splitter ports

1 Annex G in ANSI/TIA-568-C.2 and Table 21 in ISO/IEC 11801, 2nd edition.

to be easily allocated to any ONT.Inaddition,deployingtwosinglemodeopticalfiberstoeachONTprovidesanupgradepathsupportingEthernetequipment. ForaPONtosupportPoE,anupgradedONTmustbedeployedattheworkarea.Todate,PONONTsonlysupportPoEType1 powerinjection(maximumoutputof15.4Wfromthepowersource).ThiscanlimittheabilitytosupportemergingIEEE802.11acWi-Fiandothertechnologies,whichrequireType2PoE(max- imumoutputof30Wfromthe powersource).OnewaytoenhancePONsandensuresupportforemergingPoEapplicationsistoinclude the addition of a copper outlet at the work area. This also provides the second permanent linkattheworkarearequiredastheminimumtopologybycommercialbuildingstandards.

Data Center Teammates Inthedatacenterenviron-ment,copperandopticalfibercablingco-existinasimilarfashion to the premises network—copper in the horizontal (or edge)supportingswitch-to-serverconnectionsandopticalfiberinthehigherspeedbackbone(orcore)supportingswitch-to-switchconnections.

The ability of balanced twisted-paircoppercablingtosupportspeedsof10Gb/smakesit the preferred choice for today’s data center switch-to-server connections.Withcablingchannellengthssupportedupto100m(328ft)andtransceivercostsstillwellbelowthatofopticalfiber,category6Aandhighercoppercablingiscurrentlywellsuitedtosupport a variety of architectures for switch-to-server connections, includingtopofrack,middleofrow(MoR)andendofrow(EoR)scenarios. However, with switch-to-server connectionspeedspushingbeyond10Gb/s,TIAandISO/IECcablingstandardsdevelopmentgroupshave already initiated work on category8cablingtosupport40gigabitEthernet(i.e.,40GBASE-T)over balanced twisted-pair copper cabling.InJuly2015,theIEEE802.3EthernetWorkingGroupalsoformallyapprovedmergingtheinitiativetodevelop25GBASE-TapplicationrequirementswiththeIEEEP802.3bqprojecttodevelop40GBASE-T.Theopportunityfor25GBASE-Tliesinthe30m(98ft) reach zone as a cost-optimized steponthespeedmigrationpathto40GBASE-T.Like40GBASE-T,25GBASE-Twillhavethereachtosupportamuchbroaderrangeof

architectures than direct attach twinaxial connections to easily facilitate all types of cabinet to cabinet, MoR and EoR switch-to-server connections. Intendedforoperationoverthesametwo-connectorISO/IECclassI/classIIandTIAcategory8channelsplannedfor40GBASE-T,25GBASE-Tistechnicallyfeasible,buildingontheexistingand well-established10GBASE-Ttechnologythatisevolvingtosupport40GBASE-Tovercopper.Becauseitsharesopenandcommonspecifications,ensuresinteroperability and backwards compatibility, and offers the reach tosupportabroadrangeofswitch-to-serverarchitectures,25GBASE-Twillpositivelyfitwithinthesuccessful copper Ethernet eco-system. The development of these two new applications will likely preserve copper’s place in the data center for several years to come. Whilecoppercabling’sposition is stable in horizontal premises networks and at the datacenteredge,corebackboneswitch-to-switch data center deploymentsfornetworkingandstorageareanetworks(SANs)requireopticalfiber.Thedistancesin these environments can extend beyondtherangesupportedbycopper and transmission speeds

Application

40/100 GbE OM3 @ 850 nm

40/100 GbE OM4 @ 850 nm

FIGURE 3: Low loss 0.2 decibel (dB) MPO connectors can support significantly more mated connections than standard loss 0.4 dB MPO connectors in 40/100 Gb/s OM3 and OM4 multimode optical fiber Ethernet channels.

100

150

1.9 dB/1.5 dB

1.5 dB/1.0 dB

0.3 dB

0.4 dB

2

2

8

5

Distance(m)

Max Channel Loss/ Connector Loss

Fiber Attenuation(3.0 dB/km)

Standard Loss (0.4 dB)

Low Loss (0.2 dB)

# of MTO Connection Points

November/December 2015Novemb 7

herehaveevolvedto40and100Gb/sforEthernet-basednetworksand16and32Gb/sforFibreChannel-basedSANs.Whileopticalfiberisreallytheonlychoiceinthese environments, there are considerations. Stayingwithinopticalinsertionlossbudgetsisessentialforensuringpropertransmissionofdatasignalsbetweenswitches.Thelengthandnumberofconnections within a channel all contributetolinkloss,andhigherspeedshavemorestringentlossrequirements.Today’sflattenedarchitectures with fewer switch tiersalsoresultinlongerlengthsbetween switches and the need for distribution points or cross connectstomaintainflexibility,facilitateupgradesandlimitaccessto critical switches. This adds more connections and link loss within the channel. Therefore, use of specially qualifiedlow-lossMPOconnectorsdeployed for switch-to-switch connections in the data center isbecomingessential.Theseinterfaces better support multiple matedconnectionsforflexibilityoverawiderangeofdistancesand

configurationswhileremainingwithinthelossbudget.AsshowninFigure3,standardlossMPOconnectors with a typical insertion lossvalueof0.4decibels(dB)can only support two mated connectionsina40/100Gb/sOM4multimodeopticalfiberEthernetchannel.Alternatively,lowlossMPOconnectorsthatofferalossof0.2dBcansupportfivematedconnections. Anotherconsiderationinswitch-to-switch data center backbone applications is the abilitytomigrateeasilytohighertransmission speeds. Modular components that can be swapped toupgradefromLCinterfaces usedfor10Gb/sapplicationstoMTPinterfacesusedfor40and100Gb/sapplicationsmakethismigrationeasier. Maximizingopticalfiber utilizationforhigh-speedapplica-tions should also be considered. 40Gb/stransmissionisbasedon eightopticalfibers—fourtrans-mittingandfourreceivingat10Gb/seach.PublishedasIEEE802.3bm™earlierthisyear,thelatest100GBASE-SR4standardfor100Gb/salsouseseightoptical

fibers—fourtransmittingandfourreceivingat25Gb/seach.WithMTPsbeinga12-fiberconnectorbutonlyrequiringeightfortransmission,33percentoftheopticalfibergoesunused.Anidealwayfordatacentermanagerstoensure100percentutilizationofopticalfiberinboth40and100Gb/sapplicationsistouseconversion cords or modules that transitiontwo12-fiberMTPsfrombackbonecablingtothree8-fiberMTPsforconnectingto40and 100Gb/sequipment(Figure4).

More to Come Whilecopperandopticalfiber’spositionsarestableinthe premises and data center environments,thereareemergingtechnologyadvancementsanddevelopingstandardsthatcontinue to have an impact on cablingmediachoice. Inthepremisesenvironment,next-generationWi-Fiapplicationshavemanydesignerscarefullyconsideringthetypeofcoppercablingtochoosefornewdeploymentsandupgrades.VariousimplementationsofthelatestIEEE802.11ac™-2013-basedenterpriseWAPscanoperateat1.3Gb/s,2.6Gb/s,3.5Gb/sandevenhighertheoreticalmaximumthroughputspeeds.Asaresult,there is an opportunity for optimized Ethernet speeds between 1Gb/sand10Gb/stosupportbalanced twisted-pair uplink connections to these devices. Inresponse,theIEEE802.3bzStandardforEthernetAmendment:Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers and Management Parameters for 2.5 Gb/s and 5 Gb/s

FIGURE 4: 40/100 Gb/s equipment conversion cords that transition two low-loss 12-fiber MTP connectors from the backbone to three low-loss 8-fiber MTP connectors for equipment offer

100 percent optical fiber utilization in 40 and 100 Gb/s applications.

8 ICT TODAY

Operation is currently under development and anticipated to publishinAugust2017. While2.5GBASE-Tistargetedtooperateoverexistingcategory5ecablingand5GBASE-Tistargetedtooperateovercategory5ecablingandcategory6cabling,it is likely that some of the installedbaseofcablingsystemswillnotsupport2.5Gb/sand5Gb/sspeeds.EffortsareunderwaybyTIAandISO/IECtoaddressthequalificationofinstalledcategory5eand6cabling,whichwillincludetestingtoextendedfrequencies,toensuresupportof2.5GBASE-Tand5GBASE-T.For new deployments, two category6Aorhigherchannelsare recommended for support ofeachnew802.11acWAPuplink connection, even if it isanticipatedthat2.5GBASE-Tor5GBASE-Tequipmentwillbe deployed. Furthermore, it is wellunderstoodthatType2PoEis needed to support the latest generationof802.11acWAPsandhigherpowerfour-pairPoEmayberequiredfornext-generation802.11acWAPs.Thisbringsusbacktothehighertemperaturerise issue within cable bundles and the fact that advanced shieldedcoppercablingisbetterabletosupportremotepoweringwithlesslengthde-rating. Inthedatacenter,theaforementioned25GBASE-Tand40GBASE-Tstandardsindevelopment will likely drive the adoptionofthefuturecategory8cablinginswitch-to-serverdatacenterconnections.When

itcomestoopticalfiber,theIEEEP802.3bs400Gb/sEthernetTask Force is also already hard at workondeterminingphysicallayerspecificationsfor400Gb/sfiberapplications.Objectiveswere approved earlier this year and the standard is anticipated topublishinearly2017.Whilestill early in the development process,400GBASE-DR4isexpectedtouseeightsinglemodeopticalfibers(fourtransmittingandfourreceivingat100Gb/s)tosupport400Gb/sover500m(1640ft)and400GBASE-SR16isanticipatedtouse32multimodeopticalfibers(16transmittingand16receivingat25Gb/s)tosupport400Gb/sover100m(328ft).400Gb/sEthernet applications supported bysinglemodeopticalfiberforoperationover2kilometers (km[1.2miles(mi)])and10km(6.2mi)foroutsideplantandcampus environments are also under development. Inaddition,thereiscurrentlywork within standards bodies to specifywidebandmultimodefiber(WBMMF),whichuseswavelengthdivisionmultiplexingtosupportfourwavelengthtransmission overoneopticalfiberandenables the potential for a duplex multi-modeopticalfibercabletosupport 100Gb/sratherthantheeight opticalfibersusedtoday.Depend-ingontheoutcomes,thesestandardswillhaveasignificantfuture impact on the amount andtypeofopticalfiberselectedfor data center switch-to-switch backbone connections.

November/December 2015Novemb 9

Conclusion Unlikeopticalfiber,copperhas the ability to support remote powerrequirementsinhorizontalpremisesnetworks.Andwiththeupcomingcategory8twisted-paircablingpositionedtosupportcost- effective25GBASE-Tand40GBASE-Tapplications in data center switch-to-serveredgeconnections,copperisheretostay.Atthesametime,opticalfiberistheonlycablemedia abletohandlelongerdistance40and100Gb/schannelsinthedatacenter,aswellasfuture400Gb/sandTB/sapplications. Whiletherearemanyconsider- ationswhenitcomestoselectingmedia—from the ability to adequatelyhandleemergingfour-pairPoEandsupportlonger-distance secure links in premises networks,toensuringlowloss,flexibleandscalableopticalfiberconnections in the data center—balanced twisted-pair copper and opticalfiberbothhavetheirplacein in these environments and willco co-exist for many years to come. Inotherwords,it’stimetostopaskingwhencoppercablingwillbecome obsolete.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES: Valerie Maguire, BSEE, holds the position of Director of Standards and Technology at Siemon. She is the TIA TR-42 appointed liaison to IEEE 802.3, clause editor for the P802.3bq 40GBASE-T Task Force and has held leadership positions in several TIA subcommittees.

Betsy Conroy is the Global Marketing Communications Manager for Siemon, where she is responsible for the coordination and execution of marketing, communications and public relations activities and content.