One of the most challenging decisions a telecommunications manager can make is choosing the proper design for an optical­fiber cabling plant. Optical­fiber cable, which has extremely high bandwidth, is a powerful communications medium that supports voice, data, video, and telemetry/sensor applications. However, the effectiveness of the media is greatly diminished if proper connectivity is not designed into the system. Such connectivity allows for flexibility, manageability, and versatility of the cable plan. The traditional practice of installing cables dedicated to each new application is all but obsolete. Instead, designers and users alike are learning that proper planning of a structured cabling system can save time and money. For example, a cable that is installed for point­to­point links also should meet specifications for later upgrades as it becomes part of a much larger network. Thus, anticipating future applications and providing additional fibers for unforeseen applications and for interfacing with local service providers can avoid duplication of cable, connecting hardware, and installation labor.