Market support includes verification of validity of certifications, identification of certified products and confirmation of general performance data.

No detailed test data or reports can, however, be released. This restricted nature of test reports is necessary because they will often contain confidential information about production equipment, quality assurance organisation, manufacturing details, etc.

In the unlikely case that failing performance is claimed for a 3P qualified component the problem will be fully investigated. If a problem is confirmed any necessary actions will be taken by 3P and the producer in question in order to secure end user confidence in 3P certified components.

Attestations of Conformity

Attestations of Conformity are issued based on one time testing and no factory inspection or follow up testing is performed. Consequently, 3P cannot certify that the same high quality level is maintained in the future. However, 3P has the general experience that the quality stays constant, at least for some period of time, and therefore the issued certificates stay valid one year after issue. After this one year the user should carefully evaluate that modifications of performance have not been made since the original certification. The link to the Attestation of Conformity will be removed from the 3P homepage after one year, but the originally granted certification will be listed in the 3P homepage for two more years.

Compliance Statements

Compliance Statements are issued based on continued monitoring of the quality of the components and are therefore valid as long as the programme is running. A Compliance Statement will be updated regularly to reflect the latest performed maintenance of qualification testing (date is found on the certificate).

Capability Approval certified as "Attestation of Conformity"

Capability approval is carried out on delivered samples to demonstrate passing of all electrical or safety requirements. 3P verifies that the manufacturer or supplier in question is capable of producing the connecting hardware, permanent link or channel in question.

Attestations of Conformity are issued for connecting hardware, and permanent links and channels, but not for cables or cords. It is concluded by 3P that a full production line qualification is necessary for assuring the quality of these components.

Certified connecting hardware, permanent links and channels having a valid Attestation of Conformity cannot be identified by a 3P notation on the component or component packaging, as no follow up service is possible for 3P. However, brochure material may state that the connecting hardware, permanent link or channel has been tested by 3P. Such a statement is only possible as long as the Attestation of Conformity stays valid.

Full Production Line Qualification certified as "Compliance Statement"

Full production line qualification is a more comprehensive type of certification. It includes both factory inspection, initial capability approval of components, and a continuous follow up testing of components selected by 3P at the manufacturer during regular inspection visits. A new inspection visit is carried out every 6 months for cables and patch cords, and every 12 months for connecting hardware.

Compliance Statements are issued for cables, cords and connecting hardware. This means that connecting hardware can be certified by either a capability approval or by a full production line qualification.

Qualified cables, connecting hardware and cords having a valid Compliance Statement may be marked "3P Verified" on the components, packaging and brochure material.

Fire safety certifications

Fire safety testing of cables is included in the qualification and maintenance of qualification programme. This normally does not include issuing of a separate "safety" certificate as this testing is fully integrated in the issued Compliance Statement for the cable. However, separate Attestations of Conformity are issued for cables, for instance for fibre optical cable, for which the qualification programme is in development. The certification for fire safety demonstrates compliance with the IEC, CENELEC or draft Construction Products Directive (CPD) requirements.

Correlation between 3P Ratings for Components and ISO/IEC, CENELEC and TIA/EIA Identifications

Note: Ratings in italic are intended for future certifications as the standardisation is in progress.

3P component rating Category 5
3P component rating Category 5 covers Category 5:1995 requirements of ISO/IEC 1st edition 11801 and CENELEC EN 50173 (both including referenced component standards), and Category 5 requirements of TIA/EIA-568-A.
This component rating is presently only applied for horizontal cables, with referenced cable standards CENELEC 1st edition EN 50288-2-1 and CENELEC 1st edition EN 50288-3-1.

3P component rating Category 5+ (Cat. 5e)
3P component rating Category 5+ (Cat. 5e) covers Category 5:2002 requirements of ISO/IEC 2nd edition 11801 and CENELEC EN 50173-1 (both including referenced component standards), and Category 5e requirements of ANSI/TIA/EIA 568-B.2.
This component rating is applied for both cables, connecting hardware and cords, with referenced component standards being:
For cables: IEC 61156-5, IEC 61156-6, CENELEC 2nd edition EN 50288-2-1, CENELEC 2nd edition EN 50288-2-2, CENELEC 2nd edition EN 50288-3-1 and CENELEC 2nd edition EN 50288-3-2.
For connecting hardware: Draft IEC 60603-7-2 and Draft IEC 60603-7-3.
For cords: IEC 2nd edition 61935-2.

3P component rating Category 6
3P component rating Category 6 covers Category 6 requirements of ISO/IEC 2nd edition 11801, CENELEC EN 50173-1 (both including referenced component standards) and ANSI/TIA/EIA 568-B.2-1.
This component rating is applied for both cables, connecting hardware and cords, with referenced component standards being:
For cables: IEC 61156-5, IEC 61156-6, CENELEC EN 50288-5-1, CENELEC EN 50288-5-2, CENELEC EN 50288-6-1 and CENELEC EN 50288-6-2.
For connecting hardware: IEC 60603-7-4 and Draft IEC 60603-7-5.
For cords: IEC 2nd edition 61935-2.

3P component rating Category 6+
3P component rating Category 6+ covers Category 6 requirements of ISO/IEC 2nd edition 11801, CENELEC EN 50173-1 (both including referenced component standards) and ANSI/TIA/EIA 568-B.2-1, and Category 6+ requirements of 3P. The 3P Category 6+ requirements is having added Category 6 performance with respect to near end crosstalk only. This rating has been requested by the market for Category 6 cables in order to give channels safe margin to the limits even when marginal connecting hardware is applied.
This component rating is only applied for horizontal cables, with referenced cable standards being CENELEC 2nd edition EN 50288-2-1 and 2nd edition EN 50288-3-1.

3P component rating Category 6-10G
3P component rating Category 6-10G covers 10 Gigabit Ethernet extended Category 6 requirements of ISO/IEC 2nd edition 11801, CENELEC EN 50173-1 (both including referenced component standards) and ANSI/TIA/EIA 568-B.2-1. The extension concerns performance verification according to IEEE 10 Gigabit Ethernet requirements up to 500 MHz, including also the new parameter Alien Crosstalk.
This rating concerns conventional Category 6 technology, which means that unscreaned cables are only supporting 10 Gigabit Ethernet for reduced length (typically up to 55 metres channel length).
This component rating is presently in development and will only be applied for horizontal cables, with referenced cable standards being future IEC 2nd edition 61156-5, CENELEC 2nd edition EN 50288-2-1 and 2nd edition EN 50288-3-1.

3P component rating Category 6-500 (Cat. 6A)
3P component rating Category 6-500 (Cat. 6A) covers 3rd generation Category 6 requirements of draft ISO/IEC 2nd edition 11801 amendment , draft CENELEC EN 50173-1 amendment (both including referenced component standards) and draft ANSI/TIA/EIA 568-B.2-10. This 3rd generation Category 6500 / Category 6A rating concerns performance verification according to the proposed new 500 MHz Class E requirements of ISO/IEC and CENELEC, and Augmented 500 MHz Category 6 requirements of TIA/EIA, both also including the IEEE 10 Gigabit Ethernet requirements.
This rating concerns new Category 6 technology, which means that both unscreened and screened cables are supporting 10 Gigabit Ethernet for the full 100 metres channel length.
This component rating will be applied for both cables, connecting hardware and cords, with referenced component standards being:
For cables: Future IEC 2nd edition 61156-5, future IEC 2nd edition 61156-6, future CENELEC EN 50288-10-1 and future CENELEC EN 50288-10-2.
For connecting hardware: Future IEC 60603-7-41 and future IEC 60603-7-51.
For cords: Future IEC 3rd edition 61935-2.

3P component rating Category 7
3P component rating Category 7 covers Category 7 requirements of ISO/IEC 2nd edition 11801 and CENELEC EN 50173-1 (both including referenced component standards).
This component rating is applied for both cables, connecting hardware and cords, with referenced component standards being:
For cables: IEC 61156-5, IEC 61156-6, CENELEC 2nd edition EN 50288-4-1 and CENELEC 2nd edition EN 50288-4-2.
For connecting hardware: IEC 60603-7-7 and IEC 61076-3-104.
For cords: IEC 2nd edition 61935-2.

3P component rating Category 7-1000
3P component rating Category 7-1000 covers home cabling extended Category 7 requirements of ISO/IEC 2nd edition 11801 and CENELEC EN 50173-1 (both including referenced component standards). The extension concerns performance verification according to ISO/IEC 15018 and draft CENELEC EN 50173-4 home cabling standards having requirements up to 1000 MHz.

3P component rating Category 8
3P component rating Category 8 covers 3rd generation Category 7 requirements of draft ISO/IEC 2nd edition 11801 amendment, draft CENELEC EN 50173-1 amendment, home cable requirements of ISO/IEC 15018 and draft CENELEC EN 50173-4, and 1200 MHz requirements of cable standards IEC 61156-7, future IEC 61156-8, future EN 50288-12-1 and future EN 50288-12-2.
This component rating is presently only applied for cables.