In this month’s Face to Face we speak with Glenn Ward, General Manager of Dunasfern, and find out more about the business and the industry sector it operates in.

Q. Can you tell us a bit about Dunasfern and what the company offers?

Dunasfern has been serving the data and communication market for over 43 years and has evolved into one of the leading suppliers of data infrastructure products across the UK. Breadth of product range and being commercially competitive are essential and a given in today’s world but at Dunasfern, the real benefit and differential we offer, is the market leading customer service and focus we dedicate to every customer and every order.

Q. How has the cabling solutions industry changed since Dunasfern first entered the market?

Since the birth of LAN data cables and the growth in networking computers, we have seen a massive increase in data demand and speed of transmission. This need to transmit more data and faster has continued and accelerated since the pandemic in 2020 with more hybrid working, streaming meetings almost continually and with the evolution of AI, this demand for data capacity and speed will only continue to grow.

Q. What products and solutions are popular with customers at the moment?

Within the whole communications spectrum, LAN data cables represent the largest volume and value, and we are continuing to see demand migrate from Cat5e to Cat6 and even Cat6a. There is still significant demand for low data use within CCTV environments and Cat5e is a perfect choice for this type of solution. Within the solar market, we are seeing Cat5e shielded SWA armoured cables installed to feed the CCTV cameras around the site. Further to this, we are seeing increasing demand for Belden type equivalent cables, alarm cables and even coax and telephone cables. The old 1308 BT type telephone cables are now being used in door entry systems due to them being a really cost-effective solution.

Q. What markets does Dunasfern operate in and how do requirements differ depending on environment?

Dunasfern is the leading supplier of data networking products to electrical wholesalers and in this market demand is mainly centred around Cat5e and Cat6 installations using PVC, LSZH and PE insulation and mostly unshielded. In a harsher industrial installation and in areas where power cables run close by, a shielded cable would be required to minimise data interruption. Coupled with this is the supporting infrastructure connectivity products such as plugs, modules, faceplates cabinets, wall boxes and all products within, such as patch panels power distribution, patch leads, etc. The demand for fibre cable installations is quite low but in larger commercial and data centre installations, fibre is the cable of choice rather than copper.

Q. Has the growing home automation market resulted in increased demand for structured cabling in homes?

The biggest increase in demand at home has followed on from the pandemic in 2020, with more people working from home, streaming meetings, whilst the children are streaming learning platforms or gaming. This has significantly increased demand for data but with increased performance from Wi-Fi networks and routers, the need to install data cables at home is currently quite low, unless the home is very large. This data demand is set to continue to increase with the development of AI, so it maybe the case that a need for data cables installed within homes will be required.

Q. What are Dunasfern’s plans for the year ahead?

Our plan is to continue to work proactively with our electrical wholesale partners, to help bring greater awareness of the wide range of data networking products available from them. We do this with a range of point-of-sale merchandise, a training programme designed to improve awareness within the branch staff to help them in their discussions with their customers and bespoke promotional activity at branch level. As our business continues to grow, we are always looking to strengthen the team and increase the resources to support our wholesale partners.

At Dunasfern, we want to continually strive to improve the proactive support we offer across customer service, product availability and commercial support. We take nothing for granted and our dedicated account managers are always on hand to discuss ways to improve our collaborative approach.

Find out more about Dunasfern here

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With more and more connections being installed in homes and commercial buildings, Glenn Ward, General Manager of Dunasfern, discusses what is driving our data networking.

We have all seen the wheel of doom circling round and round as we wait endlessly for a connection and demand for data continues to increase year on year, at an alarming rate. We now have more and more streaming devices in our homes, at work and in public spaces. A typical home will have gaming, video, browsers, smart home automation and even doorbells requiring and sending data and home automation is forecasted to grow at 10% per year.

Not only is demand increasing at a rapid rate, our demand for faster connection and greater capacity is also growing fast and acceptance of smart home automation is fuelling this growth.

Just as we have become accustomed to new ways of transacting and connecting since the start of the pandemic, so too have we accepted online collaboration and remote working as the norm. The workforce will continue to be hybrid, with employees working fully from home or in the office or dividing their time between these locations.

For network teams, this means having to support thousands of “unique” network locations and connections in this hybrid work environment. In addition, they need to ensure that the network can manage a significant increase in voice and video traffic, enable a more seamless and personalised user experience (UX), no matter where users are, and support the performance of business applications.

We have come a long way since the invention of Morse code over the telegraph. So, in today’s digital world, where staying connected is super important for households and businesses alike, how data networks are changing is important and in today’s fast-changing digital world, we need to expand data capacity and a big part of this is data networking.

Definition of data networking

Data networking is all about creating, setting up, and looking after networks that help share information. It involves using different technologies like Ethernet, TCP/IP, and Wi-Fi, which are like building blocks for today’s networks. These networks can be small, like in one place (called LANs), or big, stretching across many places (known as WANs). With more businesses using cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), good data networking is critical.

Data networking supports a wide range of functions, including remote work arrangements, real-time collaboration, e-commerce transactions and smart home automation. Businesses continue to digitise their processes and embrace emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The future of data networks will be defined by the key trends and technologies. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) offers more flexibility and agility in network management by separating control from data and SDN lets organisations change network settings and allocate resources quickly as needs change. Edge computing and 5G technology will also transform data networking. Edge computing moves computing closer to users, while 5G offers super-fast speed and bandwidth.

The Evolution from 4G to 5G

5G technology represents a significant advancement over 4G networks in terms of speed, latency, and capacity. Unlike 4G, which primarily relies on traditional cellular towers, 5G utilises a combination of frequency bands, including millimetre-wave frequencies, for more efficient data transmission. This transition allows for faster data transfer rates and improved performance, making it suitable for bandwidth-intensive applications like virtual reality and augmented reality.

5G technology is super-fast and has very little delay, with download speeds up to 20 gigabits per second (Gbps) and only 1 millisecond (ms) of delay. It lets you do things in real-time, like watching videos, playing games online, doing surgery remotely, and even driving self-driving cars. 5G can also manage lots of things connecting at the same time without slowing down, which means more gadgets like smart devices and IoT that can work together smoothly.

In healthcare, 5G helps monitor patients from afar, offers doctor appointments online, and enhances medical scans, making healthcare easier to access and improving patient health.

The transportation sector benefits from 5G by making self-driving cars, smart traffic systems, and vehicle-to-everything communication possible, which boosts safety and makes travel more efficient.

5G also transforms manufacturing by creating smart factories. Here, devices connected to the internet and powered by artificial intelligence improve production and make it more efficient.

The exponential growth of IoT devices across various sectors is driving the need for robust networking solutions. From smart homes to industrial automation, IoT devices are becoming the norm and contributing to the data explosion and this proliferation presents challenges in scalability, security, and data management for traditional networking architectures.

The smart home revolution 

The explosion of smart home technologies is where innovation meets convenience and transforms the way we live. From lights that respond to your voice commands to security systems that ensure peace of mind, smart homes are redefining our relationship with technology and growing the need for greater speed and capacity in our data networks and companies worldwide continue to create new and exciting ways to make our homes safer and more efficient.

Voice-controlled smart home devices like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant are gaining popularity, simplifying tasks for millions of households. This surge highlights the increasing reliance on voice as a primary means of interacting with technology at home. Meanwhile, the advent of smart home security systems equipped with advanced computer vision and facial recognition is revolutionising home security. These systems can distinguish between family members and intruders, offering customised alerts and bolstering security and convenience. Notably, software incorporating these technologies is expected to see rapid growth, at 11.5% per year. Additionally, the emphasis on interoperability and open standards in the smart home sector is fostering compatibility between devices from different brands, empowering consumers to create comprehensive smart home setups tailored to their preferences.

As technology improves and becomes more affordable, more and more people are finding smart home gadgets helpful and convenient for everyday life. Whether it’s for saving energy, increasing security, or just making life easier, the growing acceptance of smart home technology shows that it’s becoming a normal part of modern living.

The future of data networking is continuing to evolve because of new trends and technologies like Software-Defined Networking, the Internet of Things, SMART home automation and 5G. It’s crucial for consumers and businesses to embrace these changes to succeed in the digital age and by keeping up with these advancements and using them well, we can all improve our work, home environments, and find new chances to grow in a more connected world.

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