Keep in mind, though, that VoIP phones have built-in switches so that VoIP can be supported without adding another Ethernet cable. Since Gigabit phones are just starting to roll out--with Cisco's introduction of its 7971G-GE--you may have to live with 100-Mbps to the desktop anyway. Otherwise, you'll have to factor in additional costs for a Gigabit-capable phone or an extra cable connection if you want to reap the benefits of a Gigabit switch.
Most vendors now offer 802.3af (PoE) over both 100-Mbps and Gigabit interfaces, but you can expect to pay a big premium for the power and Gigabit combination. If you're planning to implement VoIP, you'll get much more use from PoE than Gigabit to the desktop. But PoE needs to draw its power from somewhere, so you may need to upgrade the power to your wiring closets. In addition, be clear about what you're getting--the amount of power per interface varies by vendor. The maximum is 15 watts per port, but different VoIP phones have different requirements. Make sure you have enough juice to power all the VoIP phones or wireless endpoints you plan to install.
At the network's core, technology is rapidly moving toward 10-Gbps connections, though some of the standards are still playing catch-up. Equipment with 10 Gig Ethernet fiber ports has dropped from $25,000 and $50,000 per port last year to well under $10,000 per port, and varies in price depending upon whether the ports are used in high-end chassis or standalone wiring-closet switches. If you do buy wiring-closet switches with Gigabit to the desktop as an insurance policy, some vendors, including Cisco, Extreme Networks, Foundry Networks and Hewlett-Packard, can provide Gigabit with the ability to upgrade to 10 Gigabit to the backbone when you really need it.
If you're installing new cabling this year, pay attention to new standards that the IEEE might be using to eke out faster speeds in the future. Running 10 Gigabit over twisted pair is a big challenge, but the industry is searching for a way to do it while minimizing cabling costs. The IEEE is preparing a standard for 10 Gigabit over twisted pair: 802.3an, which is expected to be ratified in 2006.
Category 6 cabling is expected to support transport distances of at least 55 meters, but there are no guarantees it will support 100 meters. Last year, the expensive, foil-wrapped Cat 7 cable appeared to be the only sure thing for 100 meters. Since then, the TIA/EIA (Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronic Industries Association) has designed a new version of Cat 6, called Augmented Cat 6, that supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet over 100 meters.
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