Planned for future changes
Cabinets, panels and fibre entry mapped for later additions.
Why choose
ACCL?
Live-site sequencing
Access, cut-overs and changes planned around operations.
giffgaff, Uxbridge
Comms room relocated with the business fully operational.
OTDR and loss testing
Fibre inspected and loss-tested to the design budget.
Recent data centre work: giffgaff, Uxbridge, Wise Music Group, Oxford museums
Recent data centre projects
Comms room and data centre projects we have delivered.
From a phased comms room move at giffgaff’s 23,000 sq ft Uxbridge headquarters to cabinet consolidation across four Oxford University museums.
Audit and consolidation
University of Oxford Museums: Network Infrastructure Audit, Cabinet Consolidation & Fibre Upgrade
ACCL audited and rationalised network infrastructure across four Oxford University museums and the Botanic Garden, consolidating cabinets and modernising legacy fibre.
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Live comms room move
Live Network Migration & Comms Room Relocation for giffgaff’s Uxbridge Headquarters
ACCL relocated giffgaff’s comms room and recabled its 23,000 sq ft Uxbridge headquarters using a phased swing-space migration, keeping the live business fully operational throughou
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Heritage building
The Observer Building, Hastings: fibre, Wi-Fi and security infrastructure
ACCL delivered the integrated communications and security infrastructure behind the restoration of one of Hastings’ most recognisable heritage buildings.
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Comms room move
Wise Music Group, London: comms room relocation
A staged five-floor comms room relocation, completed during normal working hours with zero network downtime.
Read the case studyData centre services
Start with the part of the room you need.
Data centre cabling and comms room solutions from ACCL: structured copper and fibre, cabinets, containment and relocations for server rooms and data centres across London and the South East, installed, tested and documented by our own engineers.
Comms Room Installation
Survey-led comms room installation across London, Kent and Surrey.
Comms Room Installation →Server and Network Cabinet Installation
Professional server and network cabinet installation across Central and Greater London: certified engineers, any cabinet scale, optimised airflow.
Server and Network Cabinet Installation →Data Centre Containment Installation
Hot aisle and cold aisle containment installation across London, Kent and Surrey.
Data Centre Containment Installation →Data Centre Relocation
Data Centre Relocation, surveyed, installed and tested by our own engineers.
Data Centre Relocation →Server Room Tidy London
Server room tidy & rack cable management in London.
Server Room Tidy London →Not sure what you need?
An engineer surveys the room for free and recommends the specification.
Book a Free Site Survey
Cabinets, routes and backbones
We plan the cabinets and routes at survey.
Rack layout, cable entry and containment decide how easy the room is to run and extend. We map them on site before we specify anything.
- Cabinets and patch panelsPatching kept clear, service access kept and room for planned additions.
- Routes and containmentPathways, bend radius, power separation and fire stopping reviewed first.
- Copper and fibre backbonesChosen for distance, capacity and the equipment at each end.
Where we work
London, Kent and the South East.
Our London office is at the Royal Exchange and our Kent office is in Orpington.
Data centre cabling explained
Data centre cabling, in depth.
Data Centre Cabling for Controlled Infrastructure
ACCL provides data centre cabling London businesses can use to connect racks, cabinets, servers, switches, storage and network services through an organised physical infrastructure. We coordinate the route, containment, copper and fibre, termination, testing, labels and records around the operational brief. Delivering a full office fit-out rather than a data centre alone? See our office fit-out technology infrastructure page for the coordinated package.
A new installation may support a dedicated facility, server room, communications room or edge location. Expansion and migration work can also be planned around existing services and agreed maintenance windows. Where the requirement forms part of a wider building network, our structured data cabling service coordinates horizontal links and backbone infrastructure.
What a Data Centre Cabling Project Includes
The scope can include cabinet and patch-panel layouts, Cat6A or other specified copper cabling, single-mode or multimode fibre, overhead or underfloor pathways, containment, equipment cords, fibre enclosures, labelling, testing and handover documents. Requirements are confirmed during survey and design rather than assumed from a generic specification.
Rack, Cabinet and Patch-Panel Design
Rack layouts should keep patching understandable, preserve service access and allow planned additions. ACCL maps cabinets, patch panels, switch positions, fibre enclosures and cable entry points so that installation and future administration can be coordinated. Existing cabinets can be assessed before reuse; congested or poorly labelled environments may benefit from a separate data cabinet tidy.
Copper and Fibre Backbone Options
Copper cabling
Cat6A is commonly considered for high-performance copper links, but category, shielding, channel length, patching and equipment interfaces must match the application. Copper links are terminated and tested against the agreed cabling specification.
Fibre optic cabling
Fibre can support switch-to-switch, cabinet-to-cabinet and building-backbone connections. Single-mode or multimode selection depends on distance, optics, capacity, loss budget and expansion needs. ACCL can coordinate fibre optic installation, splicing, termination and fibre testing and certification.
Containment, Separation and Airflow Coordination
Cable routes must work with the facility layout. Pathways, bend radius, support, power separation, access, fire stopping and cabinet entry are reviewed before installation. Good routing also avoids unnecessary obstruction around equipment airflow, but cabling design does not replace the facility’s mechanical or environmental design.
Our Data Centre Cabling Process
Survey and design
ACCL records endpoints, cabinets, equipment interfaces, route constraints, operating rules, capacity, resilience requirements and the required handover. The resulting scope identifies assumptions and exclusions before work begins.
Installation and change control
Routes, containment, cable pulls, terminations and patching are sequenced around approved access and maintenance windows. In a live environment, every affected service and dependency should be agreed before a move or change. The objective is controlled delivery that reduces operational risk; no cabling contractor can responsibly promise zero risk or zero downtime.
Testing and handover
Copper and fibre are tested using methods appropriate to the medium and project specification. Labels, schedules, results and other agreed records are assembled for handover.
Working in Live Data Centre Environments
Live-site work requires defined access, permits where applicable, task sequencing, identification of active services, rollback points and communication with the customer’s operational team. Some work can be completed without affecting services; other tasks require an agreed outage or migration window.
If an existing copper route is damaged or failing, use ACCL’s data cabling repair service for fault investigation and repair scope.
Testing, Labelling and Documentation
Installed copper links can be certification-tested to the agreed category and channel or permanent-link requirement. Fibre scope may include inspection, optical-loss testing and OTDR traces where specified. Test equipment and limits are selected for the system; the page does not claim that one tester or test method applies to every link.
Handover can include cable and port identifiers, cabinet and patch-panel references, route or cable schedules, copper results, fibre results, product information and drawings where included in the contract. The BS EN 50600 series for data centre facilities and infrastructure provides useful context, including telecommunications cabling infrastructure. A reference to the series does not claim that ACCL or a customer facility is certified to it.
What Affects Data Centre Cabling Cost?
Cost depends on cabinet count, link quantities, copper category, fibre type and cores, route length, containment, working height, access, out-of-hours work, live-site controls, terminations, testing and required documentation. Existing pathways and cabinets may be reusable only after inspection.
Why Choose ACCL for Data Centre Cabling?
ACCL coordinates cabinets, copper, fibre, containment, testing and handover as one physical-infrastructure package. Relevant project experience includes work for Southampton FC and Thames Tideway. Warranty wording is tied to the products, installer eligibility, registration and terms of any applicable manufacturer scheme rather than presented as a blanket promise.
Data Centre Solutions: FAQs
Q: What are data centre cabling solutions?
Data centre cabling solutions cover the design, installation, testing, and ongoing management of the structured cabling infrastructure inside a data centre. This includes high-density copper and fibre optic cabling, patch panels, cable management systems, inter-rack connectivity, and labelling, all critical for reliable, scalable operations.
Q: What problems can poor data centre cabling cause?
Poorly organised data centre cabling leads to increased downtime, difficulty troubleshooting faults, reduced airflow causing overheating, failed audits, and higher maintenance costs. Proper cable management and labelling are essential for efficient day-to-day operations.
Q: Do you provide data centre design and planning?
Yes. ACCL provides bespoke data centre cabling design covering rack layouts, cable pathways, hot and cold aisle containment, power distribution, and scalability planning. Every design is tailored to your specific operational requirements and future growth.
Q: Can you help with an existing data centre that needs reorganising?
Absolutely. ACCL provides data centre tidy and cable management services to reorganise existing infrastructure, replace unlabelled or damaged cables, improve airflow, and bring documentation up to date, all with minimal disruption to live services.
Q: What testing and certification do you provide?
Every installed link is tested with calibrated Fluke equipment and certified to industry standards. You receive full documentation including test results, cable schedules, and as-built drawings. All installations carry a 25-year system warranty.
Q: Do you install security systems in data centres?
Yes. ACCL installs physical security infrastructure for data centres including access control systems, CCTV, and environmental monitoring cabling to protect critical equipment and meet compliance requirements.
Q: What areas do you cover for data centre solutions?
ACCL provides data centre cabling solutions across London, Kent, Surrey, and the wider South East from our offices in the City of London (EC3V) and Orpington, Kent (BR5).
More Data Centre Articles
Have a chat with us about your data centre project
We will help you create an effective, efficient and sustainable environment to house your network infrastructure. Our data centre solutions can minimise downtime, and ensure your data centre operates smoothly.
Plan Your Data Centre Cabling Project
Discuss your cabinets, endpoints, routes, operating constraints, programme and handover requirements with ACCL. A survey can define the data centre infrastructure solution before quotation.
Book a free site survey or contact ACCL to discuss the next step.
Before you book
Data centre cabling FAQs
What does a data centre cabling project include?
A project can include survey, rack and patch-panel planning, containment, copper and fibre installation, termination, testing, labelling and agreed handover records.
When should fibre be used instead of copper in a data centre?
Fibre is commonly chosen for longer routes, switch backbones, higher-capacity links or environments where electrical isolation is useful. Equipment, optics, distance and resilience determine the choice.
Which copper cabling categories can be installed?
Cat6A is commonly specified, while other categories may suit existing systems or defined applications. The design must match channel length, shielding, equipment and performance requirements.
Can ACCL design rack, cabinet and patch-panel layouts?
Yes. ACCL can coordinate rack positions, patch fields, fibre enclosures, cable entry and labelling around equipment access, capacity and maintenance needs.
How are cable routes and containment planned?
Routes are reviewed for capacity, access, support, bend radius, power separation, fire stopping, equipment entry and interaction with airflow before installation.
Can cabling work be completed in a live data centre?
Yes, subject to survey and an agreed method. Work is sequenced around operational constraints, approved maintenance windows and identified service dependencies.
How are access, change control and disruption managed?
The project team agrees access rules, affected services, task sequence, communications, hold points and rollback arrangements. Some changes may require a planned outage.
How is data centre copper cabling tested?
Copper links are certification-tested using equipment and limits appropriate to the specified category and permanent-link or channel requirement. Results can be supplied at handover.
How is data centre fibre cabling tested?
Fibre testing may include connector inspection, optical-loss measurement and OTDR traces where required by the project specification and designed loss budget.
What labelling and documentation are supplied?
Handover can include cable and port labels, cabinet and patch-panel references, schedules, test results, product details and drawings where included in scope.
Can existing data centre cabling be audited or upgraded?
Yes. Existing routes, cabinets, copper and fibre can be inspected and tested before decisions are made about reuse, repair, reorganisation or replacement.
How long does a data centre cabling installation take?
Duration depends on link quantities, routes, containment, access, working hours, live-site controls, termination, testing and documentation. ACCL confirms a programme after survey.
What affects data centre cabling cost and warranty?
Cost depends on cabinets, links, media, routes, containment, access, programme, testing and records. Warranty depends on product and eligibility terms of any applicable manufacturer scheme.
Which areas does ACCL cover and how is a survey arranged?
ACCL serves London, Kent, Surrey and parts of the wider South East, subject to scope and location. Use the free site survey page or call 0333 900 0101.
The team behind your cabling project
One team from survey to certified handover.
Founded in 1997, ACCL surveys, designs, installs, tests and documents structured cabling through one accountable team, for offices, trading floors, schools, hospitals and industrial sites across London and the South East.
Wayne founded ACCL in 1997 and has led the delivery of commercial cabling and network infrastructure projects ever since, including 22,000 outlets for MF Global at Canary Wharf.
Free site survey
An itemised cabling quote before any work starts.
One of our own engineers surveys your site at no cost and with no obligation. Not a sales visit.
- Site survey We walk the cable routes, comms rooms and access.
- Itemised quote Priced from what we saw, not a guess.
- Certified install Tested, documented and handed over.
Excellent · 60+ Google reviews · Founded 1997 · £10m liability cover
Guides for planning cabling work
Structured cabling guides
Structured cabling cost UK
What drives the price of a commercial cabling project.
Read guide
Fluke cable testing and certification
What the test results in your handover pack show.
Read guide
IT office relocation checklist
What to plan before your network moves with you.
Read guideExplore More
Browse practical guidance, industry updates and planning tools for commercial network infrastructure projects.
Planning tools: For early-stage planning, use our commercial UPS sizing calculator to estimate protected load and runtime, compare facility and IT energy with the data centre PUE calculator, or assess cabinet demand using the rack power and cooling calculator. View all data centre and power calculators.