Cat 6, an unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) design, emerged as an advancement of the UTP Cat 5e, which was formalized in 2001. The design of Cat 6 required more stringent precision in manufacturing, and this enabled reduced noise and crosstalk, allowing improved performance.

Cat 6, an unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) design, emerged as an advancement of the UTP Cat 5e, which was formalized in 2001. The design of Cat 6 required more stringent precision in manufacturing, and this enabled reduced noise and crosstalk, allowing improved performance.