Part 1-1 and Part 1-2 of EN 50290 give directly or by reference all common requirements for communication cables. They are completed by generic, sectional, family and detail specifications, as appropriate, to describe in a detailed manner each type of cables with its specific characteristics. EN 50290 consists of the following parts: - Part 1-1 General; - Part 1-2 Definitions; - Part 2-1 Common design rules and construction - General; - Part 2-2X series Common design rules and construction - Materials; - Part 3 Quality assessment; - Part 4-1 General considerations for the use of cables - Environmental conditions and safety aspects; - Part 4-2 General considerations for the use of cables - Guide for use. The test methods are described in EN 50289, Communication cables - Specifications for test methods, which consists of the following parts: - Part 1-X series Electrical test methods; - Part 2-X series Transmission and optical test methods; - Part 3-X series Mechanical test methods; - Part 4-X series Environmental test methods. This Part 1-1 harmonizes the standardisation of symmetrical, coaxial and optical cables used for the infrastructure of communication, multimedia and control networks. Most of the cables covered by this Part 1-1 are primarily intended to be used in IT networks. However they can also be used for other applications with the exception of those which presume a direct connection to the mains electricity supply.