Hitachi Cable

Hitachi Cable, Ltd. was a Japanese electrical wire and cable manufacturer associated with Hitachi, Ltd. The company was established in 1956 from Hitachi Densen Works, a wire-and-cable operation connected with the Hitachi Works. Its original business centered on electric wire and cable used in power distribution, but its scope expanded substantially over the following decades. The company developed and manufactured a broad range of cable-related materials and systems. These included copper conductors, rubber products, optical-fiber products, premises telecommunications cable, coaxial cable, antennas, and electronic components. Its activities also extended into telecommunications equipment and network infrastructure, reflecting the increasing convergence between traditional cable manufacturing, information technology, and communications hardware. Hitachi Cable’s product portfolio covered both industrial and communications applications. In the premises-cabling field, the company supplied copper products such as Category 5e, Category 6, and Category 6A twisted-pair cable, together with hybrid, shielded, outdoor, composite, and multiconductor variants. Its fiber-optic range included indoor interconnect and multi-unit cable, indoor and outdoor constructions, loose-tube and tight-buffered designs, armored outside-plant cable, and both multimode and single-mode products. It also produced electronic round and ribbon cables for interfaces and equipment including coaxial, HDMI, IEEE, SCSI, USB, VGA, Serial ATA, and related applications. The company pursued adjacent technology businesses as well. Its communications-related developments included antennas, coaxial products, compound semiconductors, terminal antennas for wireless communications, and the WirelessIP5000 wireless IP phone, which supported the Session Initiation Protocol. Hitachi Cable also developed the Apresia18020 network switch, described in the reference material as Japan’s first terabit-class network switch, with a switching capacity of 1.8 terabits per second. It participated in the 10 Gigabit Ethernet Alliance alongside other wire and cable manufacturers and technology companies. Hitachi Cable operated internationally through subsidiaries and affiliated businesses. Hitachi Cable Manchester, Inc., based in Manchester, New Hampshire, manufactured premises telecommunications, optical-fiber, and electronics cables for the North American market. The former subsidiary was acquired by Bain Capital in January 2022 and subsequently operated as Proterial Cable America, Inc., although that later corporate development relates to the successor business rather than to Hitachi Cable as an independent company. Hitachi Cable no longer exists as a standalone corporate entity. It was merged into Hitachi Metals, Ltd. in 2013. The merger ended Hitachi Cable’s independent corporate status and placed its businesses within Hitachi Metals. Hitachi Metals later adopted the name Proterial, meaning that products and operations historically associated with Hitachi Cable may appear in later records under Hitachi Metals or Proterial rather than under the Hitachi Cable name.

Hitachi Cable originated in Hitachi’s wire-and-cable activities and was established as an independent company in 1956. Its initial role was the manufacture of electric wire and cable for power-distribution applications. This placed the business within the industrial foundation of the postwar Japanese economy, where electrical infrastructure, manufacturing capacity, and communications networks were expanding together. During the decades after its creation, the company broadened beyond basic power cable. It developed capabilities involving copper, rubber, optical materials, and other components used in cable construction. Optical products became an important extension of its traditional wire business, allowing the company to address telecommunications and data-transmission requirements in addition to electrical power distribution. Hitachi Cable also moved into communications hardware and electronic technology. Its described product range included antennas, coaxial cable, terminal antennas for wireless communications, compound semiconductors, and assorted electronic components. The WirelessIP5000 was an example of the company’s effort to apply its communications expertise to networked voice equipment; the device was a wireless IP phone supporting the Session Initiation Protocol. The company’s information-technology activities included networking equipment. The Apresia18020 was presented as Japan’s first terabit network switch and offered a switching capacity of 1.8 terabits per second. Hitachi Cable also participated in the 10 Gigabit Ethernet Alliance, a consortium that included other wire and cable manufacturers and technology companies. These activities illustrated the company’s attempt to participate in the infrastructure surrounding high-speed communications rather than limiting itself to passive cable products. International operations formed another part of the business. Hitachi Cable Manchester, Inc. operated from Manchester, New Hampshire, and manufactured premises telecommunications cable, optical-fiber cable, and electronics cable. Its catalog included copper structured-cabling products, fiber-optic cable for indoor and outside-plant environments, electronic round cable, and electronic ribbon cable. The subsidiary connected Hitachi Cable’s Japanese industrial and communications expertise with the North American cable market. Hitachi Cable’s independent corporate history ended when it was merged into Hitachi Metals in 2013. Following that transaction, Hitachi Cable ceased to operate as a standalone company, while relevant businesses and product capabilities continued within the successor organization. Hitachi Metals later changed its name to Proterial. The later sale of the former Hitachi Cable Manchester business to Bain Capital in January 2022, followed by its renaming as Proterial Cable America, demonstrates how parts of the historic business continued under successor corporate identities. As a result, Hitachi Cable is best understood today as a defunct Hitachi-associated brand and former company whose product history spans power cable, communications cable, optical products, electronic components, and networking equipment.

• 2022

  Former Hitachi Cable Manchester business renamed Proterial Cable America

  [1]Hitachi Cableen.wikipedia.org

  After Bain Capital acquired Hitachi Cable Manchester, Inc., the business became known as Proterial Cable America, Inc.

• 2013

  Merger into Hitachi Metals

  [1]Hitachi Cableen.wikipedia.org

  Hitachi Cable was merged into Hitachi Metals, ending the company’s independent corporate existence.

• 1956

  Hitachi Cable established

  [1]Hitachi Cableen.wikipedia.org

  The company was established as a manufacturer of electric wire and cable for power-distribution applications, developing from Hitachi Densen Works.

• Expansion into optical and communications products

  [1]Hitachi Cableen.wikipedia.org

  Over the following decades, Hitachi Cable expanded from power cable into copper and rubber products, optical-fiber products, antennas, coaxial cable, compound semiconductors, and electronic components.

• Development of WirelessIP5000

  [1]Hitachi Cableen.wikipedia.org

  The company developed the WirelessIP5000 wireless IP phone, which supported the Session Initiation Protocol.

• Launch of Apresia18020 network switch

  [1]Hitachi Cableen.wikipedia.org

  Hitachi Cable developed the Apresia18020, described in the reference material as Japan’s first terabit network switch, with 1.8 terabits per second of switching capacity.

A diversified Japanese wire, cable, and communications-technology manufacturer serving power distribution, telecommunications, data networking, electronics, and industrial infrastructure markets.

• Power infrastructure · 1956

  Power and electrical wire and cable

  Hitachi Cable began with electric wire and cable for power-distribution applications. Its broader cable activities included copper conductors and related materials used in electrical infrastructure and industrial systems.

• Structured cabling

  Premises telecommunications cable

  The company supplied copper premises cable for data and telecommunications installations. The range included Category 5e, Category 6, and Category 6A unshielded and shielded constructions, outdoor cable, composite cable, hybrid GoldLAN products, and multiconductor variants.

• Fiber-optic infrastructure

  Optical-fiber cable

  Hitachi Cable manufactured fiber-optic cable for indoor, outdoor, and outside-plant use. Described constructions included indoor interconnect and multi-unit cable, central-tube and loose-tube designs, tight-buffered multimode and single-mode cable, and armored outside-plant products.

• Electronic interconnect

  Electronic round and ribbon cable

  The electronic-cable portfolio covered coaxial, HDMI, USB, VGA, Serial ATA, SCSI, IEEE 1284, IEEE 1394, InfiniBand, probe, and general-purpose cable. Ribbon products included planar, shielded, ribbonized, and wide-pitch constructions for equipment interconnection.

• Wireless communications equipment

  WirelessIP5000

  WirelessIP5000 was a wireless IP phone developed by Hitachi Cable. It supported the Session Initiation Protocol and represented the company’s move from cable components into networked communications equipment.

• Network equipment

  Apresia18020

  The Apresia18020 was a high-capacity network switch developed by Hitachi Cable. The reference material describes it as Japan’s first terabit network switch, with a switching capacity of 1.8 terabits per second.

• 2013

  Consolidation with Hitachi MetalsM&A

  Background

  Hitachi Cable had developed a broad portfolio spanning power cable, communications cable, optical products, electronic components, and networking equipment. The company was subsequently combined with Hitachi Metals.

  Action taken

  Hitachi Cable was merged into Hitachi Metals and ceased to exist as an independent company.

  Aftermath

  Its businesses became part of Hitachi Metals. The successor company later adopted the Proterial name, so later records may identify related operations under Proterial rather than Hitachi Cable.

  Source

1. 1Hitachi Cableen.wikipedia.org