TIA-942

TIA-942 is an ANSI standard from the Telecommunications Industry Association that specifies requirements for data center infrastructure, covering site location, architecture, electrical and mechanical systems, cabling, and physical security. It defines four Rated levels (Rated-1 through Rated-4, formerly called Tiers) that broadly parallel Uptime Institute Tiers: Rated-1 basic, Rated-2 redundant components, Rated-3 concurrently maintainable, Rated-4 fault tolerant. Unlike Uptime certification, which is proprietary to one organization, TIA-942 conformity can be audited by accredited third-party bodies, making it a popular certification route in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The standard is periodically revised (TIA-942-C being the current major revision) and is often cited in colocation RFPs alongside Uptime Tier claims.