Structured wiring was originally used in commercial construction to integrate security, cable, and phone systems. As the cost of structured wiring systems has come down, it is becoming more and more common in residential homes. Installing a system like this during new home construction can also cost half as much as retrofitting it to an existing home.Some of the systems that can be wired in this structured manner include phone, television, intercom, security, audio, computer networking, cameras, etc. Having these systems in a structured wiring configuration also allows for easy access via the structured wiring panel that they all can be wired into.
A structured wiring system typically consists of "home run wiring" which means that each cable is run from a source panel to its destination (ex: a bedroom) without connecting to another jack in a different room. This allows each cable to work independently and reduces interference.
Additionally, this will allow for greater flexibility as to the purpose of that wire. For example, a cable used for a phone in a bedroom could be modified in the source panel to now be part of the home's computer network or an IP camera system. The cabling in structured wiring systems is typically: Category 5 or 5e for voice and data; RG6 coaxial cable for video. Fiber optic cable is also an option, but is expensive.One benefit of structured wiring systems is that they give you more control over the wiring in your home, instead of giving that control to the phone or cable company. Those companies would just bring their outside wire to your source panel and the structured wiring system takes over from there getting the signal to the rest of the home. Also, some phone companies will charge an "inside wiring maintenance" fee on your bill which you can eliminate if you have structured wiring.
I encourage anyone building a new home to consider a structured wiring system at least for their phone, television, and networking. A basic system starts around $1,200 to $1,500 and goes up from there. I think the value it adds to your home will be worth the cost.
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