ISO/IEC 11801 specifies generic cabling for use within premises, which may comprise single or multiple buildings on a campus. It covers balanced cabling and optical fibre cabling.

ISO/IEC 11801 is optimised for premises in which the maximum distance over which telecommunications services can be distributed is 2 000 m. The principles of this International Standard may be applied to larger installations. Cabling defined by this standard supports a wide range of services, including voice, data, text, image and video.

This International Standard specifies directly or via reference the: a) structure and minimum configuration for generic cabling, b) interfaces at the telecommunications outlet (TO), c) performance requirements for individual cabling links and channels, d) implementation requirements and options, e) performance requirements for cabling components required for the maximum distances specified in this standard, f) conformance requirements and verification procedures. Safety (electrical safety and protection, fire, etc.) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) requirements are outside the scope of this International Standard, and are covered by other standards and by regulations. However, information given by this standard may be of assistance.

ISO/IEC 11801 has taken into account requirements specified in application standards listed in Annex F. It refers to available International Standards for components and test methods where appropriate.