Patent ID: 8354590

Claim:
A communication cable, comprising: a plurality of twisted pairs of conductors; a matrix tape substantially surrounding said plurality of twisted pairs of conductors, said matrix tape including an insulating layer having a first side and an opposing second side, a first barrier layer of conductive segments separated by gaps on said first side in both a longitudinal and a circumferential direction of the cable such as to prevent any individual segment from traversing an entire length or entire circumference of the communication cable and a second barrier layer of conductive segments separated by gaps on said second side in both a longitudinal and a circumferential direction of the cable such as to prevent any individual segment from traversing an entire length or entire circumference of the communication cable; a pair separator separating each of said plurality of twisted pairs of conductors from another of said plurality of twisted pairs of conductors, said pair separator including a plurality of frustum-shaped separator legs joined by a central web, wherein each of said separator legs lies approximately between one of said twisted pairs of conductors and another of said twisted pairs of conductors.