Twisted-pair cable using XLPE insulation

Twisted-pair data cables are provided with conductors that are insulated with two or more different materials, where one of the two or more materials is cross-linked polyethylene. Cross-linked polyethylene is commonly abbreviated PEX, XPE or XLPE. The use of XLPE in conjunction with other materials within the same cable can ensure that the cable satisfies requirements of heat and flame resistance while reducing the manufacturing cost of such cables. In a first embodiment one twisted pair 104a in a cable 100 is insulated with a single layer of XLPE. The other twisted pairs 104b-c may be insulated with fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) or flame-resistant polyolefin, for example. In another embodiment each twisted pair 104 in a cable 200 is insulated with a first inner layer 202b of FEP and a second outer layer 202a of XPLE. Other embodiments are also described (figs 3, 4).