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Here's a Quick Way to Build Your Fiber Optic Network
By Colin Yao
What is the most time consuming work in building a fiber network? Two works are
usually the largest line items in an fiber optic network installation budget: pulling
the fiber optic cables and terminating or splicing the cables.
When pulling the fiber cables, you must observe the minimum bending radius of the
cable, prepare the cable ends with a pulling eye kit, and filling the conduit with
lubricant to minimize the damage risk to the cables.
That is not all, terminating the fiber optic cables can be a daunting task if you are
installing a large fiber network. The time required to terminate different fiber cables
can vary widely. Hence, the choice of fiber cables is a critical decision in reducing your cost.
Loose tube gel-filled versus tight buffered fiber optic cable
The choice of the cable type is one of the biggest cost drivers in cable termination.
There are two basic cable types used in system installations:
1. Loose tube gel-filled cable
2. Tight buffered fiber optic breakout cables
Loose tube fiber cables
Traditionally, loose tube fiber optic cable has been used for outdoor long-haul links.
Due to the fragile bare fibers and gel filling, which must be cleaned prior to
termination, loose tube gel-filled cable is the most difficult to splice and terminate and
also has the highest termination material costs.
Loose tube fiber cable type must normally be terminated or spliced close to the cable
entryway of a building to switch to indoor-style cable, as it is generally incompatible
with indoor fire (flammability) codes.
Tight buffered fiber optic breakout cables
Tight buffered cables require less care to avoid damaging fibers when stripping back
the cable. Each fiber is protected with its own 900 µm diameter buffer structure, which is
nearly four times the diameter and six times the thickness of the 250 µm coating.
This construction feature contributes to the excellent moisture and temperature
performance of the tight-buffered indoor/outdoor cables and also permits their direct
termination with connectors.
Tight buffered breakout fiber optic cable, has individual subcables within a primary
outer cable sheath. This cable is the cable of choice for direct connectorization, as each
fiber has its own aramid strength member for connector tie-off.
The connectorized subcables may be directly connected to equipment without fear of
fiber damage or connector/fiber interface damage in most situations. Fiber optic breakout
cable is by far the least expensive and easiest cable type to terminate and requires the
least experience on the part of the installer.
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