fiberstore white paper lower ftth cost and increase reliability with tight buffer indoor outdoor...
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WHITE PAPER
Fiberstore White Paper | Lower FTTH Cost and Increase Reliability With Tight Buffer
Indoor/Outdoor Cable
FTTH (Fiber to the Home) network connects a large number of end users to a central point known asan access node to provide the application and services of high speed. The links between end usersand access node are achieved largely by fiber optic cables. Loose buffer cables and tight buffercables are commonly used to transmit signals with high speed, which are capable of survivingoutdoor environment or indoor environment. However, to accomplish the whole transmission link,loose buffer cables for outdoor application should be connected with the tight buffer cables forindoor application. The splicing and termination of these fiber optic cables come as one of thelargest link items in a FTTH system installation budget.
Is There A Better FTTH Cable Solution?
Is there a cost-effective and time-saving solution by using a single type of cable that can surviveboth indoor and outdoor environment in FTTH network? The answer is YES. Tight bufferindoor/outdoor cable is such a cable. It is a specially designed tight buffer cable which can answerthe market call for a single type cable surviving both indoor and outdoor environment. Tounderstand why it is a better choice for FTTH installation, the construction and comparison of loosetube cable and tight buffer cable will be introduced firstly.
Loose Buffer VS Tight BufferThe “buffer” previously mentioned in “loose buffered” and “tight buffer” is actually a basiccomponent of fiber optic cable and the first layer used to define the type of cable construction. Atypical fiber optic cable consists of the optical fiber, buffer, strength members and an outerprotective jacket (as showed in the following picture). The buffer literally is used to provideprotection and some tensile strength, which are useful when pulling the cable to install it or when itmust hang between two suspension points.
Lower FTTH Cost andIncrease Reliability WithTight BufferIndoor/Outdoor Cable
WHITE PAPER
Fiberstore White Paper | Lower FTTH Cost and Increase Reliability With Tight Buffer
Indoor/Outdoor Cable
Loose buffer cable consists of a buffer layer that has an inner diameter much larger than thediameter of the fiber (showed in the following picture). Thus, the cable will be subject totemperature extremes that cause expansion or contraction. That’s why loose buffered cable areusually used outdoor. The loose buffer cables designed for FTTH outdoor application are usuallyloose-tube gel-filled cables (LTGF cable). This type of cable is filled with a gel that displaces or blockswater and prevents it from penetrating or getting into the cable.
Tight buffer cable using a buffer attached to the fiber coating is generally smaller in diameter thanloose buffer cable (showed in the following picture). The minimum bend radius of a tight buffercable is typically smaller than a comparable loose buffer cable. Thus tight buffer cable is usuallyused in indoor application.
WHITE PAPER
Fiberstore White Paper | Lower FTTH Cost and Increase Reliability With Tight Buffer
Indoor/Outdoor Cable
Tight buffered indoor/outdoor cable with properly designed and manufactured can meet bothindoor and outdoor application requirements. It combines the design requirements of traditionalindoor cable and adds moisture protection and sunlight-resistant function to meet the standards foroutdoor use. Tight buffered indoor/outdoor cable also meets one or more of the code requirementsfor flame-spread resistance and smoke generation.
A Better Choice for FTTH Cable Solution
The structure and performance advantages of tight buffer indoor/outdoor cable have beenintroduced above. How about the other advantages? The following will explain why tight bufferedindoor/outdoor cable is a better FTTH cable solution from the aspects of cost and reliability.
CostUsing the traditional choice of LTGF cables as the outdoor cable, there would be a conversion fromone fiber type from another type, which includes prep work on the fiber, the need for splice tray,the routing of fibers in the tray, and other similar detail. Before termination and splicing, the gel ofLTGF cable must be cleaned and the breakout point of the main cable must be blocked by somemethod to prevent oozing of the cable gel. In addition, this cable type must normally be terminatedor spliced close to the cable entryway of a building to switch to indoor cable, as it generallyincompatible with indoor fiber codes. This time consuming and labor intensive process adds hiddencosts to install the LTGF cables.
However, using only tight buffer indoor/outdoor cable for FTTH is much more convenient andcost-effective. A tight-buffered indoor/outdoor cable can be used throughout the link, requiring notransitions at the building entryway. Tight buffer indoor/outdoor cable requires less care to avoiddamaging fibers when stripping back the cable. The termination and splicing of these cables areeasier than that of LTGF cables.
ReliabilityAn important reason why choose tight-buffered indoor/outdoor cable for FTTH cable installation isthe reliability of the overall system. Splicing are the weakest point in a FTTH network. With splicing,the bare fiber ends are open to dust, dirt, water, vapor, and handing which might reduce the fiber
WHITE PAPER
Fiberstore White Paper | Lower FTTH Cost and Increase Reliability With Tight Buffer
Indoor/Outdoor Cable
strength and increase brittleness. Choosing loose tube outdoor cable for FTTH, there will be splicesafter the conversion from one cable type to another type. The splices inside a building may be heldin a cabinet that is open to the air, which might decrease the reliability of the FTTH network. Usingthe tight buffer indoor/outdoor cable could eliminate splicing and improve the installation reliabilitygreatly.
ConclusionIn conclusion, the benefits of tight buffer indoor/outdoor cable are clear. The installer can run asingle cable type and remove a transition point between the outside plant and the inside plant,which decrease FTTH installation cost and time effectively. At the same time, the reliability of theoverall FTTH network can be increased greatly.
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Notice: This document is for informational purposes only and does not set forth any warranty, expressed orimplied, concerning any equipment, equipment features, or service offered or to be offered by Fiberstore.Fiberstore reserves the right to make changes to this document at any time, without notice, and assumes noresponsibility for its use. This information document describes features that may not be currently available.Contact a Fiberstore sales team for information on feature and product availability.
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