Patent ID: 6205278
Filing Date: 2001-03-20
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An optical fiber network comprising:a line station and at least one cable, the cable extending from a head end to a far end and holding a plurality of ribbon fibers each including individual optical fibers, the cable connected to the line station at the head end for transmitting and receiving information on the individual optical fibers included in the ribbon fibers;a plurality of spaced apart branching points provided at different locations of the cable between the head end and the far end of the cable, at each branching point at least one of the ribbon fibers being cut-off and at least one of the individual optical fibers in a cut-off ribbon fiber being connected to a subscriber, so that a cut-off ribbon fiber is divided into one head end ribbon fiber piece extending from the head end to one of the branching points and one far end ribbon fiber piece extending from said one of the branching points to the far end; andwherein in at least one of the branching points there is an end of an individual optical fiber in a head end ribbon fiber piece which is not connected to a subscriber and this end is connected to an end of an individual optical fiber in a far end ribbon fiber piece.