NewNew Products
Products

Aerial Ultra High Density Optical Fiber Cable

1.

INTRODUCTION

Recently, with the increase of telecommunication traffic
demand in light of the expansion of FTTH, further construction of the optical fiber cable network is underway. Inorder to build the optical fiber cable network economically, it is necessary to accommodate efficiently an opticalfiber cable in the current space. Therefore, a lighter andsmaller optical fiber cable is required. Now we have beendeveloping and commercializing a new product that hasa lighter weight and a smaller diameter in comparison toour conventional products.

2.2 FEATURESThe optical fiber ribbon which has been developed canaccommodate optical fibers into the cable effectively bychanging the shape of the ribbon as shown in Figure 3.
The original ribbon shape can be recovered when the ribbon is pulled out from cable core. Thus multi-fusion splice
can be done. Also the ribbon can become a single fiberby splitting the bonded portion.

Bonding portion
Optical fiber

OLT：Optical line terminal
IDM：Integrated distribution module

Drop cable

Aerial optical fiber cable

Telephone pole
Figure 3 “Rolled” rollable optical fiber ribbon.
OLTIDM

Subscribers

Manhole3.
Underground optical fiber cable
Figure 1 Example of aerial optical fiber cable installation.

2.

ROLLABLE OPTICAL FIBER RIBBON

2.1 Structure
The structure of the ribbon that has been developed thistime is shown in Figure 2. 4 single mode fibers that havea minimum bending radius of 15 mm are put into paralleland 2 adjacent fibers are intermittently bonded longitudinally.

AERIAL ULTRA HIGH DENSITY OPTCALFIBER CABLE

3.1 Structure
Figure 4 shows the cable construction of 200-fiber selfsupport type cable. 5 ribbons are bound by colored plastic tape as shown in Figure 5 and the optical fiber units
are stranded. Then the stranded core is jacketed together
with a suspension member. The cable component andthe suspension member component are bonded intermittently to have a cable excess length.

Suspension member
Cable tension member
Optical fiber unit
Core wrap

Suspension
membercomponent

Rip cord

Bondingportion

JacketCable
component

Bonding portion
Optical fiber

Figure 4 200- fiber optical cable.
Figure 2 The structure of rollable optical fiber ribbon.

Furukawa Review, No. 44

201352

Aerial Ultra High Density Optical Fiber Cable

5.

Rollable opticalfiber ribbon

PRODUCT LINE-UPTable 2 shows the product line-up of the optical fiber
cable with the small diameter. Not only the self-support
type, but also the round cable is available.

Plastic tapeFigure 5 Optical fiber unit.

Table 2No. of fiber

3.2 Features
After disconnecting the suspension member component
and the cable component, this newly developed cableallows the removal of the jacket and the pull out of thefibers from the cable core in the middle of cable by splitting the jacket using the rip cord. The fiber can be identified by the color of plastic tape and fiber.
The ratio of the cable diameter and the weight to thoseof our conventional products is shown in Figure 6. In caseof the 200-fiber optical cable that has been developed,
the cable diameter is reduced by 30% and the cableweight is reduced by 50%.

1.0

Ratio

0.8

Self-support type optical fiber cable.
Suspension member
No. of strands/mm

24Weightkg/km

9.0 × 17.5

165

9.0 × 17.5

165

9.5 × 18.0170100

10.5 × 18.5

18020012.0 × 20.5200

4060

6.

Diameter
mm7/1.4

CONCLUSION

The newly developed aerial optical fiber cable with thesmall diameter is now commercialized.
The cable diameter is reduced by 30% and the weightis reduced by 50% in comparison to those of our conventional products.
For more information please contact :Optical Fiber and Cable Products Div.
Engineering Dept.
Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
Tel: +81-3-3286-3634 Fax: +81-3-3286-3190

0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0Diameter

WeightFigure 6 The ratio of cable diameter and weight in comparison
to those of the conventional products.

4.

PROPERTIES

Table 1 shows the properties of the aerial optical fiber
cable with the small diameter. Transmission properties,
mechanical properties and temperature cycling properties have excellent performances.
Table 1
Items
Attenuation

Characteristics of the optical fiber cable.
Test condition

Result@1310 nmless than 0.35 dB/km@1550 nmless than 0.25 dB/km

Bending

R=160 mm ± 180 degree

less than 0.1 dB

Crash

1960 N/10 mm for 1 minless than 0.1 dBTorsion± 90 degree

less than 0.1 dB

ImpactWeight 1 kg Height 1 mless than 0.1 dB

Temperature
cycling-30 – +70℃ 3 cycles

less than 0.1 dB/kmNote) The numbers in the table above are typical values.

Furukawa Review, No. 44

201353