A fiber optic cable assembly, comprising: a distribution cable comprising optical fibers; a tether cable comprising a jacket and an optical fiber extending lengthwise therein, wherein the optical fiber of the tether cable is tightly constrained within the tether cable along the length of the tether cable; and a network access point assembly having a cavity defined therein, wherein a portion of the optical fiber of the tether cable extends from the tether cable into the cavity of the network access point assembly and is spliced to a portion of one of the optical fibers of the distribution cable extending into the cavity of the network access point assembly from a side of the distribution cable, and wherein the splice is positioned in the cavity of the network access point assembly, characterized in that the jacket of the tether cable surrounds and constrains the optical fiber of the tether cable such that pulling the optical fiber lengthwise from a straight meter-long section of the tether cable fractures the optical fiber before the optical fiber may be fully withdrawn, the optical fiber of the tether cable substantially lacks excess fiber length within the tether cable relative to the length of the tether cable such that at a room temperature of 23° the length of the optical fiber for a meter-long section of the tether cable is less than a half of a centimeter longer than the section, the portion of one of the optical fibers of the distribution cable extending into the cavity is locked down, and the tether cable is coupled to the distribution cable such that the tether cable remains attached to the distribution cable under a 100 pounds-force pull-out load applied to the tether cable, such that the portion of the optical fiber of the tether cable extending from the tether cable into the cavity of the network access point assembly is substantially isolated from bending of the tether cable such that the net length change within the cavity of the spliced optical fiber portions (124, 128) when the tether cable is wrapped in a 50-centimeter diameter loop compared to when the tether cable extends in a generally straight path lengthwise from the network access point assembly along distribution cable is reduced compared to when no coupling is used. a distribution cable comprising optical fibers; a tether cable comprising a jacket and an optical fiber extending lengthwise therein, wherein the optical fiber of the tether cable is tightly constrained within the tether cable along the length of the tether cable; and a network access point assembly having a cavity defined therein, wherein a portion of the optical fiber of the tether cable extends from the tether cable into the cavity of the network access point assembly and is spliced to a portion of one of the optical fibers of the distribution cable extending into the cavity of the network access point assembly from a side of the distribution cable, and wherein the splice is positioned in the cavity of the network access point assembly, characterized in that the jacket of the tether cable surrounds and constrains the optical fiber of the tether cable such that pulling the optical fiber lengthwise from a straight meter-long section of the tether cable fractures the optical fiber before the optical fiber may be fully withdrawn, the optical fiber of the tether cable substantially lacks excess fiber length within the tether cable relative to the length of the tether cable such that at a room temperature of 23° the length of the optical fiber for a meter-long section of the tether cable is less than a half of a centimeter longer than the section, the portion of one of the optical fibers of the distribution cable extending into the cavity is locked down, and the tether cable is coupled to the distribution cable such that the tether cable remains attached to the distribution cable under a 100 pounds-force pull-out load applied to the tether cable, such that the portion of the optical fiber of the tether cable extending from the tether cable into the cavity of the network access point assembly is substantially isolated from bending of the tether cable such that the net length change within the cavity of the spliced optical fiber portions (124, 128) when the tether cable is wrapped in a 50-centimeter diameter loop compared to when the tether cable extends in a generally straight path lengthwise from the network access point assembly along distribution cable is reduced compared to when no coupling is used.