An optical fiber ribbon (100-700), comprising: * a plurality of adjacent optical fiber units extending in a longitudinal direction and arranged in parallel forming an optical fiber assembly having a width, each of the optical fiber units comprising either - a single optical fiber or - a group of at most three optical fibers , preferably two optical fibers, encapsulated with a matrix material ; and * a plurality of successive elongated rectilinear beads of a bonding material being arranged along a length of said assembly ; - each of said plurality of beads being configured to form an elongated bond between two adjacent optical fiber units of the plurality of optical fiber units; wherein a first bead forming a first bond connects a first pair of adjacent optical fiber units while the successive bond formed by the successive bead connects a further pair of adjacent optical fiber units, wherein at least one optical fiber unit of the further pair differs from the optical fiber units of the first pair; wherein at each longitudinal position of the optical fiber assembly there is at most one bond; characterized in that a bond has a bonding length I; said bonds being spaced apart in longitudinal direction by a distanced; the bonding length is larger than the distance, l>d, and the bonding length is between 2 and 20 times the distance. * a plurality of adjacent optical fiber units extending in a longitudinal direction and arranged in parallel forming an optical fiber assembly having a width, each of the optical fiber units comprising either - a single optical fiber or - a group of at most three optical fibers , preferably two optical fibers, encapsulated with a matrix material ; and - a single optical fiber or - a group of at most three optical fibers , preferably two optical fibers, encapsulated with a matrix material ; and * a plurality of successive elongated rectilinear beads of a bonding material being arranged along a length of said assembly ; - each of said plurality of beads being configured to form an elongated bond between two adjacent optical fiber units of the plurality of optical fiber units; wherein a first bead forming a first bond connects a first pair of adjacent optical fiber units while the successive bond formed by the successive bead connects a further pair of adjacent optical fiber units, wherein at least one optical fiber unit of the further pair differs from the optical fiber units of the first pair; - each of said plurality of beads being configured to form an elongated bond between two adjacent optical fiber units of the plurality of optical fiber units; wherein a first bead forming a first bond connects a first pair of adjacent optical fiber units while the successive bond formed by the successive bead connects a further pair of adjacent optical fiber units, wherein at least one optical fiber unit of the further pair differs from the optical fiber units of the first pair; wherein at each longitudinal position of the optical fiber assembly there is at most one bond; characterized in that a bond has a bonding length I; said bonds being spaced apart in longitudinal direction by a distanced; the bonding length is larger than the distance, l>d, and the bonding length is between 2 and 20 times the distance. <EOS>