Patent ID: 8498509

Claim:
An optical fiber telecommunication cable ( 2 ), comprising: a plurality of micromodules ( 6 ) arranged in parallel and in a plane, each of the micromodules comprising a thin, flexible, and hand-tearable retaining enclosure surrounding a plurality of optical fibers ( 4 ) and a greasy component applied between the optical fibers ( 4 ), a cable jacket ( 8 ) tightly extruded over the plurality of micromodules ( 6 ) so that the retaining enclosures of the plurality of micromodules ( 6 ) are frictionally coupled and/or melt bonded to the cable jacket ( 8 ), and so that there is substantially no clearance between the cable jacket ( 8 ) and each micromodule ( 6 ) along the length of the cable jacket ( 8 ); and two rigid strength members ( 10 ) enclosed within said cable jacket ( 8 ), wherein said plurality of micromodules ( 6 ) are positioned in a central region of said cable jacket ( 8 ) between said respective strength members ( 10 ), and wherein the height of said cable jacket ( 8 ) around said rigid strength members ( 10 ) is greater than the height of the central region of said cable jacket ( 8 ) around said micromodules ( 6 ).