On-site termination of an MPO/MTP® connector with 12, 24 or even up to 72 fibers is obviously no longer possible. In other words, if you use MPO connectors you also have to use trunk cables (Figure 11) delivered already cut to length and terminated. This approach requires greater care in planning but has a number […]
In terms of physical properties, the difference between these two fiber types is the diameter of the core—the light-carrying region of the fiber. In 62.5/125 fiber, the core has a diameter of 62.5 microns and the cladding diameter is 125 microns. For 50/125, the core has a diameter of 50 microns with the same cladding […]
There are three strong reasons for the broad acceptance and rapid growth of twisted pair as the horizontal medium: low initial cost, the ability to deliver higher data rate LAN services and the flexibility to use one medium for all services. As speeds increase, copper-based LANs will require more complex and expensive electronics. Although, fiber’s […]
Bend Radius When installing fiber cables, tower hands should pay attention to the minimum bend radius of the fiber. Standard fiber (complies with ITU-T recommendation G.652D) can maintain a minimum bend radius of five to 15 times the fiber cable diameter. Functionally, this corresponds to about three centimeters, or about one inch. Failure to observe […]
Fusion vs. Mechanical Splicing Unfortunately, damage to fiber optic connectors is common in FTTA installations. If a fiber connector is damaged, either a whole new cable can be pulled or the damaged connector can be replaced. Fusion splicing is one method for attaching a pre-terminated fiber connector with a fiber stub (called a pigtail) to the broken […]
Fiber optic cables are terminated with fiber optic connectors. The construction of the connector involves precise alignment of the end of the fiber with the end of the connector’s ceramic ferrule, which mates with the fiber receptacle. Fiber connectors can be UPC (ultra-physical contact) or APC (angle-physical contact). Generally, UPC is used for purely digital communication applications, such […]
Types of Fiber An optical fiber transmits light through a flexible, transparent strand of pure glass not much wider than a human hair. It functions as a waveguide, or “light pipe,” to direct the light. On a cell tower, an optical transceiver module inside the towermounted radio converts the optical signal into electrical signals for […]
While a number of different system designs have been deployed, FTTA cabling architectures generally consist of a smaller base band unit (BBU) at the bottom of the tower and multiple fiber-fed remote radio units (RRUs) at the top of the tower. Fiber cables replace coaxial feeders running up the tower in order to support advanced technologies such […]
Not all FTTH networks are built the same. Since construction and outside plant account for the majority of total network costs, getting the architecture right has a major impact on the business case. The network architecture can also impact time-to-market, labor/training requirements, future upgradeability, network performance, and ultimately customer satisfaction. This paper provides an overview […]
The Vodafone Group has started rolling out fibre to the home (FTTH) programmes in Ireland and Portugal as part of a €600 million network expansion programme. Ireland will be the first country in Europe to deliver the end to end fibre through its electricity infrastructure nationwide. As part of SIRO, a joint venture in Ireland […]
