ANALYSIS & OPINION: FIBRE & FIBRE OPTIC CABLE


MICRODUCTS ARE EMERGING AS A SOLUTION WHICH CAN PROVIDE OPERATORS WITH A PATHWAY TO QUICK, EASY, CLEAN AND COST-EFFECTIVE INSTALLATIONS TYPICALLY, THE COST OF DUCT IS BETWEEN 5 AND 20 PER CENT OF THE OVERALL CONSTRUCTION OF DUCTED NETWORKS


The pressure is building to put more fibre into networks


also essential. With the right solution, the sheath stripping process can be simplified to significantly reduce the time taken to strip the sheath, while protecting the fibres from damage. For some operators, features such as these


and the promise of simplified microduct network deployments may seem just a fantasy, but manufacturers of blown fibre, cabling and ducted solutions can help ensure it is a reality.


Ease ensured For example, Fibreflow WebFlex was designed to build on the benefits of a microduct-based Fibre-to-the-x (FTTx) network, where operators have the option of placing microducts on day one that provide a future-proof pathway for years to come. Using these microducts gives the added benefit of allowing the placement of fibres at the point of connection, rather than at day one, resulting in less overall Capital Expenditure (CapEx) when initiating a new product or rollout. When using this style of bundle in FTTx


deployments, operators have the option of using cost-saving techniques, such as micro trenching, to speed up deployment and minimise disruption to the deployment area. A product such as this has the ability to be installed into a micro trench as narrow as 30mm, so that digging and reinstatement costs can be significantly reduced for operators. Furthermore, this technique provides the ability


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to deploy upwards of 500m of microduct per-day. It can also provide a flexible and easily


accessible way for direct burial deployments using conventional and micro trenching technology. By joining 12 microducts together in a branch formation, which consists of a thin opaque, flexible web that can be cut, they can be peeled, stripped and run to the subscriber or connection point with minimal time and effort. Tis approach makes it easier to locate and branch with minimal disruption to the remaining duct. Tis style of product also reduces wastage


of unused microduct throughout the project lifecycle by using more of it placed in the ground, rather than leaving empty unoccupied microducts further down a run – resulting in lower CapEx and overall cost per home connected for operators. Additionally, by ensuring each subscriber microduct is individually colour coded, it can remove the need for an additional tube connector or drop duct to be connected, reducing the number of potential failure points in the network. Following this, fibre can be quickly and easily blown and terminated at the time of connection. Te combination of these advantages means


that the overall time taken to build the network can be significantly reduced when combined with other cost- and time-saving trenching methods, such as micro or narrow trenching.


Due to simplified fault finding and the chosen outer diameter and inner diameter of the tubes in the bundle, this means that they have sufficient future capacity to carry up to 24 fibres in each duct when used in combination with a 24-fibre unit.


Te right technique In a snapshot, the overall benefit of any duct system is that operators don’t have to re-dig the ground thereaſter if additional capacity is required. Typically, the cost of duct is between 5 and 20 per cent of the overall construction of ducted networks, depending on where and what technique – meaning that there is no room for damage, or loss of ducts. Choosing the right technique can be make or


break for operators’ FTTx rollouts – and if the right one is selected, operators can enjoy more simplified microduct network deployments. For operators, this will ultimately result in lower cost- per-home connectivity and in some cases, will aid a more feasible deployment area that would have otherwise been deemed commercially un-viable when using other traditional techniques. Tis will set operators up to not only meet government’s stringent broadband targets, but to satisfy the demands of their customers’ ever-growing needs with high-speed, reliable, future-proof connectivity. n


Scot Modha works in international business development at Emtelle


Issue 24 n Summer 2019 n FiBRE SYSTEMS 27


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