| Pirelli Telecom Cables and Systems, Italy, one of the world's foremost suppliers of telecommunications cable systems, has recently made a significant addition to its blown fibre and cabling portfolio with the introduction of its mini-cable systems. The new family of mini-cable blown fibres delivers between 12 and 72 fibres per cable and provides telecommunications operators with unprecedented choice in their metropolitan and access network expansion strategies. The option of installing further mini-ducts and, within them, appropriate mini-cables to reflect changing business conditions, offers significant cost-savings and gives operators tremendous flexibility in planning their networks.
The use of blown fibre techniques to install optical fibre cable has been well established world-wide over the past decade. It can now be utilised in all parts of a telecommunications or large campus network, from trunk or backbone, through the metropolitan or access network to the "last mile" or customer premises itself. Mini-cables have to be considerably smaller than their conventional counterparts and have the properties enabling them to be blown up to 2km. Over the past two years in particular, mini duct systems have become increasingly popular. The most common applications involve small diameter ducts (typically 16mm, 12mm or 10mm) deployed within an existing mains duct.
Over 20,000km of mini-cable fibre with up to 72 fibres per cable have already been installed in France. Pilot schemes of a variety of mini-cable sizes are underway with metropolitan operators in UK, Italy, Scandinavia and USA. In addition, approval has been granted in Germany for the 60 fibre mini-cable, now available in a 6mm construction, making it one of the smallest fibre cable packages commercially available. Mr Richard Thomas, marketing director, Pirelli Telecom Cables and Systems commented: "Our system offers the most flexible 'pay as you grow' architecture available. Operators have the distinct advantage of deferring all but essential capital investment in the network, building directly according to today's need. They can increase fibre count in line with demand, installing empty tubes initially and paying for fibre as and when they require�.
|
