OFS, a leading designer of optical fibers, cables, and connectivity solutions, has upgraded its single-mode bend-optimized fiber line with two new offerings, available to the market today, responding to customer needs for tighter bends to extend fiber into buildings and living units.
OFS’ new AllWave® FLEX Max Fiber provides less than 0.10 dB of 1550 nm loss at a 5 mm bend radius, with performance superior to and compliant with both the ITU-T G.657.B3 and G.652.D recommendations. The new fiber offers outstanding bending loss performance for demanding in-building and connectivity applications, and is fully compatible with G.652.D fibers. AllWave FLEX Max Fiber complements OFS’ AllWave FLEX+ Fiber, a 7.5 bend radius solution designed for general connectivity applications, and AllWave FLEX Fiber, a 10 mm bend radius fiber for demanding outside plant cable installations.
EZ-Bend® Fiber offers less than 0.20 dB of 1550 nm loss at a 2.5 mm bend radius. The fiber utilizes a patented OFS Labs design which enables tight bend loss performance 3 – 5 times better than competing G.657.B3 fibers. This enables the fiber to support the most demanding in-building and in-living unit deployments using smaller diameter cords conformed to surface contours to minimize visibility and speed installation. EZ-Bend Fiber is superior to and compliant with G.657.B3 and fully compatible with G.652.D fibers. It is the world’s first fully solid-construction fiber to reliably support a 2.5 mm bend radius within a properly engineered cord or cable. “OFS continues to lead the industry with bend-insensitive single-mode fiber offerings,” said Andrew Oliviero, Director of Global Product Line Management. “We are proud to carry on this tradition of innovation begun by our predecessor, AT&T, which first developed this important product category that is changing the way we meet the ever-growing demand for bandwidth to buildings and residences.”
Oliviero said AT&T introduced the first single-mode bend-insensitive fiber, known as depressed cladding fiber, in 1984. OFS introduced AllWave FLEX Fiber, the first zero water peak bend-insensitive fiber, in 2005.