Feb 25 2008
OFS announced it will demonstrate its new EZ-Bend™ Optical Cable Technology at OFC/NFOEC 2008. Supporting multiple dwelling unit (MDU) and in-home wiring applications, the ground-breaking EZ-Bend Technology addresses the critical need to speed and simplify installations by allowing cables to be bent and routed in ways never before feasible using traditional optical drop cables to facilitate rapid deployment of fiber to and within the residence.
Service providers need drop cables that support tight corner bends and stapling. The EZ-Bend Technology enables in-residence optical cable installation with the same simple practices used for copper or coaxial cables. Cables using EZ-Bend Technology can be stapled in place utilizing existing copper cable installation tools and routed around corners. Its bending loss performance represents up to a 100-fold improvement over conventional single-mode fiber (SMF) type cables.
The demonstration shows a live video stream supported over optical cables using EZ-Bend Technology bent around numerous corners and stapled, with no degradation in picture quality. In contrast, a conventional cable subjected to far less bending shuts down the video and “freezes” the screen. This is because the EZ-Bend Technology enables negligible video signal loss (0.1 dB maximum at 1550 nm) for one turn at 5 mm radius, while conventional fibers under the same assumption lose nearly all the signal and shut down service to customers.
“OFS’ EZ-Bend Technology integrates a new bend-optimized fiber design in a new cable construction,” said William Kloss, Executive VP of Marketing & Sales, North America & CALA. “This innovative technology is the first to provide such performance using a solid glass fiber construction, while being fully splice and performance compatible with typical installed fibers,” Mr. Kloss added.
OFS will provide EZ-Bend Technology in the V-LinxTM drop cables used in its V-Linx Spool & Play Solution for MDU deployments. A key component of OFS’ FOX™ Solution for FTTx applications, the V-Linx Solution can simplify MDU installations and lower installed cabling system costs by up to 50%. The V-Linx drop cables are expected to be commercially available in the first half of 2008.