The Selling Price Of Fiber Optic Cable

In general, fiber optics cost from 1 to 5 percent more than standard copper wire and multimode fiber sells at a higher price than single-mode fiber.

Although single-mode fiber is by far the predominant fiber for telecommunications, multimode is used in short-reach applications, including for data centers and some other local area networking deployments, as well as for numerous specialized applications not for telecom, such as medical uses, imaging and some illumination.

Multimode is not cheaper than single-mode fiber. However, the inexpensive LEDs or vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and detectors used to power it are generally less expensive than its single-mode fiber counterparts. The real growth potential is in data centers using VCSELs with multimode fiber. Optical component vendors that can use VCSELs to carry signals in duplex or multistrand multimode fibers may find a market in local area networks or the growing number of data centers throughout the world. Short-range links would appear to be perfect for multimode fibers.

Although konw multimode fiber is more expensive than single mode fiber, what are the other factors deciding the fiber optic cable price?

Fiber optic cable prices are different based on the different cable types, even for the same structure fiber optic cables, the prices may be different because of the different fiber counts, jackettypes, lengths, etc.

The cable design influences the cost of a fiber optic cable. A simple duct cable will be less priced than a direct buried cable, which needs extra protection to meet additional mechanical and environmental safety when the cable is used for direct buried application. A self-supporting type aerial cable may be more expensive than a duct and direct buried type cables. The number of sheaths affects the cost. The more the number of sheathing layers, the higher the cost of cable will be. Process cost and material cost increases drastically proportional to the number of sheathing layers.

It is not always the construction of a cable that decides the cost of a fiber optic cable. The quantity required and delivery also plays major role in the costing of a fiber optic cable. A more quantity, cable manufacturers will offer a cheaper price. When buying a fiber optic cable from fiber optic cable manufacturer, most probably if we approach a cable manufacturer with a requirement of fiber optic cable, they will ask the quantity and delivery time at first apart from the construction requirements.

Fiber optic cable prices from different fiber optic cable manufacturers are also not same, sometimes they may be quite different, even you are asking about the same structure cable, this may be because of the quality, but brand names may also affect the fiber cable prices.

As you know, Corning developed the first commercial optical fiber in 1970. Corning and OFS remain the No. 1 and No. 2 fiber optic cable makers in the world currently. Corning and OFS almost control every aspect of the optical fiber-making process, including extruding the glass from draw towers, doping it, cooling it, stringing it, testing it, marking it, and then either cabling it or shipping it to other cablers.

Another hidden factor influences fiber optic cable price is the market. If the demand is more and competitors are less, the price will be naturally higher.

FAQs Before Buying Fiber Optic Cable

Fiber optic cable is a large, long-distance optical signal transmission unit, by means of which we can spread out the various optical signals with low attenuation rate to meet signals transmission needs between different fields. There are more than 15.000 varieties of fiber optic cables in the telecommunication field. Choosing the right fiber optic cable is extremely important for any installation. Purpose of the cable is to protect the fibers during installation and the service lifetime. This article is written to address your concerns regarding what types of fibers do you need, where they will be installed, and where to buy fiber optic cable.

fiber optic cable

What Types of Optical Fiber Should I Choose and How Many Fibers?

It may be familiar for you that optical fibers are divided into two different mode which is multimode and single mode.

Single mode fiber has a core that is 8.3 microns in diameter. Single-mode fiber requires laser technology for sending and receiving data. With a laser used, light in a single mode fiber also refracts off the fiber cladding. Single-mode has the ability to carry a signal for mile, making it ideal for telephone and cable television on providers.

Multimode fiber, as the name suggests, permits the signals to travel in multiple modes, or pathways, along the insides of the glass strand or core. It is available with fiber core diameters of 62.5 and a slightly smaller 50 micron. 62.5 micron multimode is referred to as OM1. 50-micron fiber is referred to as OM2, OM3, and the recently added OM4. OM4 has greater bandwidth than OM3 and OM3 has greater bandwidth than OM2.

While single mode fiber has a core that is 8.3 microns in diameter. Single-mode fiber requires laser technology for sending and receiving data. With a laser used, light in a single-mode fiber also refracts off the fiber cladding. Single-mode has the ability to carry a signal for mile, making it ideal for telephone and cable television on providers. 50-micron OM3 fiber is designed to accommodate 10 Gigabit Ethernet up to 300 meters, and OM4 can accommodate it up to 550 meters. Therefore, OM3 and OM4 fiber are always chosen over the other glass types. In fact, nearly 80% of 50-micro fiber sold is OM3 or OM4

Except for the fiber mode, the number of fibers is necessary to know. Usually, unless you are making patch cords or hooking up a simple link with two fiber, it is highly recommended that you include a number of spare fibers. Corporate network backbones are often 48 fibers or more. Most backbone cables are hybrids – a mix of 62.5/125 multimode fiber for today’s networks and single-mode fiber for future networks. If the slowest network planned today is as gigabit speeds, it might even be better to use the new 50/125 multimode fiber optimized for the laser sources used in gigabit networks.

Where to Install the Fiber Optic Cable? Indoor, Outdoor or Both?

Outdoor cables are designed to protect the fibers from years of exposure to moisture. Until recently, your only choice for outdoor cables was loose-tube, gel-filled cables. But now you can buy dry water-blocked cables similar to indoor designs that are easy to terminate without breakout kits, saving incredible amounts of time. In a campus environment, you can even get cables with two jackets: an outer PE jacket that withstands moisture and an inner PVC jacket that is UL-rated for fire retardancy. You can bring the cable into a building, strip off the PE jacket and run it anywhere, while normal outdoor cables are limited to 50 feet inside the building.

Indoor cables are what we called “tight-buffered” cables, where the glass fiber has a primary coating and secondary buffer coatings that enlarge each fiber to 900 microns – about 1 mm or 1/25- inch- to make the fiber easier to work with. These cables can be directly terminated.

The most popular cable for indoor use is distribution cable, which has a number of 900-micron buffered, color-coded fibers inside a single jacket. It’s the smallest and lightest cable, and each fiber is sturdy enough for direct termination. Another choice for indoor use is the breakout cable, which is just a bunch of simplex cables inside a common jacket for convenience in pulling and ruggedness.

Where to Buy Fiber Optic Cable?

Once knowing what kind of fiber optic cables is needed, last but not least is to decide where to buy your required fiber optic cables. In the actual production of fiber optic cable, materials which are wearable, radiation proof and adaptable to temperature is very important. Good core material and the external packages. When buying fiber optic cable, qualification of the fiber optic cable manufacturers should be taken into consideration, choosing qualified and professional manufacturers will ensure you quickly get the problem resolved after the sale.

Fiber Optic Cable Basics

You hear about fiber optic cables whenever people talk about telephone system, cable TV system or the Internet. They are also used in medical imaging and mechanical engineering inspection nowadays. How much do you know the basic information of cables? For example, what a 9/125/250µm cable mean. In this article, we will show you some cable basics.

Cable Size

The size of the optical fiber is commonly referred to by the outer diameter of its core, cladding and coating. Example: 50/125/250µm indicates a fiber with a core of 50 microns, cladding of 125 microns, and a coating of 250 microns. The coating is always removed when joining or connecting fibers. A micron (µm) is equal to one-millionth of a meter. 25 microns are equal to 0.0025 cm. (A sheet of paper is approximately 25 microns thick).

Cable Types

Cables can be identified by the type of paths that the light rays, or modes, travel within the fiber core. Also according used in different environments, there are outdoor cable, waterproof cables, lszh cable, submarine optical cable, etc.

Distribution Cables

These cables are small in size, and used for short, dry conduit runs, riser and plenum applications. The fibers are double buffered and can be directly terminated, but because their fibers are not individually reinforced, these cables need to be broken out with a “breakout box” or terminated inside a patch panel or junction box.

Breakout Cables

They are suitable for conduit runs, riser and plenum applications. Because each fiber is individually reinforced, this design allows for quick termination to connectors and does not require patch panels or boxes. Breakout cable can be more economical where fiber count isn’t too large and distances too long, because is requires so much less labor to terminate.

Loose Tube Cables

These cables are composed of several fibers together inside a small plastic tube, which are in turn wound around a central strength member and jacketed, providing a small, high fiber count cable. This type of cable is ideal for outside temperatures and high moisture conditions(waterproof cables also do good jod in moisture conditions), as it made with the loose tubes filled with gel or water absorbent powder to prevent harm to the fibers from water. It can be used in conduits, strung overhead or buried directly into the ground.

Ribbon Cable

This cable offers the highest packing density, since all the fibers are laid out in rows, typically of 12 fibers, and laid on top of each other. This way 144 fibers only has a cross section of about 1/4 inch or 6mm! Some cable designs use a “slotted core” with up to 6 of these 144 fiber ribbon assemblies for 864 fibers in one cable! Since it’s outside plant cable, it’s gel-filled for water blocking.

Armored Cable

Used for rodent protection in direct burial if required. This cable is non-gel filled and can also be used in aerial applications. The armor can be removed leaving the inner cable suitable for any indoor/outdoor use. (Temperature rating -40ºC to +85ºC)

Indoor/Outdoor Cable

Indoor/Outdoor cables combine the flame resistance and safety features of an indoor riser or plenum cable with the durability that is critical for OSP use. The result is a unique, dual-purpose cable that can save time and money by allowing OSP applications to flow seamlessly indoors, using a single cable and no splices.

Aerial Cable

Aerial cables are for outside installation on poles. They can be lashed to a messenger or another cable (common in CATV) or have metal or aramid strength members to make them self supporting.

Special Cable

These cables combine specialty optical fiber with cabling construction that make installation or deployment easier and/or protect the fibers for long-term use in harsh environments.

Even more types of cables are available and also many brands cables from different manufacturers are available. Corning is one of the outstanding fiber optic cable manufacturers, who invented the first commercially viable low-loss optical fiber in 1970. Today Corning remains the global market leader in the industry, the corning fiber optic cable is recognized for their excellence and innovation.

FiberStore Launches New LSZH Fiber Optic Cable Series

FiberStore is introducing new families of Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) cables. LSZH cable is constructed utilizing the superior design and engineering standards to fit for aerial, direct buried, duct, general purpose horizontal, vertical riser applications.

“For work spaces with strict environment or safety regulations or where ventilation is a concern, FiberStore’s LSZH cables provides a solution that supports both compliance to strict NFPA 70guidelines as well as greatly reduces potentially toxic emissions when subjected to high heat or flame conditions,” stated Wilson John, commercial manager for bulk fiber cable at FiberStore

zero halogen cables

LSZH Loose Tube Cables

LSZH Loose Tube Cables are double-Jacket wich are designed for industrial building backbones and harsh environments atyptial of traditional datacom system. With two durable LSZH jackets, these cables are ideal for applications requiring the added mechanical and environmental protection. Double Jacket combines flexibility with extra mechanical protection for a durable, reliable cabling solution that is easy to handle and install. Due to halogens in the jacket compound, these cables pose little risk in the controlled and protected environment of typical building air spaces, such as behind walls, under floors and in conduit.

LSZH cable with Metal Strength member FTTH Cable

LSZH metal strength menber FTTH cable include FTTH indoor cable, drop cable and armored duct cables.

Armored Duct cables are designed for use in direct installation in villas and multi dwelling units. With two parallel Metal strength members ensure good performance of crush resistance to protect the fiber.There was a layer of skin resistance hose and a layer of aluminum tape armored, let the cable can adapt to all kinds of bad environment and artificial damage.

FTTH Drop Cables with two parallel metal strength members ensure good performance of crush resistance to protect the fiber. A steel wire as the additional strength member is also applied to ensure good performance of tensile strength. The LSZH sheathed with high flame resistance enables the FTTH drop cable can operate in high-temperature. This cables is mainly designed for indoor riser level and plenum level cable distribution and between instruments, communciation equipments.

FTTH indoor cables with LSZH jacket are novel flute design with metal strength member. this cable is suitable for indoor and outdoor along the wall, roof, sandwich and duct connected directly cloth fiber optic cable to standard and solid structure design produce communication equipment tail fiber and activity connecting line can be applied directly to the connection between the equipment.

LSZH cable with FRP & KFRP Strength member FTTH Cables

Low smock zero halogen cables FRP & KFRP Strength member FTTH cables also include FTTH indoor, drop, and armored duct types.FTTH indoor cables with LSZH jacket are designed for use in horizontal, vertical, and corner cabling. With two parallel FRP & KFRP strength members to ensure good performance of crush resistance and protect the fiber. Its special low-bend-sensitivity fibers provide high bandwith and excellent communciation transission property.

LSZH Armored FTTH duct cable are designed for use in direct installation in villas and multi dwelling units. There are a layer of skiin resistance hose land a lay of alluminum tape armored, let the cable can adapt to all kinds of bad environment and artifical damage. Two sheath of the cables will protect the FTTH duct cables from Rat bit and other damage.

FTTH drop cable with FRP & KFRP stength member is optical communication unit in the center, which can realized the telephone, data, cable TV’s combinatiion of three nets and video monitoring. With small diameter, water-resistant, soft and bendable featuers, the cable is suitable for plenum level cable distributin and indoor riser levels as well as installations between instruments and communications equipments.

Besides, FiberStore also provides single mode gel-filled ribbon LSZH indoor/outdoor riser cables. These cables can maximized the use of criticl dust space with excellent installtion results as their smallest and lightes standard. The precise fiber and ribbon geometries result in excellent mass splicing yields. Cables are available in preconnectiorized assemblies which made easy field installation and reduced labor costs.

All of FiberStore low smoke halogen free cables sare customizable with options of different jacket & fiber colors, fiber counts, sheath materials and cables length. Fore more informations about Fiberstore LSZH fiber optic cable and other, please visit fiberstore.com

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Bare Fiber Optic Cable Design

Fiber optic cables are common in today’s telecommunication, but how much do you know their design.

From the fiber production process, the composition of the fiber from the inside out: the core, cladding, a coating, and secondary coating. The bare optical fiber means it has not been coated, only with fiber optic core and cladding. Optical signals in optical fibers are using light of the principle of total reflection. The glass fiber is the main channel of transmission of optical signals, the cladding is used to reflect the optical signal, and the coating is to protect the fragile core.

Bare glass fibers are based on silica or other glass materials. The glass surface is susceptible to abrasion and mechanical flaws. To protect the cable from the environment, the buffer coating or jacket fits over the core and cladding. The diameter ranges from 250μm to 900μm, usually 250um for single mode and multimode fibers, but 400um is also very common in polarization maintaining fibers. It provides mechanical protection while allowing for flexibility in the fiber. The buffer coating is usually made of a soft or hard plastic such as acrylic or nylon. Kevlar is a popular choice for the jacket material. It is strong and used to bundle and protect the loose tubes or fibers in the cable. Kevlar protects the fibers when the tension is placed on the cable. The color of this jacket typically depends on the type of fiber, single mode fibers typically wear a yellow jacket and multi-mode fibers wear an orange jacket.

A secondary buffer coating is then applied to the fibers to give protection against external mechanical and environmental factors. This layer may take different designs and its main function is to prevent micro-bending losses.

A. 900um tight buffer. A 900um diameter hard plastic material is coated as the secondary buffer layer. The material is usually Nylon, Hytrel or Tefzel and it provides stiffening for the fiber against outside microbending influences. With tight buffered single mode or multimode optical fiber secondary coating structure is named tight buffered cable. It is the basic components for the manufacture of a variety of indoor cable, which can also be used alone. The tight buffer fiber can be used directly in pigtail for the connection of various types of optical active or passive components, instruments and terminal equipment connections.

B. Loose tube. Another alternative approach to a direct tight buffer coating is to use a 900um loose tube. The 250um or 400um bare fiber is placed in an oversized loose tube in which the fiber is mechanically isolated from external forces. Then, coupled with strengthening the core which used to increase the fiber optic cable strength and the outer sheath, such as aluminum foil and polyethylene jacket, became a fiber optic cable.

C. Filled loose tube. The loose tube discussed above can be filled with moisture-resistant compound which provides mechanical protection and a water barrier layer around the fiber. This filling material is generally petroleum or silicone-based compounds.

There are many types fiber optics from various fiber optic cable manufacturers and you can have a look at FiberStore, who is professional in cables.