Installing Fiber Optic Cable In Cold Weather

For starters those installing fiber optic cables can be careful about where and how they re installed.

Installing fiber optic cable in cold weather.

The range of recommended installation temperatures of cables is much smaller than the operating temperature ranges. Now people are installing fiber optic cable in cold weather and asking for more cable wire installation services than ever before. Figure 1 for reasons of safety always unroll cable by the. Introduction understanding temperature ratings is key to ensuring that cable will withstand the rigors of installation and last its expected lifespan.

Tiny amounts of grease dirt or moisture can affect the transmission of light. There is however a challenge to be overcome. Optical fiber is also harder to hack than copper making it more secure and safer because it doesn t generate heat. And statistics gathered from march 2017 found that there were 3 74 billion people using the internet.

Cold weather wire and cable installation ratings and tips. As temperatures approach 40 degrees the thermoplastic components in a cable s breakout jacketing and fiber fanout sections will tend to shrink more than the optical fiber. The delicate nature of the optical fiber means installation and maintenance must be carefully managed. Exposing cable and cable assemblies to cold weather is typically the most common cause of insertion loss failures in osp architectures notes the document.

The good news is that there are steps that can be taken to limit the impact that freezing cold weather has on fiber optic cables. Burying fiber optic cables below the frost line for example often eliminates the threat of ice.