Single-mode fibre is at home on tight corners: News from Sumitomo Electric Industries

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PureAccess-Ultra single-mode optical fibre (SMF) features a minimum bend radius of 7.5mm - a substantial improvement on the 30mm bend radius found in conventional SMF. Fibre to the home (FTTH) services typically use SMF fibre in branch lines to the home, and for premise wirings. However, because conventional SMF has a large minimum bending radius of 30mm or larger, it has been difficult to install fibre cable closely along walls.

It is also difficult to bundle SMF cable excess length compactly like power cables.

These problems have been a major obstacle to the realisation of flexible wiring installations and the downsizing of subscriber equipment and joint boxes.

In order to promote the commercial spread of the FTTH services, there has been strong demand for an optical fibre that is easy to handle and resistance to bending.

As a solution to these problems, Sumitomo Electric originally developed PureAccess SMF with a bending radius of 15mm - half that of conventional fibres - and is already marketing cables and connectorised cable assemblies using this fibre.

In response to the need for further improvement in bending performance, the company has now developed PureAccess-Ultra fibre with its 7.5mm bending radius, and has commenced shipment of cables and connectorised cable assemblies using this fibre together with a series of accessories including small joint boxes and optical outlets.

Whereas PureAccess-Ultra fibre is designed to give the highest priority to bending performance, especially for complicated wiring apllications (in buildings, subscriber residences etc), PureAccess fibre has geometrical parameters that comply with the ITU-T G.652 international standard.

This means that PureAccess fibre can be used almost as conventional SMF and can be applied to an entire region of FTTH, from central offices to subscriber equipment.

The application of PureAccess-Ultra or PureAccess can be selected following customers requirements.

PureAccess-Ultra and PureAccess fibre have better reliability after installation than conventional SMF, even where the fibre is bent 30mm or less in radius during wiring work.

This means that PureAccess-Ultra and PureAccess fibre can be easier to handle for engineers with less experience in optical fibre installation.

PureAccess-Ultra and PureAccess fibre, together with the series' small optical outlets, were chosen for premise wirings by NTT-ME Corporation's WAKWAK-PIAL FTTH broadband Internet access service for housing complexes.

With an aim to further the spread of the FTTH broadband services, Sumitomo will continue to develop easy-to-handle optical fibres like PureAccess-Ultra and PureAccess and will market these products under the unified brand name Optigate.

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News Release from: Sumitomo Electric Industries Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 21 March 2003

Single-mode fibre is at home on tight corners

PureAccess-Ultra single-mode optical fibre (SMF) features a minimum bend radius of 7.5mm - a substantial improvement on the 30mm bend radius found in conventional SMF.

Note: Readers of the Editor’s free email newsletter will have read this news when it was announced. . It’s free!

News Release from: Sumitomo Electric Industries
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 21 March 2003