Networx3 understand the challenges faced by customers in choosing the correct Fibre Optic Installation method.
Fibre Optic requirements, as a superior alternative to copper cables, are continuously stretching the bandwidth resources and testing the performance of today’s networks.
The solutions we offer range from conventional pulled fibre through underground sub-duct networks, direct burial, aerial and Air Blown fibre systems.
Fibre optic technology has seen massive changes in the last 15years specifically relating to the types of fibres available to meet the expanding application requirements modern networks demand. These bandwidth hungry applications demand the latest Optical Fibres to be able to support the extended distances at the lowest possible ‘loss budgets’.
Many legacy systems even those within the last ~15 years have installed OM1 and OM2 fibres within them. These fibre types will not meet the demands of the now standard 10Gigabit networks let alone the 40Gig and 100Gig applications of the future. OM1 for example, is no longer referenced with the ISO11801 standard as a fibre optic of choice for new systems.
In the past, industry normal practice had been to install fibre optic cable installations using the conventional methods and always installed larger numbers of fibres within cables than was actually required; thus installing ‘dark fibre’ to try to plan for future network and/or bandwidth demands.
However, this strategy carries risks and costs that may never pay off, for example:
- All installed fibres need to be presented into panels/outlets
- All installed fibres need to be terminated
- All fibres needed testing.
This can represent a huge investment for the customer that may not pay off. The reality being that either expansion simply does not happen or when in fact network expansion is identified sometime in the future; then the preinstalled fibres are found to not be fit for purpose both in quantity and quality.
In choosing the correct fibre optic cable installation, whether for small, medium, or large multi-site locations, server farms or co-location data centres; network planners have some serious considerations.