21285 - SCTE Broadband Dec2021 COMPLETE v1

49 Vol. 43 No. 4 - November 2021 Issue technical fibres were initially developed with macrobend insensitivity in mind, they also outperform all other existing fibre types for microbend-insensitivity. Fibre coatings G.657 fibres have been recently developed with 200μm and 180μm diameter coatings featuring the same or even better performance than the legacy 250μm coated G.652.D fibres. This offers the possibility of significantly reducing cable diameters, while achieving high fibre density. These reduced- diameter fibres have opened a gateway to innovation, opening up the potential for many new cable systems to be developed for a variety of network applications. Moreover, G.657 fibres, whatever the outside diameter (250, 200 or 180μm), are totally compatible and spliceable to any standard G.652 fibre, a feature that makes them easy to insert into an existing network, hence also perfectly appropriate when replacing or upgrading parts of an existing optical infrastructure. Optimised performance and full compliance with legacy G.652.D fibres, coupled with enhanced protective coatings make G.657 fibres bend insensitive. The problem of macro- and microbending is virtually erased, securing the integrity of network infrastructure, increasing stability across all bands, and opening up the possibilities for system evolution. Resilience and future-proofing Bend-insensitive fibre’s resilience gives manufacturers the ability to design cabling solutions which were previously impossible to create, but are now demanded by today’s rapidly changing environments. Supporting the full use of transmission bands, they cover the entire wavelength spectrum: from 1260nm to 1625nm for data transmission, and up to 1675nm for OTDR network monitoring. This is particularly important when future-proofing higher capacity networks, which will likely operate outside of present standard ranges. Naturally, such cabling solutions are also beneficial for optimising network operators’ total cost of ownership (TCO), making networks quicker and easier to install. Plus, they will stay ahead of the competition when it comes to being ‘future-fit’. As fibre networks become more crowded, and space limited, fibre bends are more likely to occur. Preventing power leakage with G.657 fibres therefore becomes crucial for optical systems