Fiber-to-the-home represents one of the largest and most sustained deployment programs in the global fiber optic products supplier market. The worldwide effort to extend fiber connectivity to individual homes and businesses is creating enormous demand for the specific fiber optic products needed for FTTH passive optical network deployments, and the suppliers who can reliably serve this demand at competitive pricing and high quality are positioned for long-term commercial success.
FTTH Network Architecture and Product Requirements
FTTH passive optical networks use a specific network architecture that defines the fiber optic products required at each point in the network from the central office to the individual subscriber premises.
The feeder section of the FTTH network carries traffic from the central office optical line terminal to the fiber distribution hub, typically over distances of several kilometers using conventional direct-buried or aerial single-mode cable. A fiber optic products supplierserving FTTH deployments must offer feeder cables in the range of fiber counts needed to serve the subscriber density of the target deployment area, in robust outdoor constructions appropriate for the local installation conditions.
The distribution section carries traffic from the fiber distribution hub to the fiber distribution terminals located in neighborhoods, apartment buildings, and business districts. Distribution cables split the feeder fiber count into smaller cables serving smaller geographic areas, with optical splitters installed at distribution points dividing the optical power of each feeder fiber among multiple subscriber fibers. Distribution cables from a comprehensive fiber optic products supplier for FTTH applications are available in configurations optimized for direct burial, underground conduit, and aerial installation on existing pole infrastructure.
The drop cable section delivers fiber from the closest distribution terminal directly to each individual subscriber premises. FTTH drop cables are among the most specialized products in any fiber optic products supplier's portfolio, requiring a unique combination of small diameter for easy installation, low weight for aerial deployment, adequate strength for self-supporting spans, and robust construction that withstands the mechanical stresses of installation and long-term service in exposed outdoor environments.
Optical Splitters for PON Networks
Optical splitters are passive devices that divide the optical power from a single input fiber into multiple output fibers, enabling a single central office optical line terminal port to serve multiple subscriber premises in a passive optical network architecture. These components are essential elements of FTTH passive optical networks and represent an important product category for any fiber optic products supplier serving this market.
Planar lightwave circuit splitters are the dominant splitter technology for FTTH passive optical networks, offering compact size, low excess loss, and excellent wavelength independence across the full transmission band used in passive optical network systems. A quality fiber optic products supplier offers PLC splitters in split ratios from 1x2 to 1x64 in various packaging configurations including bare splitter chips, module assemblies, and fully connectorized assemblies ready for installation in splice closures or distribution boxes.
Fused biconical taper splitters are an alternative splitter technology that is less wavelength-independent than PLC splitters but is available in very small package sizes and is appropriate for low split ratio applications where the wavelength limitations of FBT technology are not significant for the intended use.
Packaged splitter assemblies that combine the splitter component with fanout cables, pre-installed connectors, and appropriate housing for the intended installation environment significantly simplify the deployment of FTTH networks by eliminating the need for field assembly of splitter assemblies. A fiber optic products supplier who offers complete packaged splitter assemblies in configurations matched to common FTTH deployment scenarios provides real installation efficiency benefits.
Fiber Distribution and Termination Equipment
The fiber distribution and termination hardware that organizes and connects the FTTH network components at distribution and termination points represents another important product category for a comprehensivefiber optic products supplier serving the FTTH market.
Outdoor fiber distribution terminals that protect splice and connection points in the distribution section of the network must provide reliable environmental sealing against moisture, insects, and other environmental hazards while allowing easy access for installation and maintenance activities. The dome, inline, and wall-mount closure configurations available from a complete fiber optic products supplier cover the different installation positions encountered in FTTH distribution network deployments.
Indoor fiber termination boxes that provide the interface between the FTTH drop cable entering the subscriber premises and the in-home optical network unit complete the network infrastructure from the outside plant to the subscriber's indoor equipment. These termination boxes must accommodate the specific drop cable type used in the deployment and provide a secure, protected connection point that subscribers and service technicians can access reliably.
Conclusion
FTTH passive optical network deployments require a comprehensive range of specialized fiber optic products that a complete fiber optic products supplier must be capable of supplying with the volume capability, product quality, and delivery reliability that large-scale deployment programs demand. OMC Cable provides telecommunications operators and FTTH deployment contractors with the complete product range needed for successful FTTH deployments, from feeder cables through distribution components to drop cables and subscriber termination equipment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.