Clearfield (NASDAQ:CLFD) has introduced its FieldSmart Flex box, a multiple dwelling unit (MDU) fiber cabinet. The wall box, an expansion of the company's FieldSmart Small Count Delivery (SCD) line of wall boxes, is designed to interconnect different types of media and pathways into a single fiber distribution and aggregation point.
"MDU/MTU environments are very challenging as every apartment, condo or commercial building is unique. Designers face a constant challenge of how to architect universal and flexible solutions that simplify project planning, lower the cost of deployment and accelerate turn-up time," said Johnny Hill, COO at Clearfield. "The features of the Flex Box dramatically simplify installation and reduce startup times, helping deliver a faster time to market and lowering the barrier to entry for new service introduction."
The FieldSmart Flex Box is designed to integrate and distribute different types of media with a single, modular connection point. With removable aggregator plates, different fiber types pass through ports where fiber cascading or custom media applications are required.
The FieldSmart Flex Box accommodates direct connection of the company's FieldShield Microduct to provide a fiber delivery pathway to connect and deploy pre-terminated, factory-tested pushable and pullable FieldShield Fiber, via the Clearview Cassette, SmartRoute Plate, or the newly developed Drop Wheel technology. The FieldShield Drop Wheel is intended to let service providers deliver multiple 900 µm fiber distribution lengths of up to 200 feet with a single SKU.
Other features include reversible door and dual side lock security options for dual-direction mounting options; the ability to house optical splitters and a variety of additional connectivity options, a flammability rating of 5VA (UL 94), and NEMA 4 rating for indoor and outdoor environments.
Clearfield will be showcasing the FieldSmart Flex Box at the SCTE/ISBE Cable-Tec Expo 2017 in Denver next month.