Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLFD) has launched the StreetSmart portfolio of fiber management products. First in line is the StreetSmart Fiber Hand-Off Box for Wireline to Wireless Applications, which the company has aimed at 5G fiber deployments.
The StreetSmart Fiber Hand-Off Box is designed to serve as the demarcation point between a backhaul fiber provider and a mobile network operator (MNO). The unit features an angled adapter plate to enable craft-friendly access to the connectors for ease of cleaning and testing. The 13x8x3 inch box features what Clearfield asserts it industry-leading fiber density; it enables fiber providers to scale up to 48 fibers of LC/UPC connectivity and offers plug-and-play turn-up of fiber-fed antennas without the need for splicing, the company adds.
The connectors offer low insertion loss, Clearfield states. The StreetSmart Fiber Hand-Off Box is Telcordia GR-771 compliant and available pre-terminated with a tail to be spliced to the main trunk line. It also can be ordered with Telcordia GR-1435 compliant multiple fiber push-on (MPO) connectors for plug-and-play capability.
“Many new technologies such as 5G, IoT, and self-driving cars require low-latency fiber connections in order to function properly and deliver on the promise of new applications. As these technologies emerge, small cells will become widely common to support connectivity demands,” said Kevin Morgan, Clearfield’s CMO. “The driving force behind Clearfield’s StreetSmart Fiber Hand-Off Box for Wireline to Wireless Applications, as well as all Clearfield products, is to provide the market with solutions that meet the growing demand for fiber while easing the task of installation and maintenance.”
“The value of fiber is unmatched in today’s market. 5G and other small cell deployments require fiber to be installed deep in the network to support the increasing amount of backhaul traffic,” commented Jeff Heynen, senior research director, Dell’Oro Group. “5G and other emerging technologies will rely on wireline infrastructure to meet performance expectations, making fiber the backbone for the success of future technologies.”