OFS brings broadband access to Long Beach, California, through existing natural gas lines

1 April 2003 Atlanta, GA--OFS, a fiber-optic cable and component supplier owned by majority shareholder Furukawa Electric and minority shareholder CommScope, a coaxial cable provider, today announced that its DuctSaver FX cable was selected by the the city of Long Beach, California for installation in one mile of natural gas lines. The ground-breaking application of this new technology is installing the cable in active gas pipelines. The DuctSaver FX cable will connect several buildings in Long Beach, giving them broadband access for the first time.

The technology created by Sempra Fiber Links, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, allows for the installation and operation of a fiber-optic based communications system inside a pipeline while gas is flowing, eliminating the need for reengineering. The process does not require street trenching in the manner of traditional laying of fiber and, for that reason, it is quicker, less costly to install, and less disruptive to traffic and urban-planning schemes. The Sempra Fiber Links' fiber-in-gas, or FIGSM system, incorporates patent-pending fittings that allow the insertion and extraction of a conduit through active natural gas pipelines without disrupting the service.

OFS' DuctSaver FX cable is an all-dielectric fiber cable measuring 5.8 mm (0.23 in) in diameter. It is designed to run in utility lines, existing city ducts and gas lines and has been successfully deployed previously here in the U.S. and in Europe. The 48-fiber count cable design allows for a higher fiber density in a smaller space, dramatically increasing the capacity of rights-of-way.