Superior Essex gains RDUP approval on fiber-optic drop cables

JULY 26, 2007 -- Superior Essex Inc. (search for Superior Essex) today announced that its latest fiber-to-the-premises (search for FTTP) drop cable product line was accepted for listing by the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Utilities Program (RDUP). With the addition of these cables, Superior Essex says its full portfolio of fiber-optic drop cables is part of the "List of Materials Acceptable for Use on Systems of USDA Rural Development Telecommunications Borrowers."

RDUP (formerly RUS) is a government agency that provides grants and low interest loans to qualifying rural communities and companies for funding the costs of listed products and other construction expenses.

The newly listed cable products include the company's Series 57 FTTP cables, which are designed to meet recently developed RDUP performance specifications for fiber-optic drop cables. This FTTP cable series provides both a small diameter and an Optical Fiber Nonconductive Riser (OFNR) flame/safety rating from Underwriters Laboratories (UL), says the company, and this combination allows for high versatility for installations. The OFNR flame/safety rating allows this cable to be installed outdoors as well as inside most commercial buildings and within typical residential buildings in the U.S.

"Most people will quickly recognize the advantages of being able to use one cable for both indoor and outdoor applications," notes John Armistead, director of OSP fiber cable product management for Superior Essex. "What is often overlooked, however, is the value that an OFNR safety rating provides for outdoor applications. Cables that lack an OFNR rating typically contain materials that are considered flammable, which can advance the spread of a fire to the home," he explains.

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