Prysmian offers Sirocco Extreme 180-µm microduct fiber cable

April 21, 2020

The fiber-optic cable leverages the company’s BendBrightXS 180-µm single-mode fiber to create a cable that fits 288 fibers into a diameter of 6.5 mm.

Stephen Hardy

Prysmian Group has introduced Sirocco Extreme 180-µm microduct fiber cable. The fiber-optic cable leverages the company’s BendBright^XS 180-µm single-mode fiber to create a cable that fits 288 fibers into a diameter of 6.5 mm. That translates to a fiber density of 8.7 fibers per square millimeter and enables the installation of the full 288 fiber count into an 8-mm ID duct.

The BendBright^XS 180-µm single-mode fiber within the Sirocco Extreme microduct cables offers bend insensitivity to ITU-T G.657.A2 specifications (see "Prysmian intros BendBrightXS 180µm bend-insensitive single-mode fiber"). Prysmian says the use of its PicoTube technology enables Sirocco Extreme fiber cables to be up to 40% smaller than other Sirocco microduct cables. The smaller size enables more fibers to be installed in congested ducts as well as the use of smaller ducts for new installations. Overall, resulting in lower installation costs and the use of less raw materials, Prysmian asserts.

“Prysmian’s BendBright^XS fibers are capable of providing the necessary standard of cable density and of supporting the necessary fiber spectrum demanded by new PON technologies,” stated Ian Griffiths, director R&D Telecom Business at Prysmian Group. “Bend-insensitive fiber’s resilience gives manufacturers the ability to design cabling solutions which were previously impossible to create but are now demanded by today’s rapidly changing environments. With their extreme fiber count and reduced diameter, Sirocco Extreme microduct cables make installation faster, more cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. Designed for installation into microducts, they are perfectly fit for blowing in high-density access, FTTx, and 5G networks and offer a scalable solution that’s high-density, physically compact, and easily deployable for a future-fit solution.”

Prysmian adds that it plans to introduce Sirrocco Extreme cables with fiber counts higher than 288 later this year.

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.