Urband selects Pirelli flagship fiber cable for new installation
Pirelli Telecom Cables & Systems has been awarded a contract for the latest addition to its Rapier range of "micro-sheath" optical fiber cables by Urband, the joint venture between Thames Water and 186k, the telecoms business of Lattice Group.
The Rapier 432-fibre cable is the most recent development in Pirelli's highly successful Rapier family, which offers fiber counts from 48 through to the new 432-fibre cable design. They incorporate Pirelli's high performance self-colored Neon singlemode fibers and the latest dry filling technologies.
In what Pirelli claims is the world's first installation of this high-specification design, Urband is installing the Rapier 432-fibre cable as the core of its new optical broadband network, currently being rolled out within Thames Water's existing sewer infrastructure.
Urband offers wholesale services for Central London to a clearly defined target market of around 150 companies, including operators, Building Local Exchange Carriers, service providers and systems integrators, enabling them to meet the "last mile" connectivity needs of major businesses in London.
The Rapier range of cables has been specifically designed for deployment in metropolitan networks where access for customer connections is likely to be required every few hundred meters. The innovative design features of Rapier cables make them highly attractive for fast installation, easy breakout, and maximizing network flexibility to service new customers, assert Pirelli representatives.
Other advantages of the Rapier 432-fibre--which will be blown through ducting attached to sewer walls--are the high fiber count achieved inside a very small diameter package, ensuring optimum use of available duct space.
Development of the Rapier 432-fibre product by Pirelli took place in co-operation with Urband, whose engineers visited the Pirelli test facility at the Newport, S. Wales plant for demonstrations and testing.
To date, Pirelli has delivered a range of optical cables, optical joints, and other optical connectivity products to Urband, providing patching and splicing capabilities within the central node of the Urband network.
For more information about Pirelli Telecom Cables & Systems, visit the company's Web site at www.pirelli.com.