August 25, 2005 Claremont, NC -- Draka Comteq has announced the availability of outside plant and premise cables made with the company's BendBright singlemode fiber. The company says the fiber, designed for use in the deployment of access and distribution networks, provides a tenfold improvement in bend performance across the 1260 nm to 1625 nm wavelength spectrum.

According to the company, the prevalence wave division multiplexing is driving a need to ensure deployed fiber networks support longer wavelengths. The company says its BendBright fiber reduces bend-induced loss by 90%, dramatically reducing the impact of imperfectly routed fibers. The company says this capability is critical, since singlemode fiber is approximately five times more bend-sensitive at 1625 nm than at 1550 nm. According to the company, field studies reveal that while most singlemode fibers are currently specified across the L-band to 1625 nm, bend-induced loss frequently impairs network upgrades by necessitating troubleshooting and reworking.

"Network operators are searching for ways to drive down total installed costs and improve reliability," contends Allen Griser, director of marketing for Draka Comteq. "The innovations of BendBright fiber accomplish both, with benefits installers see firsthand in the real world."

The company says its BendBright fiber cables are ITU-T G.652.D-compliant and compatible with other conventional and full spectrum fibers, including the company's ESMF enhanced singlemode fiber.