Sumitomo Electric Lightwave launches 10-Gbit/sec 50-micron fiber for air-blown fiber system
May 18, 2004 Research Triangle Park, NC--Sumitomo Electric Lightwave announced today the introduction of laser optimized 10-Gbit/sec 50/125 micron multimode fiber (MMF) bundles to its FutureFLEX air-blown fiber product line. FutureFLEX is the first air-blown fiber system in the industry to offer high-speed gigabit transmission, according to the company.
Sumitomo's decision to expand FutureFLEX's fiber product line to include the 10-Gbit/sec 50/125 micron MMF was prompted by the growing adoption of its air-blown fiber infrastructure by organizations, such as the Pentagon, ESPN, CNN, Nissan, Atlanta Motor Speedway, United Airlines, McCarran International Airport, Con Edison, Starbucks Coffee and others, that may demand higher bandwidth for applications in their enterprise networks.
The major advantage of the laser optimized 50/125 micron MMF in premise cabling is that the fiber offers a quantum leap in bandwidth capacity over the bandwidth of standard 62.5/125 micron MMF. The new fiber supports 10-Gbit/sec transmissions at a distance up to 500 m. This increased bandwidth capacity ensures that the network cabling infrastructure is capable of handling the industry's growing data traffic and need for high-speed broadband services while maintaining compatibility with legacy systems.
Unlike conventional cabling systems, users of the FutureFLEX air-blown infrastructure can upgrade to the new fiber by simply blowing out the old fiber bundles and blowing in the new. Since FutureFLEX provides fiber on demand, the process takes minutes or hours rather than days, weeks, or even months as is common with conventional cabling methods that require labor-intensive pulling and reinstallation of new cable. With the FutureFLEX system, the fiber bundles - available in 2, 4, 6, 12, or 18 fiber configurations - are blown with compressed air or nitrogen into tube cables. The tube cables can provide up to 19 inner tubes for a maximum capacity of 342 fibers per tube cable.
Individual tubes are left empty for future upgrades and network growth, while the quick fiber installation method ensures the network against obsolescence. The fiber bundles can be blown easily wherever fiber is needed, including secure and limited access areas, within the point-to-point tube cable pathway. Since fiber upgrades require no construction work associated with "pulling" fiber, there is no disruption to operations or the facility.
The new fiber bundle has met rigorous testing and complies with IEEE 802.3ae standards for gigabit multimode fiber.
Sumitomo Electric Lightwave is dedicated to the development and manufacturing of optical fiber cable, interconnect assemblies, fusion splicers, and FTTP solutions. In 1991, it was the first company to introduce air-blown fiber structured cabling to North America and has since then been responsible for its presence and its continued development as an advanced system for the LAN and enterprise network.