About Fiber Optic Cable Installations

(June 2018)

Fiber is not my area of expertise. I made these notes to inform myself about being a fiber customer.

“Fiber optic duct” gets buried in trenches 2–4′ deep.
The duct is often 4″ plastic duct/pipe, often with one or several pre-install innerducts (duct liners) and pull tapes.
Multiple innerducts allow multiple cable to be pulled at different times. (Pulling a second cable through an already-occupied innerduct could lead to tangling or tearing; don’t do it.)
Generally, the duct is buried by trenching, but directional boring may be used to go under roads and sidewalks.
Where splicing or terminating cable, leave 30–60′ of extra loop.
Neatly lash cables in manholes or vaults with cable ties. Don’t over-tighten the ties.
Cable in vaults or other intermediate points should be tagged with an ID.
Inside premises, protect cable with conduit or cable trays.
Many building, fire, or electrical codes limit the length of bare OSP cable run indoors, so longer runs should be in conduit.
Most OSP cables require installation of a “breakout kit” to sleeve each fiber in a tube rugged enough for direct termination.
The fiber will terminate in some type of premises support structure. There a several types, including wall-mounted and rack-mount termination panels/patch panels.
Leave room to store the service loop near the termination point.
Ground and bond all conductive cabling and metallic hardware including patch/termination panels.

Gloss:

OSP cable (“outside plant”) may be underground, direct buried, aerial or submarine.
A messenger is a stronger cable to which fiber is lashed in aerial installations.

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