OFS Launches Gel-Free, Riser-Rated OPTION1™ DT Cable at 2010 OSP Expo

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- OSP Expo, Booth 532 -- OFS, designer and manufacturer of leading edge fiber optic network products today announced the launch of its totally gel-free OPTION1™ DT riser-rated, outdoor/indoor loose tube fiber optic cable to be showcased at the OSP Expo held October 13-14 in San Antonio.

OPTION1 DT cable innovatively combines the safety features of an indoor, riser-rated cable with the durability critical to outside plant (OSP) use, all in a single, gel-free cable that helps enable faster deployment and reduced installation costs.  The totally gel-free cable design also helps save on labor costs by offering faster splicing with higher first pass yields due to a cleaner work environment.  By removing gels and filling compounds, the OPTION1 DT cable allows virtually effortless splice preparation, while keeping installers tools, workspace, closures and cabinets cleaner and safer.  Dry cables are significantly lighter in weight, making them easier to handle and less of a load on crew and plant infrastructure.

"By eliminating gels and filling compounds, this cable helps enable substantial savings on installation time and labor costs," said Timothy Pillow, Senior Vice President Global Marketing & Sales for OFS. "In fact, when compared with similar gel-filled outdoor/indoor cables, the OPTION1 DT cable can help cut cable end preparation time by up to 80%, helping to significantly reduce labor costs for splicing and terminations."

OFS' field-proven, totally dry loose tube design lies at the heart of each OPTION1 DT cable.  To construct this cable, optical fibers are placed within flexible 2.5mm buffer tubes that contain a specially-engineered, super-absorbent yarn that delivers excellent water penetration resistance without the use of messy gels and filling compounds.  Next, the color-coded buffer tubes are then stranded around a dielectric central member using the reverse oscillating lay (ROL) stranding technique for easy, mid-span fiber access.  Additional dry, super-absorbent material is then applied to the cable core to offer added water-blocking protection and faster cable preparation.  Finally, dielectric strength elements, a ripcord and a durable jacket complete the cable construction. The result is a unique, dual-purpose cable that allows OSP applications to flow seamlessly indoors, using a single cable and no splices.

Totally Gel-Free OPTION1 DT cable product offers the following benefits compared to similar gel-filled cables:

• Streamlined installation with direct outdoor-to-indoor cable transitions.
• Enhanced system performance by avoiding additional splice point attenuation loss.
• Riser-and-tray rated; all-dielectric construction with OFNR approval; meets UL 166 (riser-rated), UL 1685, and CSA FT4 for flame resistance.  
• UV-resistant jacket for reliable service in direct sunlight.  
• Fiber counts up to 288.  
• Available with OFS AllWave® Zero Water Peak (ZWP) Single-Mode, TrueWave® RS LWP Single-Mode, and Multimode fibers.

About OFS

OFS is a world-leading designer, manufacturer and provider of optical fiber, optical fiber cable, FTTX, optical connectivity and specialty photonics products.  Our manufacturing and research divisions work together to provide innovative products and solutions that traverse many different applications as they link people and machines worldwide. Between continents, between cities, around neighborhoods, and into homes and businesses of digital consumers we provide the right optical fiber, optical cable and components for efficient, cost-effective transmission.

OFS' corporate lineage dates back to 1876 and includes technology powerhouses such as AT&T and Lucent Technologies (now Alcatel-Lucent). Today, OFS is owned by Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd., a multi-billion dollar global leader in optical communications.

Headquartered in Norcross (near Atlanta) Georgia, U.S., OFS is a global provider with facilities in Avon, Connecticut; Carrollton, Georgia; Somerset, New Jersey; and Sturbridge, Massachusetts, as well as in Denmark, Germany and Russia.

For more information, please visit www.ofsoptics.com.

SOURCE OFS