Draka’s BendBright-XS Meets New G.657 ITU Categories for Bend-Insensitive Fibers
• Ensures end-to-end fiber consistency with higher levels of performance from point-of-presence to customer premises
• Future-proofs FTTH access network infrastructure roll-outs
• BendBright-Elite complies with new sub-category for extreme applications
Amsterdam, October 21, 2009 - Draka Communications, a global leader in the cable and optical fiber industry today announces that its bend-insensitive BendBright-XS fiber fully complies with the ITU’s new G.657.A2 sub-category, a key component of the recently updated ITU recommendation. The A2 category brings 100% compliance with G.652.D, as well as a hundredfold improvement in bending performance.
The A2 sub-category raises the level of fiber consistency throughout access networks, from the Point-of-Presence (PoP) to customer premises. This will result in reduced footprints for outside plant cables and connectivity, more resilient indoor cabling and end-to-end availability of full fiber bandwidth from 1260 nm to 1625 nm in PON or point-to-point configurations. This high level fiber standard will help future-proof FTTH access network infrastructure roll-outs.
“Draka welcomes the latest ITU-T decision to update G.657 in line with today’s market developments.” said Jan-Willem Leclercq, Vice-President Business Development for Draka Communications. “BendBright-XS has always provided double compatibility with both G.657.A and G.657.B categories, assuring customers of state-of-the-art bending performance in total compliance with regular G.652.D single-mode fiber. Today, sub-category A2 validates our belief that ultimate bend-insensitivity should not come at the expense of sacrificing any of the parameters that have contributed to the success of G.652.D.”
With access networks extending all the way to single family homes and multi-dwelling units, the industry has welcomed the emergence of a robust, easy to install optical fiber that can endure the rigors of traditional copper cable installations. Draka BendBright-XS has a patented design that eliminates the technical complications of splicing and connectivity. This year BendBright-XS output approaches a record million kilometer mark, the most deployed bend-insensitive fiber worldwide.
The updated ITU-T G.657 recognizes that improved bending performance will further reduce costs for operators rolling out fiber to the home (FTTH), while still addressing current market concerns for end-to-end fiber consistency. This new ITU recommendation preserves fully the original A and B category structure for total backward compatibility with the previous G.657 version. The former A class is subsequently renamed to A1. An additional A2 category is created with a tenfold better bending performance than A1, bringing the A category to the level of the previous B category performance with full G.652.D compliance. The former ITU-T G.657.B class fiber is re-named B2. A new sub-category B3 acknowledges the need for tighter bend radii (down to 5 mm) for extreme applications in the B class, which demand exceptional bending performance yet do not impose G.652.D compliancy. B3 authorizes fibers with a lower mode-field diameter, or of a different construction.
BendBright-Elite Complies with New G.657.B3 Sub-category
BendBright-Elite, Draka’s ultra bend-insensitive fiber, is fully B3 compliant, while still meeting G.652.D standards. BendBright-Elite is targeted towards specialty applications and those indoor applications requiring extreme bending performance. Offering a low 5mm radius, BendBright-Elite secures against mechanical failure under extreme bending constraints and hostile environments by doubling the proof-test level during fiber production.
About Draka
Draka (Euronext Amsterdam: DRAK), headquartered in Amsterdam, has around 9000 employees in countries worldwide and a 2008 annual turnover of € 2.7 billion. Draka has 68 subsidiaries in 30 countries in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. Draka’s activities are divided into three groups: Energy & Infrastructure, Industry & Specialty and Communications. Draka Communications with its two business units, Telecom Solutions and Multimedia Specials, is a global market leader for the development, production and sales of fibers, cables and advanced network solutions. More information at www.draka.com.
Draka’s BendBright-XS Meets New G.657 ITU Categories for Bend-Insensitive Fibers
The new G.657 ITU recommendation preserves fully the original A and B category structure for total backwards compatibility with the previous G.657 version. Category A is fully G.652.D compliant while B authorizes fibers with a lower mode-field diameter, or of a different construction. The former A class is renamed as A1. An additional A2 category is created with a tenfold better bending performance than A1. This brings the A subcategory to the level of previous B category performance with full G.652.D compliance. The current ITU-T G.657.B class fiber is re-named B2 , with a new sub-category B3 covering even tighter bend radii.
Draka’s high-level description of the updated G.657 structure.
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