■ What is Air-blown Micro Optic Fiber Cable?

Air-blown fiber systems or jetting are very efficient installations of fiber optic cables. Blowing micro-optical cables through pre-installed microducts with compressed air not only makes installation accessible but also enables the installation in areas where cables/lines are hard to reach. This makes it especially suitable for such networks that have a need for introducing modifications or updates, and it circumvents the fact that the begin of the duct can be done without the needing any initially given fibers. This technique also reduces optical loss and increases the functionality of the system, while saving operational expense and harnessing the flexibility of the modern fiber optic era.

■ Advantages of Air-blown Fiber?

The installation of air blown fiber ducts is a faster, more affordable and future-proof alternative compared to traditional fiber optic cabling. This may be due to the fact that the shares of the fibers are subjected to less tensioning, leading to reduced attenuation, a decrease in operation costs, and an increase in performance of the system. These microduct systems not only allow for the reuse of the same ducts over and over again for different fiber connections, but they also enable easy extenstions and replacement of fibers if needed. This implies that there are savings on costs, faster installation, limited number of fiber splices, easy maintenance, and the ability to embrace the future technological demands, making air blown fiber a more effective and flexible approach.

■ Air-Blown Micro Optic Fiber Cable Explanation of Categories

Enhanced Performance Fiber Units (Tube-less)

EPFU (Enhanced Performance Fiber Units Air-Blown Optical Fiber Cable)

The EPFU stands for a special kind of air-blown optical fiber cable that is exclusively made for the last segment of FTTH (fiber-to-the-home). In that it has a sheath made of thermoplastic material with unusual low friction properties, grooved channels, and micro ducts. Fiber strands and fill elements made of transparent photosensitive resin prove this uniqueness. Through this kind of unconventional design, the cable's transportability is made possible without the support of standard tubing. The weight and space savings for inside FTTH drop applications are significant, and hand-held air-blowing devices can be used.

Uni-Tube Air-Blown Micro Cables

GCYFXTY form factor entails a modern, uni-tube configuration consisting of loose fibers internally trapped inside a single tube, the latter being reinforced for strength and durability using aramid yarns. Its polyethylene sheath with a profile of grooves is made especially for operating under such extreme conditions as power lines or areas with frequent lightning strikes. This compact air-blown micro cable is considered the best for FTTx networks, base stations, and outdoor installations where reliability and compact design play an important role.

Stranded Loose-Tube Air-Blown Micro Cables

GCYFY is a high-capacity air-blown micro cable featuring multiple stranded loose tubes around a central strength member (CSM) and a polyethylene (PE) sheath, supporting fiber counts of up to 576. It is optimized for fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), metropolitan backbones, and scalable access networks. 

GCYFY-Small is a more compact version, 200 μm fibers inside the tube within a PE sheath, also. This spectacularly lighter version for air blowing applications and top heaven FTTH leads and branches where space is limited and designs fun as well.

Use Case: FTTH, municipal networks, and scalable access networks in different installation environments.

Micro Air-Blown Fiber Units (Simplified Structure)

MABFU unit is intended for each of the microducts, lightweight design with reduced diameter. Its sleek design presents fiber strands embedded in low-friction thin sheath, which must ensure well-blowing performance. Since MABFU is a small diameter cable with exceptional flexibility, its utilization in FTTH installations and branching in access networks is highly recommended where space constraints and mobility are challenges.

Use Case: FTTH projects and micro duct branch links in networks that carry data.

■ Air-blown Micro Cables Analysis and Insights

ZION provides a full range of air-blown micro cables, including enhanced performance fiber units, uni-tube air-blown micro cable, stranded loose tube air-blown micro cable, and down-sized air-blown micro cable using special fibers. Different categories of air-blown micro cables have additional features and applications.

Structural difference: EPFU + MABFU are examples of no-tube solutions that focus on compactness and simplicity, while GCYFXTY is a single tube and GCYFY/GCYFY-S are multiple-layers carried-for capacity. When it comes to size and scale, EPFU and MABFU are ultra-compact for micro ducts, GCYFXTY is middle range, GCYFY and GCYFY-S are larger networks (GCYFY-S being a downsized GCYFY variant). Applications: That is, all we are trying to serve different kinds of FTTH and access networks using EPFU/MABFU for indoor/last-mile links, GCYFXTY for versatile outdoor use, and GCYFY/GCYFY-S for broader coverage network. The types of micro cables were classified based on their design and how they are used. These categories include air-blown micro cable with higher scalability that ensures quick and efficient installation for networks with large population density coverage. Please get in touch with us if you need further details!