Author: James Publish Time: 14-11-2025 Origin: Site
Based on industry best practices (including FOA guidelines) and ZION COMMUNICATION’s experience as a professional fiber optic cable manufacturer, this page explains what FTTH drop cables are, which types ZION offers, and how to choose and install the right solution for your project.
In a standard ODN (Optical Distribution Network), the fiber route is usually divided into:
Feeder cable – from the central office / OLT area to distribution points
Distribution cable – from distribution points to access or branch points
Drop cable – from the access/branch point to the subscriber (home, office, shop)
The drop cable is responsible for the “last mile” connection between the network and the ONT inside the building. It must combine:
High mechanical strength for outdoor and façade use
High flexibility for indoor routing around corners, doors, and furniture
Easy and fast installation, often with pre-terminated connectors
Excellent optical performance, even in tight bends
All ZION FTTH drop cables are available with G.657.A2 or G.657.B3 bend-insensitive fibers to keep losses low in real installation environments.
ZION COMMUNICATION offers a complete range of FTTH drop cables for:
Indoor applications (corridors, risers, rooms, apartments)
Outdoor applications (aerial, façade, duct, direct-buried)
Outdoor-to-indoor transitions (black outdoor section + white indoor section)
Pre-terminated solutions with factory-installed connectors
Custom OEM/ODM solutions (fiber type, length, jacket, connector)
Typical ZION FTTH drop cable families include:
Indoor drop cables are designed for building entry, riser, and room-level wiring. They prioritize flexibility, small size, and aesthetics while still maintaining good mechanical strength and fire performance.

Structure:
1, 2, or 4 fibers
Two parallel FRP strength members
Flat LSZH jacket (often white for better interior appearance)
Benefits:
Easy to route along walls, ceilings, and corners
Simple to fix with clips or adhesive raceways
Easy to strip and terminate
Ideal for MDU corridors and in-home wiring
Typical applications:
FTTH in corridors and apartments
Direct connection from floor distributor to ONT
Indoor subscriber drop in residential and commercial buildings

Structure:
Simplex or duplex tight-buffered fibers
Flexible non-metallic strength members
Round LSZH jacket
Benefits:
Very flexible and easy to handle
Compatible with standard indoor patching and pigtail processes
Suitable for pre-terminated indoor assemblies
Typical applications:
Indoor jumper between wall outlet and ONT
Indoor connection in small offices and data rooms
Pigtails and patch cords in FTTH environments

ZION can also support transparent or “invisible” indoor drop cable concepts using G.657.B3 fibers for ultra-small bend radius.
Benefits:
Blends into the interior decoration
Ideal for high-end apartments and hotels where visible cabling is not acceptable
Outdoor drop cables must withstand UV, temperature variations, wind, rain, and potential mechanical impacts. ZION outdoor drop cables offer robust designs for reliable performance in harsh environments.

Structure:
Central loose tube with fibers
Parallel FRP or metallic strength members
Additional self-supporting messenger (Figure-8 design)
Black PE outer jacket with UV resistance
Benefits:
High tensile strength for pole-to-pole spans
Ideal for rural and suburban aerial FTTH routes
Stable performance under wind and ice loading
Typical applications:
Aerial FTTH deployments in villages and suburbs
Pole-mounted last-mile connections
Long-span drop from distribution point to house
Structure:
Fibers with water-blocking design
Non-metallic or metallic strength members
Black PE jacket for UV and weather resistance
Benefits:
Suitable for façade mounting, duct, or micro-duct use
Can be pre-terminated for plug-and-play installation
Good mechanical protection with compact size
Typical applications:
Outdoor façade routing along building walls
Short duct runs between access point and building entry
Outdoor-to-indoor transition zones
For some residential areas, small compounds, or campuses, shallow direct burial can be the most practical option.
Features:
Optional metallic armor or special reinforcement
Extra protection against soil pressure and rodents
Moisture-resistant construction
Typical applications:
Direct-buried drop in gardens, yards, and internal roads
Campus or villa FTTH connections
ZION COMMUNICATION supports both pre-terminated and standard (splice-required) drop cable solutions.

Drop cables with factory-installed connectors (e.g., SC/APC, LC/APC, FC, etc.) on one or both ends.
Advantages:
Much faster installation – no splicing on site
Factory-controlled polishing and performance
Reduced need for specialized tools and training
Lower risk of contamination and human error
Best for:
Mass FTTH rollouts with tight deadlines
Contractors or ISPs who want to minimize field work
Projects where access time to customer premises is limited
For maximum flexibility in length and routing, standard drop cables can be cut and fusion-spliced to pigtails or distribution fibers.
Advantages:
Flexible length management on site
Lower material cost for some deployments
Optimal performance when splicing is done correctly
Note:
While mechanical splices are possible, fusion splicing is recommended for long-term stability, lower attenuation, and better reflectance performance.
ZION FTTH drop cables support all typical installation methods used in modern ODN networks:
Aerial Installation
Using self-supporting Figure-8 or reinforced designs
Secured with appropriate clamps and hardware
Common in rural and suburban projects
Duct and Micro-Duct Installation
Using round cables suitable for pulling or blowing
Protects the drop cable in urban areas or along roads
Façade and Wall Mounting
Black PE outdoor cable on the exterior
Transition to white LSZH indoor cable at building entry
Balances environmental protection with interior aesthetics
Indoor Routing
Use flat or round LSZH indoor drop cables
Observe minimum bend radius (G.657.A2/B3 fiber simplifies this significantly)
Route along walls, corners, and ceilings in a clean and professional way
Complete Product Range
From outdoor aerial to indoor room wiring, from duct to direct buried, ZION offers a full FTTH drop cable solution set.
Bend-Insensitive Fiber (G.657.A2/B3)
Designed for tight indoor routing and compact ONU/ONT environments with low bending loss.
High Reliability & Compliance
ZION FTTH drop cables are designed and tested according to international standards such as IEC 60794, with options for CPR, RoHS, and REACH compliance to meet global project requirements.
Strong Compatibility
Fully compatible with mainstream ODN components: splitters, closures, distribution boxes, and ONTs from major vendors.
OEM / ODM Support
Fiber type, fiber count, jacket material and color, print legends, and connector types can all be customized to your project or brand.
Cost-Effective and Installer-Friendly
Optimized designs and reliable pre-terminated options help reduce installation time, labor costs, and maintenance needs over the lifetime of the network.
ZION COMMUNICATION combines:
Professional FTTH drop cable design and manufacturing
Flexible customization capabilities
Global export experience across telecom operators, ISPs, and system integrators
Whether you are deploying FTTH in rural villages, urban MDUs, or greenfield residential communities, ZION can provide the right drop cable products, documentation, and technical support to make your last-mile fiber rollout faster and more reliable.
Contact us to discuss your FTTH drop cable requirements or request detailed datasheets for GJXFH, GJXH, GYFJU, GYFXBY, GJYXCH and other ZION FTTH cable models.
Contact us for more information

James is a technical manager and associate at Zion Communication.
Specializes in Optical Fiber communications, FTTH Solutions,
Fiber optic cables, ADSS cable, and ODN networks.
james@zion-communication.com
+86 13777460328
