| |
|
| |
The Various Uses of Underground Fibre Optic Networks |
| |
|
| |
The use of fibre optics has spread to several sectors including cell phone,
telephone and internet networks. Underground fibre optic networks are also now
being used for CATV and utilities installation. The telephone, cell phone and
internet providers make use of a lot of fibre optic cables most of which have to
run underground. These cables can be buried directly underground, submerged
under water or pulled through conduits. They have several point-to-point links
connecting phone switches and can go very long distances.
Underground fibre optics networks for CATV use a lot of single mode fibre optics
in the backbone of the networks. They use an overbuild architecture which
bypasses coax that has already been installed to connect local nodes that serve
few subscribers in order to give high quality signals. The fibre optics is a
much more reliable alternative to copper wires that were initially used for CATV.
Most CATV systems now use the underground fibre optics to carry their signals to
the customers.
Most cities, municipalities and other urban settings are also turning to
underground fibre optics networks. They are even adding CCTV surveillance
cameras and traffic controls during the underground installation process. There
are some local council authorities that even offer high speed connections on
their own fibre optics networks to any interested local businesses or
residential homes. The networks mostly use single mode fibre, and the
underground fibre optics installation can be done in existing conduits.
Utilities usually require underground fibre optics networks since they use a lot
of fibre optic cables and CLP is able to provide the equipment for this. Most of
the modern high voltage distribution lines carry fibre optics in the centre of
the ground wire (OPGW-Optical Power Ground Wire). The fibre optics is used for
local grid management systems and also helps in communications. High voltages or
any types of electrical noises never interfere with fibre optics cable
transmission that is why the utilities companies also use fibre optics cable in
their substations for control signals. Fibre optics links for utilities
generally use multimode fibre, and in some cases even step-index PCS fibres for
their low-speed signals.
The underground installation of fibre optics cable requires a wide range of
materials and specialized equipment. Some of these equipments include hydraulic
power packs, screw-on hauling eyes, cable feeders, cable jets and various types
of winches. Most of these underground fibre optics installations are usually
huge projects that require the equipment to be supplied by a competent company
with the capacity for such undertakings.
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|