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ICT Today January/February/March 2020

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January/February/March 2020 I 45 568, ICEA640, UL1581, UL1666 and NFPA 262. Blown fiber has been installed in the U.S. and North America now for nearly thirty years and has become widely accepted, as it has for a long while in Europe. Another concern is the upfront costs of the pathway infrastructure installation. It is estimated that a blown fiber solution can cost up to 30 percent more for the initial pathway installation when com- pared to conventional. Therefore, it must be determined if the future expandability is worth the cost to the customer. If the network infra- structure is anticipated to be more static with few upgrades or expan- sions, then conventional cabling would most likely be the preferred solution. There is no doubt that the blown fiber system has advantages over conventional once the tube cable is in place, such as the ease of fiber installation, the flexibility to install fiber as needed, and the lower cost of installing new fiber. Fiber bundles can be installed in an in- place tube cable at speeds of up to 150 feet per minute. To install 150 feet of conventional fiber cable, it could take several hours. It is also worth mentioning that previously installed fiber bundles can also be blown out of the tube cable if the path is needed for a different type of fiber; the fiber bundle removed can actually be reused elsewhere. When comparing conventional cabling to blown fiber overall, there are many times that the blown fiber system should at least be considered. For industrial and campus-wide applica- tions, the increased cost of the initial installation can be small compared to the cost savings for future addi- tions and expansions. In conclusion, it is important to consider the options when designing and implementing a new fiber optic Find a course at bicsi.org/calendarofevents. BICSI ICT CABLING INSTALLATION PROGRAM Get the training. Earn the credentials. From the fundamentals of cabling installation to the complete skill set of a structured cabling technician. Learn it all, step-by-step: • IN101: Installer 1 ® Training • IN225: Installer 2, Copper ® Training • IN250: Installer 2, Optical Fiber ® Training • TE350: Technician ® Training installation for a new building or a renovation. It is ultimately up to customers to choose which option is best, but it is the responsibility of the designer to make them aware of all the options. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY: Kathy Woolf, RCDD, is an account/project manager for NET 100, Ltd. in Virginia. Kathy has been in the telecommunications industry since 1984. She has been involved with the design and implementation of network cable infrastructure for over 25 years. Kathy received her RCDD certification from BICSI in 2007. She can be reached at kwoolf@net100ltd.com. REFERENCES: 1. All images are used with expressed permission of Sumitomo Electric Lightwave. © 2019 Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corp. All rights reserved. Learn more at bicsi.org/installation

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