Resource Center
Is Europe Seeing the Light? - FTTH Europe 2010 “Networked for the Future” Roundtable Summary
With business, regulatory and technological developments beginning to align, the prospects for large scale deployments of Fiber-to-the-Home in Europe are encouraging, say delegates at DSM Desotech’s Networked for the Future Roundtable discussion at FTTH Europe conference in Lisbon.
DSM and Telcordia Partner with FTTH Council to Raise Awareness of Performance Issues in Optical Fiber
A highly-engaged group representing carriers, equipment manufacturers, consultants, optical fiber manufacturers and public utilities participated in the January FTTH Council Webinar: Driving the New Optical Future How Standards can help Fiber gain Critical Mass in 2010, Sponsored by DSM Desotech and Telcordia. Among the most popular and provocative topics discussed was the performance problems created by microbending in optical fiber and the urgent need for standards in microbending performance.
FTTH 2009 Designed for the Future Executive Roundtable
On Tuesday, September 29, 2009 approximately 30 industry executives gathered to discuss the current state of fiber-optic broadband networks and the challenges and opportunities for the industry as it strives to meet the impending tsunami of bandwidth demand. Entitled Designed for the Future, the roundtable discussion addressed pressing industry topics such as government’s role in ensuring access and network sustainability, the ability of incumbent networks to support future bandwidth demand, what is and will be that demand, and the risks associated with not embracing industry standards.
Participants included executives from various industry organizations, representing carriers, infrastructure vendors, network service providers, fiber optic cable and optical fiber makers, industry association leaders, academics and media. Participating organizations included ADC, Adtran, AT&T, Broadband Properties, Calient Networks, Cisco, Corning, Draka, FTTH Council, Graybar, Light Brigade, Lightwave, Optical Society of America (OFC/NFOEC), Sigma Technologies, Telcordia, Tellabs and Verizon...
A Brief History of Fiber Coating Systems
First Generation Coating Systems
In the 1970’s, lacquers and thermally-cured silicone coating systems were first used to produce optical fiber, but resulted in slow production speeds and poor fiber strength. Initial experimentation with UV-curable fiber coatings was conducted in the mid-1970s. In 1977, DSM Desotech (then DeSoto) invited several fiber manufacturers to its research center to discuss the possibility of new development programs.
One year later, DeSolite® UV-curable fiber coatings were being used commercially by several leading U.S. fiber manufacturers. From 1978 until mid-1980s, DSM made continuous improvements to the curing rate of DeSolite® coatings, which led to significant improvements in draw speed (from 1-2 meters per second to 12-15 meters per second).
Second Generation Coating Systems
Development of second generation coatings began in the mid-1980s, with the introduction of higher-count ribbon cables for subscriber loop applications. Performance requirements of optical fiber coatings became more complex as fibers were exposed to harsher environments and required optimization for:
- Improved strippability
- Reduced sensitivity to chemicals, heat, humidity and moisture
- Improved microbend performance
- Greater durability and fatigue resistance
The ongoing challenge was to increase fiber draw speeds to improve productivity for fiber producers while still maintaining microbend performance.
TODAY: DeSolite Supercoatings™
In 2008, DSM commercialized the third generation of fiber coatings designed for improved microbend sensitivity, even at high processing speeds.
DeSolite Supercoatings™ show better performance on both standard fiber and new bend-resistant fiber and have mechanical properties that can help prevent signal loss, as well as give fiber longer life and more reliable field performance. DeSolite Supercoatings™ are 90% less sensitive to microbending attenuation in basket-weave temperature cycling tests (-40°C to 70°C).
DSM’s newest generation materials are helping fiber networks carry signal more reliably, with less interruption or distortion. As signal reliability increases, so does the reliability and cost-effectiveness of the overall network. Industry leaders are already recognizing this and converting to DeSolite Supercoatings™ systems to protect their network investments.
Mitigating Microbending to Prevent Signal Loss
Among all of the performance risk factors today’s fiber optic network operators must address, microbending within optical fiber presents an ongoing challenge.
Microbending occurs when random bends occur in places where the fiber axis has very small deformations and can cause attenuation and ultimately signal transmission losses.
Microbending attenuation losses arise from distortions of the fiber axis that can result from non-uniform external forces, such as a fiber being forced onto cabling materials, fiber-to-fiber contacting points, or fiber being pressed on any rough surface.
The global trend in fiber coating innovation is to improve microbending performance without sacrificing production line speeds and to minimize signal attenuation over wider temperature extremes. DSM is the only Fiber Optic Materials supplier to provide next-generation UV-curable fiber coatings with the best microbending reduction technology for reliable, long-term network performance.
DSM’s DeSolite Supercoatings™ coatings deliver the following benefits for fiber optic cable manufacturers and network owners:
- Maximized utilization of fiber drawing and cabling assets
- Meeting of network owners’ increasing bandwidth requirements for mass fiber deployment
- Differentiation through improved power budget performance
- Minimized fiber attenuation, even at high processing speeds and over broader temperature extremes
- Increased manufacturing and installation tolerances via increased abuse tolerance of fiber