Now available from Prysmian Group is the Karona Overblow System, which is designed to aid installation of high-density optical fibre cable into pre-existing sub-ducted routes that contain existing legacy cable.
The system comprises overblow cables, installation equipment, connectivity and, says the company, comprehensive training. Additional cables can be installed, using Point to Point to achieve distances of up to 1km and further when using centre blowing techniques. The cables range from 12 to 432 fibres, matched with a range of joint closures.
The company says the Karona Overblowing System offers several benefits over traditional installations, including a reduction in planning time as there is, generally, no need to apply for licences for an installation into a pre-existing duct network. In addition, when building a new duct network, a speed of 100m per day is considered fast, whereas overblowing, says Prymian Group, would complete a total job of 1km in just a few hours. This, in-turn, can reduce energy, greenhouse and ozone effects and the increased speed would reduce end-user disruption.
UK-based Openreach, the access network division of BT Group has employed the overblowing system to help install its Single Fibre Network in cities and remote rural areas, where installation is usually harder and less efficient. Prysmian developed part of the Karona system specifically for this purpose, so that Openreach would be able to add small diameter cables into a range of low diameter sub ducts where legacy cables already exist.
Openreach’s chief engineer Andy Whale, commented: ‘The overblowing technology my team have been using, and worked with Prysmian to develop, saves us time, when waiting for noticing to dig in roads, and money, as it avoids costly civils like clearing duct blockages.’