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across all fiber networks

New Approaches to Fiber DeploymentBuilding a RapidNetwork

Service providers in todays wireline and wireless sectors find themselvessqueezed between two conflicting pressures.

On one side, to attract and retain customers, they must continue to investin the fiber-based network infrastructure essential to support bandwidth-intensive video, data and multimedia applications. This ever-growing demandfor bandwidth is underscored by analyst firm research2guidances recentprediction that the number of smartphone users around the world will growfrom 100 million to 1 billion by 2013, and Ciscos 2009 Visual Networking Indexestimates that Internet Protocol (IP) traffic will quintuple in that same time frame.

On the other side, service providers are under relentless pressure to turn up newservices and customers faster than before while also reducing costs. To achieve

these objectives, they need solutions that are:cost-effective, enabling them to deploy new fiber connectivity at the lowest-possible cost

flexible and scalable, to help satisfy growing requirements for more bandwidth

efficient, in terms of conserving physical space through good cablemanagement, including slack storage

efficient, in terms of reducing upfront engineering and installation time andreducing delays due to product lead time

simple to order, for increased productivity

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Building a Rapid Network New Approaches to Fiber Deployment in Central Office, Cell Site, Switch Center and Customer Premise Environments

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Ongoing Challenges Across the Network

From the central office, headend, data center andmobile switching office to the outside plant, cell siteand customer premise, service providers grapple with arange of connectivity issues. As mentioned earlier, theyneed to reduce their total cost of adding fiber capacityand network equipment while simultaneously managing

CAPEX and OPEX. A successful strategy for doing so isbased on several factors:

the ability to deploy new fiber and equipment quicklyand easily, within short planning cycles

reducing maintenance expenses by relying onmulti-skilled personnel and minimizing tooling andequipment expenditures

the use of plug-and-play solutions which, thanks toeasier craft interfaces, reduce installation time andrequire fewer skilled technicians and

maximizing the efficient use of network infrastructure,namely, by deploying solutions that support high fiber

density and capacity

IFC Cable Length and Slack StorageCreate Problems

Until now, service providers basically had two optionsfor establishing connectivity between the opticaldistribution frame (ODF) or main cross-connect areaand the active equipment: use individual patch cordsin a fiber guide system, or use a multi-fiber IFC,with a connectorized breakout on each end, overladder racking.

Both options present several additional

challenges, including:

engineering time to determine exact cablelength required

getting the cable length just right, in order toaccommodate slack storage limitations

minimizing cable bulk and congestion, while alsoprotecting the connectors, when pulling the cablethrough the fiber guide

the time required to load all of the individualconnectors into the rear of the panel and

in the case of the IFC approach, the time and effortrequired to lace the cable to the ladder racking.

A Solution that Offers the Bestof Both Options

Innovations by Tyco Electronics (TE) are designed totackle all those issues. For example, the Rapid Panel, thelatest addition to the TEs Rapid Fiber product portfolio,conserves physical space by effectively replacing anintermediate panel and an external IFC cable.

The Rapid Fiber product line is driven by RapidReeltechnology, an internal cable-payout system which allowsinstallers to unspool precisely the length of cable they needand simply leave any slack stored on the internal spool.Incorporating the latest innovations in fiber-connectivitytechnology, Rapid Fiber solutions enable service providersto add fiber capacity quickly and cost-effectively. Thattranslates into faster service turn-ups, greater networkreach and lower overall installation and maintenance costs.

With the new Rapid Panel, the IFC cable is mountedinside the panel on a RapidReel spool, which means thepanel features built-in slack storage as well. With upto 100 feet of IFC cable available on the Rapid Panel,installers can simply pay out the precise length they needfrom the internal spool; they no longer have to pay forand store excess cable nor engineer upfront the precisecable length they need.

Offering 24 fibers in one rack unit of space, the individualpanels are stackable and feature SC/UPC and LC/UPCconnector styles. In addition, such solutions incorporateflexibility, in the form of a small (3-mm) 12f microcable.Installers can run the microcable in a fiber racewaysystem or on ladder racking. In either application, the

microcable dramatically reduces cable congestion.The combination of MPO connectors, microcable andRapidReel resolve all the challenges mentioned above. Byreplacing 12 single-fiber connectors, the MPO enables amore compact, streamlined installation process. Its built-in pulling eye makes it much easier for technicians topull through the microcable and connectors. The MPOminimizes loading issues because technicians only haveto load one cable, rather than 12, and lacing no longeris necessarytechnicians simply have to route the cablethrough the fiber guide.

RapidReel Spooling TechnologyAccelerates Fiber Installation

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Building a Rapid Network New Approaches to Fiber Deployment in Central Office, Cell Site, Switch Center and Customer Premise Environments

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Fast, Cost-Eective Fiber Connectivity

These advanced solutions go a long way toward reducingtotal first costs of adding fiber capacity. For one thing,they greatly simplify site survey inspections. By usinginternal fiber spooling to combine a microcable witha fiber panel and by incorporating MPO connectortechnology, they make it possible for installers to addmore fiber capacity in a shorter time than before. Infact, compared with traditional installations, solutionssuch as the Rapid Panel can reduce the total cost perinstallation by as much as 25 percent. Requiring no fieldterminations nor splicing, these solutions also makeit easier for service providers to make the most cost-effective use of their labor resources and to performongoing maintenance and upgrades more easily.

Delivering Flexibility and Scalability

Service providers now can reduce their cycle timesdramatically. While they need as much as four to six

weeks to deploy traditional solutions, they can deploythese new panels in a much shorter time frameone dayto two weeks. The Rapid Panel offers various sizes, cabletypes and standard cable lengths, giving service providersthe flexibility they need to tailor deployments to theirindividual requirements and the scalability to deliver morebandwidth quickly and cost-effectively.

Improved Operating Efciencies

Advanced fiber-connectivity solutions are designedto help service providers enhance their operatingefficiencies dramatically. Through good cablemanagement, including slack storage, they help toconserve precious real estate. Further, the combinationof microcable, RapidReel spooling and MPO connectortechnology in a single panel not only relieves cablecongestion but also simplifies the service providersordering and inventory procedures.

The Rapid Panel eliminates the need to have extrajumper fibers on hand and the associated need tofind space in which to store a wide variety of differentjumper lengths. By using robust, 3-mm cables withreduced bend radious fibers, such solutions also supportflexible cable runs, similar to using a fiber jumper with afiber guide system.

Further, by taking advantage of the improved connectordesign and reliability built into these new solutions,service providers can adopt a plug-and-play strategy,thereby eliminating the time and expense involved withfield terminations and splicing.

Finally, when service providers order equipment, theyno longer have to go through an extensive list ofdifferent panel types or different panels with differentcable lengths. They need only one panel, and that

panel can accommodate multiple IFC cable lengths.They can easily stock 1 RU, 3 RU or 4 RU panels, thusstreamlining their ordering and inventory processeswhile also ensuring their ability to install panels andIFC cables on the same or next day.

Competitive Advantages in a Single Panel

With the growing popularity of bandwidth-intensiveservices that support video, data and multimediaapplications, service providers must continue to invest infiber-based network capacity. At the same time, however,they need to control their CAPEX/OPEX in order toprotect their margins in an ultra-competitive market.

Solutions such as Rapid Panel, which are designed

to accelerate the overall process of adding new fiber,ensure precise-length cabling and relieve overheadcable congestion, allow service providers to tackle bothchallenges. By enabling service providers to install newfiber faster than before and by giving them the flexibilityand scalability to deliver more bandwidth as needed,these solutions lower the total cost of expanding fibercapacity. In doing so, innovations such as Rapid Panelhelp service providers attract and retain customers andensure long-term profitability

Traditional Cable Routing through Ladder Racking

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WhitePaPer

TE (logo), Tyco Electronics, RapidReel are trademarks of the Tyco Electronics group of companies and its licensors.While Tyco Electronics has made every reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of the information in this document, Tyco Electronicsdoes not guarantee that it is error-free, nor does Tyco Electronics make any other representation, warranty or guarantee that the informa-

tion is accurate, correct, reliable or current. Tyco Electronics reserves the right to make any adjustments to the information contained

herein at any time without notice. Tyco Electronics expressly disclaims all implied warranties regarding the information contained herein,including, but not limited to, any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The dimensions in this documentare for reference purposes only and are subject to change without notice. Specifications are subject to change without notice. ConsultTyco Electronics for the latest dimensions and design specifications.

Tyco Electronics Corporation. All rights reserved.109086AE 3/11 Original 2011

Tyco Electronics CorporationP.O. Box 1101

Minneapolis, MinnesotaUSA 55440-1101Tel: 1-800-366-3891Tel: 1-952-938-8080Fax: 1-952-917-3237

www.te.com/adcwww.tycoelectronics.comwww.us.telecomosp.com