Lately, much emphasis has been placed on "Going Green". The Telecom Industry has not been immune to this trend. Requests and mandates by Government entities and Telecommunications Companies alike have spurred a drive towards environmentally friendly construction measures. There are many solutions being looked at by Telcos to comply with new regulations as well as reducing costs. If construction-operating costs increase with going green, then many companies will resist the effort. If environmentally favorable deployments of outside plant facilities make sense and increase the bottom line by reducing capital expenditures, then green installations will become the rule rather than the exception. Several technologies discussed here may be looked at in a new light, and that light will be colored green.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of miles of communications cable infrastructure is deployed, much of that direct buried, directionally drilled, plowed, or placed into new or existing conduit structures. These cable facilities are added to existing outside plant cable and conduit that in some cases date back into the '50's or '60's. Utility pathways typically follow similar routes along right-of-ways that have been used for decades for growth and upgrades. Some of these right-of-ways have become so crowded that cable installers often times damage existing Telco, power, gas, water, sewer, or CATV facilities in their efforts to place new communications cables or conduit. Existing conduit structures connected by manholes are usually the exception. Having a dedicated pathway for existing and future growth is a huge advantage when it comes to cost and time to deploy. These conduit systems, however, have significant initial expenditures associated with them, and are becoming more difficult to install each year, as all utilities compete for space in the right-of-way. Many municipalities have become concerned that de-watering these manholes allows contaminants from surface run-off to become concentrated in water that fills manholes. Smaller "handhole" splice boxes with porous stone and sand-filled bottom drainage reduce the need for de-watering large manholes along with the increasing restrictions involved.

New design parameters can help with existing and future builds, reducing environmental impact, minimize deployment time, and have remarkable cost savings for Telcos.

Considerable importance has been placed on reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. The plastics industry requires foreign and domestic oil to provide many of the products we have come to rely on. "Paper, Plastic, or Canvas" has become a common question as retailers try to provide environmentally friendly options to consumers. Polyethylene sheathed communications cables require significant amounts of plastic to manufacture. Conduit structures require even more plastic products, which equates to continued reliance on fossil fuels.

While plastics are probably here to stay, there are some measures that can be taken to reduce the amount of plastic required for additional communications deployments, as well as reducing manpower and costs associated with cable installation.

MicroFiber and MicroDuct are not new products, having been around since the late '90's. Initially introduced in Europe for use in crowded city centers with limited duct space, in addition to contending with many "no-dig" zones, the concept has gained widespread acceptance due to its compelling economic benefits. There have been, however, some deployment limitations associated with this type of fiber cable that has delayed the popularity that many cable manufacturers previously anticipated. The primary deficiency has been limited fiber counts.

Fiber manufacturers have previously been limited to producing a maximum of 72 fibers in their MicroFiber cable. Recent design initiatives have doubled that capacity without sacrificing the prefix "Micro". The utilization of Draka Communications ezMICRODUCT® fiber and A-D Technologies FuturePath® signifies a reduction in plastic consumption by as much as 50% or more. One thousand feet (1,000) of MicroDuct cable is about half of the weight of conventional same-count fiber cable. Much of that weight difference is in plastic sheathing, since the weight of the glass fibers in same-count cables will be similar. Draka's ezMICRODUCT cables have up to 65% area reduction over traditional loose tube fiber; yet offer the reliability of dielectric loose tube design. A-D Technologies FuturePath® product incorporates a significant reduction in plastic resins usage over what is required for typical conduit manufacturing. A-D Technologies FuturePath® products use considerably less plastic than PVC or HDPE conduit or innerduct providing similar fiber capacity. Seven 1-1/4" innerducts supply the same number of cable pathways as one 7-way FuturePath®, although the FuturePath® weighs less than 25% that of the 7 innerducts. Since shipping costs are generally gauged by the weight involved, these savings alone can be substantial. The transportation savings amount to decreased fuel consumption and lower material handling requirements, reducing labor costs in the process.

Another barrier to the total migration to MicroTechnology has been the hesitancy to place products that seem to be less robust than traditional fiber cable and conduit. Technological advances in cable placing machinery has made MicroFiber and MicroDuct installation concerns a thing of the past. Jetting or "blowing" MicroFiber has become a viable option to large fiber cable deployment. In many cases, existing fiber jetting equipment can be modified for MicroFiber installations. A-D Technologies Air-Trak MD, for instance, can place fiber cables 12-ct to 864-ct, MicroDucts into existing duct, or MicroFiber cables into various sizes of MicroDucts. Using the split-Y adapter, the Air-Trak can also place MicroDuct as an override of existing fiber or copper cable utilizing the same duct structure, which also limits the need for placing new conduit. Overrides can be installed into duct from 1" to 2" diameter.

Draka's ezMICRODUCT cable provides optimized jetting performance, combining high reliability with reduced size and weight. With its specialized jacket construction ezMICRODUCT cable has been installed up to 1.25 miles with a single machine, and 6 miles (cascading with several machines) at a time, rivaling or surpassing full-size fiber installations. Couple those distances with reductions in splices and splicing time, then MicroTechnology becomes a very attractive option when compared to full-size fiber deployment. The Draka ezMICRODUCT cable design provides the reliability of dielectric loose tube construction, which optimizes installation, maintenance, and mid-span access.

A-D Technologies FuturePath® is constructed with internal longitudinal ribbing that reduces contact between the cable and the MicroDuct wall, contributing to the extended jetting range. A super-slick Silicore® permanent lining inside the MicroDucts further reduces resistance and friction in order to maximize installation distances. With internal ripcords and a medium-density oversheath, access to the MicroDucts and the MicroFiber inside is quick and easy. A 20-gauge insulated copper wire inside the oversheath provides the ability to locate the duct and any dielectric fiber cable placed into it. FuturePath® can be quickly repaired or spliced.

It makes much more sense, both from a business and cost analysis, to expand network facilities as needed rather than guessing at future fiber requirements. There is always the optimistic adage "build for the future", but placing cables too large that have numerous "Dark Fibers" do not produce revenue for Telcos.

Couple that expansion with reductions in infrastructure requirements, rapid installation, and significantly reducing environmental impact, the use of MicroTechnology becomes an attractive option and even a necessity as Telcos compete for customers, profit, and productivity.

MicroFiber deployment in the form of products like FuturePath® and ezMICRODUCT require narrower trenching, displace less soil, reduce restoration costs, and provide greater flexibility in congested right-of-ways. Directional drilling requirements are reduced, utilizing less drilling fluid, displacing less soil, and demanding less costly machinery as compared to establishing a pathway with a larger conduit product. Total footage for installations is significantly lower, translating to decreased contractor costs.

Conventional innerduct directional drilling also requires expensive and complex pulling rigs, including large back-reamers needed to prepare a pathway for the innerduct. Multiple reel stands or trailers may be required to allow several ducts to be placed at one time. Additional manpower may be necessary to guide multiple conduits from the reels into the borehole. A single reel of FuturePath® provides similar capacity as 7 individual conduits, but may require less material handling equipment and manpower to install.

Smaller cable and conduit installations allow for more efficient and less costly machinery to do the same job. Smaller and simpler designs reduce engineering costs and facilitate permitting. Material handling, transportation costs and manpower are significantly reduced. Increased use of MicroTechnology will reduce material costs as demand grows. Network operators can maximize duct installation, defer capital expenditures to match revenue streams, maintain flexibility for growth, and reduce installation and upgrade costs.

Telecommunications Providers will reduce their demand for fossil fuel-derived plastics and reduce fuel costs associated with larger construction machinery, heavier product transportation costs, and result in lower-impact construction builds. It's time to give the "Green" light to MicroTechnology.

About the Author
Rick Dvorak is a Customer Engineer, A-D Technologies.

A-D Technologies has a full line of accessories available, along with supporting Technical Bulletins that provide recommendations concerning procedures that may be encountered when using MicroDucts and FuturePath®.

FuturePath® is also available as an armored version for additional protection against rodents, frost heave, frequent excavations, ground movement, or wherever increased security is desired.

Product information is available from A-D Technologies Customer Service at 1-800-847-7661, and Draka Communications at 1-800-879-9862.

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