Fiber to the Home (FTTH) is becoming increasingly more common as bandwidth usage is exploding. This tremendous growth is driven in part by the rapid increase in Internet-connected devices and the use of data-heavy applications such as video on demand. Service providers are working to meet this need for greater bandwidth by expanding the deployment of fiber optic cables to the premises and then into the home.

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Wirenet.

Service providers building these fiber networks all face a common challenge: the expense of the last mile in the optical network. It is critical for service providers, utilities and municipalities to have an optimized set of deployment options that help to reduce both capital and operational expenses.

The solutions presented in this article meet these challenges with several fiber deployment options from the drop point to and into the home.

OFS FTTx Solutions for the Home can help residents take advantage of the Internet of Things (IoT), which is beginning to redefine how we work and live. These solutions focus on simplicity, cost-effectiveness and speed of installation, along with the pre- and post-installation customer experience, time to revenue generation and reliable subscriber connections that help to improve profitability for the service provider.

>> Download the Full Guide Now

PRE-TERMINATED vs. FIELD-TERMINATED DROPS

Pre-terminated drop solutions are increasingly used to install fiber to homes to save time and money in higher labor cost regions. Pre-terminated drop solutions consist of drop cables that are terminated and tested in the factory, and easily plugged into the drop terminal and home terminal in the field. Pre-terminated solutions offer lower costs and faster deployment and require less installation skill.

For low labor cost markets, field terminated solutions may be preferred. Field terminated solutions use drop cables which are terminated using fusion splicing or mechanical connectors in the field during installation. They offer easier inventory management, lower material costs and easier slack management, but take longer to install and require more highly skilled labor, along with expensive field termination tools and splicing machines, when compared to pre-terminated solutions.

A third approach, with one end of the drop cable pre-terminated, and the other end field terminated, can solve the slack issue and allow an easy plug-in to the drop terminal and field termination at the home.

OFS offers all three of these drop solution options to fit the unique needs of each service provider. OFS pre-terminated solutions are available with EZ- Bend® cables that can solve the slack management challenge. EZ-Bend fiber optic cables enable the slack to be tied into a very compact bundle.

Providers typically use a combination of aerial and underground solutions to connect the last mile in a network to individual homes. A variety of factors including climate and existing infrastructure can influence solution selection.

>> Download the Full Guide Now

CONNECTING OPTICAL FIBER TO THE HOME

OFS offers a complete portfolio of aerial and underground solutions including terminals, integrated splitters and drop cables to connect to the demarcation point of individual homes. From that location, a number of solutions can be leveraged to take optical fiber into the home.

Aerial deployment is typically lower in cost and preferred where poles are in place near homes. In this scenario, a SlimBox® Drop Terminal is installed on a pole, with or without splitters, and then connected by a drop cable to as many as 16 homes. Below grade drop deployment is preferred if there is an existing duct placed from the terminal location to the home, or if below grade cabling is required by local regulations.

First, an installer inserts a feeder or distribution cable into the terminal. The installer then extracts the number of fibers required and fusion splices them to a pre-terminated splitter or drop fiber. Aerial or underground drop cables are then deployed from the terminal to individual residences.

In the case of aerial cables, a drop cable is placed between the pole and a point near a home’s roof. The cable can be connected to a demarcation box and installed into the home through the attic or onto the side of the house at a demarcation box near the ground. To help avoid unsightly aerial cables, an aerial terminal can be connected to an underground drop cable. For aerial deployments, OFS offers the one to 24-fiber Mini LT Flat Drop Cable and the single-fiber Mini TB Flat Drop cable which contains 3 mm cordage that can be routed directly to an Optical Network Terminal (ONT).

>> Download the Full Guide Now

Underground drop cable options include the single-fiber EZ-Bend® 3.0 mm and 4.8 mm Ruggedized Cables and EZ-Bend Toneable Cables. The toneable cables enable easy above ground locating of buried cables to help avoid cable cuts when other underground systems are installed. These drop cables are installed from the aerial terminal down the pole to the ground, and are then buried to minimize disruption to landscaping, or pulled into existing duct. The cable is then connected into a demarcation box installed at the side of the house, ideally in a location close to the ONT on the inside.

EZ-Bend cables are preferred since their 2.5 mm bend radius allows the cables to be coiled, bent and tied without creating signal degradation. These cables can also be buried or stapled/clipped and bent around the outer perimeter walls of a home to reach an entry point closer to the preferred ONT location.

New home construction offers a win-win situation for construction companies and service providers. With the ability to “build in” optical fiber connectivity, new homes are futureproofed from the beginning, real estate values increase, and new home owners can become immediate subscribers without the expense of additional installation time. .

Subscribers can be connected faster using preterminated cables installed to and into homes during construction. OFS offers EZ-Bend 3.0 mm and 4.8 mm cables that can be installed independently or in ducts using typical home wiring techniques, such as stapling or zip-tying of the cables, to a location or media panel where the ONT would be later placed. The home owner can later perform a “self install” by receiving an ONT from the service provider, and simply plugging in an EZ-Bend cable assembly and a power adapter to the ONT. OFS also provides a SlimBox Wall Plate that discretely blends into a home’s décor and facilitates ONT connections in the same way as a power outlet.

Existing Homes can pose a challenge to network installers, given the wide variety of possible building architectures. In addition, home designs and construction materials can vary greatly from country to country and even within countries. OFS solutions are purposefully designed and optimized to suit a variety of homes globally and offer maximum flexibility to on-site installers.
Depending on the target market, a provider can choose the terminals and drop cables for an aerial, underground or hybrid solution. The solutions described are the most popular options and feature a variety of products as building block components. This modular product design approach allows service providers to also create custom solutions to meet the specific needs of their target markets.

Fiber Optics In The Home - Why and When?

Written by Ben Hamlitsch, trueCABLE Technical and Product Innovation Manager RCDD, FOI

First, we should understand: What Is Fiber To The Home (FTTH) Technology?

“Fiber to the home” describes the use of fiber optic cable to deliver broadband internet from a central location directly to private residences. In an FTTH network, fiber cable is used over the “last mile” in place of lower bandwidth DSL and coaxial wires.

Fiber to the home is one of many “fiber-to-the-x” (FTTx) network designs. For example, many network developers build out fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) or fiber-to-the-building (FTTB) networks, in which fiber cable runs all the way to consumer properties and organizational structures. Many homes have internet today thanks to fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC) and fiber-to-the-neighborhood (FTTN) networks, which transmit communication signals to a certain point and then transfer data to other last-mile cable customers.

To homeowners, FTTH means faster internet and more bandwidth. Consumers can stream richer media and enjoy higher-quality interactivity. Additionally, FTTH can support triple play services, which means that internet, TV, and can be bundled together and provided over one broadband connection.

For network developers, FTTH is a “future proof” solution that will facilitate high-speed connectivity capabilities over the long term. Fiber cable has virtually unlimited capacity and is just as cost effective when it comes to actually delivering service.

With FTTH being the hot topic in much of the industry, Internet service providers are working hard to lay the infrastructure needed to allow for higher bandwidth and faster speed internet at home.

Feel free to watch the video below on all FTTH/FTTx architecture, or keep reading to continue learning about Fiber Optics In The Home (FITH).

What about FITH (Fiber In the Home)?

I am not referring to FTTH, which we just talked about, where the internet is brought, in most cases, to the outside of the customer’s home by the Internet Service Provider.

Below is a typical FTTH PON architecture from Central office to the home, MDU or business.

Fiber in the home refers to wiring your home’s structured wiring with fiber optics. This means going to each of the wall plate locations, to any outdoor areas where data connections are needed, and back to the distribution location in the garage or closet designated in the house. It is often also a structured wiring panel in the home where all the voice/data/video drops are located.

Can you run fiber optic cable in your home? TIA 570-E standard Explained

Wiring a home with fiber optic cabling has become increasingly important as homeowners seek to future-proof their property and meet the growing demand for high-speed, reliable internet and multimedia connectivity. By implementing a home fiber optic wiring system, homeowners can establish a fiber home network that takes advantage of the unparalleled data transmission capabilities of fiber optic technology.

For more information, please visit Reliable Fiber Optic Solutions Provider.

Running fiber optic cable in a house is entirely feasible, and the TIA 570-E standard provides comprehensive guidelines for the design, installation, and testing of these residential fiber optic networks. This industry standard ensures that the process of pre-wiring a new home or retrofitting an existing one with fiber optic cabling is carried out to the highest quality, enabling homeowners to maximize the benefits of low latency, high bandwidth, and immunity to electromagnetic interference that fiber optics offer.

As the world becomes increasingly reliant on digital technologies, investing in a home wired for fiber optics can significantly enhance a property's value and provide a seamless, future-proof communication infrastructure for years to come. By running fiber optic cable in their house, homeowners can future-proof their home and enjoy the advantages of a robust fiber home network.

The TIA 570-E, which is the residential cabling standard, already has a cabling grading system that includes fiber optic cabling in a single-dwelling residence. And is especially used in any operational lengths that may exceed the 100-meter limit for copper cabling.

Residential wiring Grade 6.2.2.3 Grade 3 is the home fiber optic wiring option for each cabled location, grade 3 provides a generic cabling system that meets the minimum requirements for basic and advanced telecommunications services such as high-speed internet, wireless access points, and in-home generated video. This grade provides for both current and developing telecommunications services. Grade 3 specifies balanced twisted-pair cabling, coaxial cabling, and optical fiber cabling. Grade 3 cabling requirements consist of a minimum of two 4-pair balanced twisted-pair cables that meet or exceed the requirements for category 6A, a minimum of one broadband coaxial cable, and a minimum of one 2-strand optical fiber cable, and their respective connectors at each equipment outlet and at the distribution device (DD).

Benefits of Fiber over Copper

As we can see here, fiber optics are already part of the residential wiring recommendations in the grade 3 requirement. As the price of the optical electronics used in fiber optic transmission of data decreases, we will see a bigger push for fiber in the home. Some of the great benefits of fiber optic cabling vs copper cabling are:

Speed. Fiber is far more capable of transmitting faster and larger amounts of data.

Reach (distance). Fiber optic cables are the better choice if you need to send a signal over greater distances. Copper cables can only carry signals about 100 meters, while some singlemode fiber optic cables can carry more data up to 25 miles. Fiber optic cable also carries data with less attenuation, or signal loss—only about three percent every 100 meters in comparison to copper, which loses over 90 percent over the same distance.

Reliability. Fiber optics are extremely reliable. Fiber uses a process known as total internal reflection to carry light signals instead of electricity, so it’s not bothered by electromagnetic interference (EMI) that can interrupt data transmission. Fiber is also immune to temperature changes, severe weather, and moisture, all of which can hamper the connectivity of copper cable.

Durability. Fiber optic cables can withstand a pulling force up to 200 pounds of pressure, which is certainly preferable during the construction of a local area network (LAN).

Longevity. Copper cables also experience corrosion and will eventually have to be replaced after as little as five years. Their performance degrades as they age, even to the point where they lose their signal all together. Fiber optic cables, on the other hand, are sturdier with fewer parts and can last up to 50 years. When you’re choosing a cable, its longevity is very important.

Security. Your data is much more secure with fiber optic cables, which don’t carry electrical signals and are almost impossible to tap into. Even if a cable is compromised or damaged, it can easily be detected by monitoring the power transmission. Copper cables, on the other hand, can still be tapped, which could affect your internet speed or even destroy your network.

So, with all these advantages, why not install fiber in the home? More and more fiber systems are being installed in the home as well as the MDU (multi dwelling unit). Much of the fiber that is being installed is being used in the backbone cabling of the installation and, in some cases, installed at the equipment outlet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is fiber optic Internet faster than cable?

Yes, fiber optics can transmit data at speeds up to 100 times faster than traditional copper cables. Fiber optic technology uses light to transmit data, allowing for much higher bandwidth and faster speeds compared to the electrical signals used by traditional copper cables. This means that fiber optic Internet can support higher data rates, lower latency, and more stable connections, making it ideal for activities like streaming high-definition video, online gaming, and large file transfers.

Are fiber optic cables durable?

Yes, fiber optic cables are immune to electromagnetic interference and offer a longer lifespan than traditional cables. Unlike copper cables, fiber optic cables are not susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio-frequency interference (RFI), which can degrade signal quality. Additionally, fiber optic cables are made of glass or plastic fibers, which are highly resistant to environmental factors such as temperature variations, moisture, and chemical exposure. This makes them more durable and reliable over long distances and in various conditions.

Is fiber optic installation expensive?

The initial cost can be higher than copper cabling, but fiber optics offer long-term savings. While you might pay more upfront, fiber's higher speeds, lower maintenance costs, and future-proofing benefits make it a good investment.

Can I install fiber optic cables myself?

Yes, it is something that can be installed yourself. However, while some homeowners may choose to install fiber optics themselves, it's recommended to hire a professional for a successful installation.

Does fiber optic cabling increase home value?

Yes, fiber optic cabling can increase home value. Homes with high-speed fiber Internet are more attractive to buyers, especially those who work from home or need reliable Internet for streaming and gaming.

How to splice fiber optic cable at home?

Splicing fiber optic cable at home requires specialized skills and equipment, and is generally not recommended for DIY projects. Proper fiber optic splicing is a complex process that involves precise alignment and fusion of the fiber strands to minimize signal loss and ensure a reliable connection.

How expensive is it to run fiber optic cable in home?

The cost of running fiber optic cable in a home can vary significantly depending on several factors, but generally, it is very similar in price to Cat6A. The cost of fiber becomes a bit more expensive than copper when installing the optics or transceivers for the fiber cable to transmit signals from light to electrical.

How is fiber optic line brought in your home?

Bringing fiber optic line into a home typically involves these steps:
Service Drop: The provider runs a fiber optic cable from the nearest distribution point to your home.
Entry Point Installation: The cable connects to a demarcation point on your home’s exterior.
Inside Wiring: Fiber cables are routed inside to reach different areas.
ONT Installation: An Optical Network Terminal (ONT) is installed to convert fiber signals to electrical signals for your home network. Testing and Activation: The setup is tested and activated by the provider to ensure it works properly.

This process ensures you have high-speed Internet access throughout your home.

Conclusion

What type of fiber cable is being installed in the residential installation? Well, that may all depend on the application needed. In many cases, multimode OM3 or OM4 fiber is a good choice and will future proof much of the network for years to come.

Even singlemode fiber can be very practical. Many fiber internet service providers are bringing singlemode fiber to the home. Continuing with singlemode for the fiber part of the installation may make sense and will certainly future proof your structured wiring installation for years to come. It is practical for one of those super long cameras to run at the end of the gate or entrance to the residence, where the length is well over 100 meters and the video streaming quality needs to be high definition back to the distribution equipment. Or there may be outbuildings, such as a barn or office location, that need high-speed data and video requiring high quality and excellent reliability. These are just some ways where fiber optic cabling systems can shine.

Happy Networking!

trueCABLE presents the information on our website, including the “Cable Academy” blog and live chat support, as a service to our customers and other visitors to our website subject to our website terms and conditions. While the information on this website is about data networking and electrical issues, it is not professional advice and any reliance on such material is at your own risk.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website data center fiber cabling.