Fiber Interconnect Cable

Tight buffered fiber optic cable has a 900-micron polymer coating applied directly over each optical fiber, making the fiber robust, flexible, and easy to handle. Loose-tube cable, by contrast, houses fibers inside gel-filled tubes with room to move, which better accommodates temperature swings outdoors. Tight buffered construction is ideal for indoor runs, patch cords, and terminations because it requires no gel cleaning and connects directly to standard fiber optic connectors without a furcation kit, eliminating an extra step that adds costs and time during installation.

Yes. The standard offering for this fiber optic cable product line is plenum-rated (OFNP), making it suitable for installation in air-handling ceilings, raised floors, and other spaces used for HVAC circulation, where building codes require low-smoke, flame-retardant jackets. A riser-rated version may also be appropriate, depending on the vertical path your run follows. Check local code requirements to confirm which cable rating applies to your system.

Four fiber types are offered: 

• OM1 (62.5 µm multimode)
• OM3 (50 µm multimode)
• OM4 (50 µm multimode)
• OS2 (8.3 µm singlemode)

The selection depends primarily on distance and bandwidth. For new applications supporting 10 Gigabit or 40 Gigabit Ethernet over distances up to ~100 m, OM3 or OM4 are the most cost-effective choices. OS2 singlemode is best for runs exceeding multi-mode distance limits or where future bandwidth scalability is a priority. OM1 is generally only recommended for legacy system compatibility.For example, a data center interconnect within a single building floor is a great use case for OM4, while a campus backbone linking multiple buildings would point toward OS2.

Four fiber types are offered: 

• OM1 (62.5 µm multimode)
• OM3 (50 µm multimode)
• OM4 (50 µm multimode)
• OS2 (8.3 µm singlemode)

The selection depends primarily on distance and bandwidth. For new applications supporting 10 Gigabit or 40 Gigabit Ethernet over distances up to ~100 m, OM3 or OM4 are the most cost-effective choices. OS2 singlemode is best for runs exceeding multi-mode distance limits or where future bandwidth scalability is a priority. OM1 is generally only recommended for legacy system compatibility.For example, a data center interconnect within a single building floor is a great use case for OM4, while a campus backbone linking multiple buildings would point toward OS2.

Four fiber types are offered: 

• OM1 (62.5 µm multimode)
• OM3 (50 µm multimode)
• OM4 (50 µm multimode)
• OS2 (8.3 µm singlemode)

The selection depends primarily on distance and bandwidth. For new applications supporting 10 Gigabit or 40 Gigabit Ethernet over distances up to ~100 m, OM3 or OM4 are the most cost-effective choices. OS2 singlemode is best for runs exceeding multi-mode distance limits or where future bandwidth scalability is a priority. OM1 is generally only recommended for legacy system compatibility.For example, a data center interconnect within a single building floor is a great use case for OM4, while a campus backbone linking multiple buildings would point toward OS2.

Bend-insensitive fiber, or tight bend optical fiber, uses a modified refractive index core profile that significantly reduces signal loss when the cable is routed around tight corners, bundled in conduit, or dressed through cramped equipment cabinets. Light traveling through a conventional fiber can leak out at sharp bends, degrading the signal reaching the receiver. Bend-insensitive construction withstands tighter routing without loss, producing better results in installations, particularly important for high-density cable trays and server rooms, where routing is rarely a straight point-to-point run. All fiber types in this line, except OM1, include this feature.

No. This fiber optic cable is designed exclusively for indoor use. It does not include a UV-resistant outer jacket, a moisture barrier, or armoring required to withstand outdoor, direct burial, or aerial applications. For outdoor runs, a separate outdoor-rated or armored cable should be used, with an indoor-rated cable beginning at the building entry point.

The round 2-fiber version is a conventional cylindrical cable. The zip-cord variants are dual-fiber cables bonded side-by-side and designed to separate or “zip” by hand, reducing termination time and costs when making two individual connections. The narrower zip offers flexibility in tight spaces, while the wider zip provides added durability and mechanical protection. The number of fibers and configuration you choose affects cable density in trays and conduits, so factor that into your system layout.