Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLFD), a specialist in fiber management for communication service providers, has announced an enhanced cable-in-conduit (CIC) offering, the FieldShield D-ROP pre-connectorized assembly. Per the company, "FieldShield D-ROP is a one-pass solution that provides a craft-friendly, durable and restorable method to deliver and protect drop fiber for both in-building and outside plant environments. The durable fiber construction of 3mm FieldShield FLEXdrop or 2mm riser rated cable within the microduct ensures that technicians can safely handle the installation in any field environment without risk of damage."
Intended for deployments in the rapidly growing Multi-Dwelling Unit (MDU) and Multi-Tenant Unit (MTU) markets, Clearfield calls its FieldShield D-ROP "the first assembly to provide the time and cost saving benefits of connectorized fiber drops in one, easy-to-deploy product. Traditional fiber drop cable solutions rarely address the issue of repair and replacement, an issue that can take up to four truck rolls to restore service per drop," notes the company. "These repairs, which take an average of between five to seven hours at up to $100 per hour to address, have a significant impact on a service provider’s bottom line operating expenses. The FieldShield D-ROP solution, alternatively, allows for replacement and repairs to be completed with a single truck roll, reducing the OPEX impact for damaged fiber drops by up to 75 percent," according to Clearfield.
The company says its FieldShield D-ROP cable delivers the added advantage of providing a one-pass restorable pathway. If an outage occurs, a new pushable assembly can be quickly delivered through a repaired microduct, resulting in minimal network and service downtime. Clearfield notes its FieldShield D-ROP also does not have the slack storage challenges that a flat drop cable presents because the microduct slack can be ring cut and removed leaving only the pre-connectorized fiber assembly.
“Fiber deployments can be both time-consuming and labor-intensive processes that require a highly trained technician and splicing of the fiber,” comments Kevin Morgan, Chief Marketing Officer, Clearfield. “We see demands for fiber growing at a rapid pace, and network providers are struggling to find solutions that are cost friendly and time efficient. Clearfield is focused on bringing solutions to market that ease the burden of fiber deployments and replacements and that is exactly what the FieldShield D-ROP fiber drop assemblies are designed to do.”
Specifically, the new product line includes the:
- FieldShield D-ROP – Direct Bury or Aerial 7/3.7 mm (available in bulk) loaded with G657A1 bend insensitive 900μm fiber in ruggedized duct is perfectly suited for both buried and aerial environments.
- FieldShield D-ROP – Direct Bury 10/6 mm is pre-terminated with SC or LC connectors and 2mm cable is pre-placed in crush resistant, high tensile FieldShield Microduct, designed to withstand all types of outdoor direct bury methods.
- FieldShield D-ROP - Riser Rated 8.5/6 mm is UL-2021 listed and is duct compliant to Telcordia GR-3155. The pre-connectorized 2mm cable is riser rated and pre-placed in 8.5/6mm microduct. The high tensile strength and crush resistance are ideal for applications designated as riser air space.
The FieldShield D-ROP assemblies are currently available for shipment. Product samples were on display in Clearfield's booth at Fiber Connect, Orlando, FL, June 3-4. More information can be found on via the company's D-ROP video and whitepaper, and at www.SeeClearfield.com.