Prysmian Group is showcasing its RetractaNetXS direct buried retractable cable at this week’s FTTH Council Europe Conference. An outdoor underground cabling system especially designed for FTTH deployments, RetractaNetXS employs specially manufactured retractable cable from the optical distribution point's splice closure to the customer premises.
According to the company, the RetractaNetXS Solution for OSP applications employs a unique direct buried retractable cable that is filled with small fiber modules. These modules are designed to be cut at one point in the network and retracted to another where they can be fed or blown through microducts directly to the customer premises. Via the unique physical properties and technical specifications of the RetractaNetXS platform, ducts can be installed at a depth of 30 cm instead of the normal 60- or 120 cm, making it possible to lay 600 metres of fiber a day, with limited public inconvenience and significantly reduced CO2 output.
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According to a press release, several successful pilot projects using the product have already been launched by Prysmian Group and its partners, including Reggefiber, VolkerWessels Telecom, Jelcer Networks, Deutsche Glasfaser and BAM. Projects include the deployment of a fiber network in Noorderveld, Netherlands; a sewer-based solution in Lonneker, Netherlands; and a project carried out in the EU's Bocholt Bario district, which is now being called ‘the fastest village in North Rhine-Westphalia’, claims Prysmian.
Prysmian Group contends that "the projects demonstrate that the ambitious fiber roll-out goals set by the EU Digital Agenda may be easier to meet than anticipated."
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“This solution makes rollouts faster, reduces pollution and cuts labour costs," states Edgar Aker, Director Telecom Benelux, Prysmian Group. "It provides quick connections at a low total cost of ownership, through significant savings on labour and materials. Compared to traditional P2P network solutions, RetractaNetXS can reduce the overall cost of OSP network deployment by 7%-9%," Aker estimates.
Speaking this week at the London conference, Alessandro Pirri, Director Connectivity and FTTH at Prysmian Group, will discuss the benefits of RetractaNetXS and innovative solutions for FTTH deployment in less densely populated areas. "As technology reaches a good level of maturity in the development of efficient solutions in high density scenarios, operators and service providers are now beginning to devote their attention to those areas where the return on investment has been less appealing," comments Pirri.
Prysmian Group is Gold Sponsor at the FTTH Conference, billed as "the world’s largest Fibre to the Home event," held in London’s ExCel Exhibition Centre (February 19-21). Prysmian is exhibiting at booth G13 and has a number of speakers at the conference. For more information about the event or for details of the program visit www.ftthcouncil.eu.
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