Corning Cable Systems (www.corning.com/cablesystems) has introduced product lines suited for customer-owned outside plant environments. The LANscape Solutions for Alternate In-Ground Applications is appropriate "for areas where duct space is at a minimum and traditional cable installation is not feasible," the company said in a release announcing the product line's availability.

"Available duct space for campus backbone cables in many LANs is approaching or is already at maximum capacity," the release continued. "Concerns about business disruption and damage to existing roadway or pavement infrastructure, combined with the high cost associated with direction boring and open trenching, have made the installation of new duct work unappealing."

The product line features MCS Road Cable, a fiber-optic cable optimized for installation in surfaces such as roads, sidewalks, and parking lots. During the installation process, which is patented, MCS Road Cable is placed in a narrow groove cut in the surface and secured with a rubber "hold-down" foam pressed into the groove. The groove is then filled with bitumen, which is a common road-repair material. According to the manufacturer, up to one kilometer of MCS Road Cable can be installed in a day.

The product suite also includes fiber-optic closures. Training, installation services, and product support are also part of the offering.