Pirelli Communications Cables & Systems North America (www.pirelli.com) faced a challenge when it handled the optical fiber communications needs for worldwide television coverage of the IAFF World Championship in Athletics in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. But it solved the problem for TELUS Corp., a telecommunications service provider, with a quickly installed design.
"We are delighted that we were able to provide a solution to a key customer's problem, but we also believe it's the type of effort that a true customer-supplier partnership demands," says Brian DiLascia, vice president and general manager of Pirelli's Communications Division in North America.
Fiber connectivity required an optical fiber cable solution that could meet the requirement of both aerial and inside-building installation, be installed quickly and conveniently and be economical enough to justify its one-time use during the 10 days of track and field competition. Finally, the cable had to be delivered on a fast-track schedule to be in place in time for the games to be televised.
To meet TELUS' need for the event, the South Carolina-based Pirelli provided a design from its line of optical fiber cable solutions for fiber-to-the-curb, office, home and desktop applications. The cable's design featured a strength member that enabled installers to complete the aerial span of the cable route without having to lash the cable to a support wire. In addition, the cable had to be riser-rated to meet fire safety requirements for installation inside buildings.
In both sections of the installation, Pirelli's design put a premium on saving installation time and expense, and production was accelerated to meet the tight delivery schedule.
Pirelli is actively developing solutions for fiber-to-the-curb, office, home and desktop applications, with a focus on low installation costs and low maintenance costs. Its FTTx offerings include integrated optical networking equipment and cable solutions for central office, multiple access and single-point applications.
