Sumitomo Electric Lightwave (www.sumitomoelectric.com) recently introduced what a flexible, gel-free indoor/outdoor ribbon cable. The manufacturer says the cable is the first to offer all those qualities-flexibility, 100% gel-free construction, and indoor/outdoor application support.

The cable features a cross-ply strength element sheath, eliminating preferential bend directions and allowing the cable to bend in every direction, which aids when it is installed in tight premises location and in more-complex fiber pathways. The cable's bend diameter is more than 40% smaller than other gel-free indoor/outdoor ribbon cables, Sumitomo says.

The riser-rated cable eliminates the need for installers to switch from an outside plant to a premises cable, because it can be installed from the last termination in the outside plant into the building, allowing for splice-free fiber flow. Incorporating water-blocking yarns into the design has eliminated the need for gels in both the cable's core and central tube, reducing the installers' cable preparation time.

The indoor/outdoor flexible gel-free cable can be used for both direct-buried and lashed-aerial applications, and has a tensile strength of up to 600 pounds. The cable is UL and OFNR listed for up to and including riser flammability requirements, and has met Telcordia GR-20 and GR-409 standards, as well as ICEA 640 requirements.