Fiber optic cable installation process: connecting houses (2023)

The nation's largest fiber providers, including AT&T, Verizon, Frontier, Lumen (CenturyLink/Quantum) and Windstream, plan to work togetherSpoonBy 2030, around 55 million homes will have fiber optic cablesInstallationThe process that actually connects these homes to the Internet is becoming more and more important, and it is more and more important to understand it.

Overall, the installation process of fiber optic cables bridges the gap between homes that "can" be connected to fiber and homes that "are" connected to fiber -Provision of high speed internet, video and voice services. In other words, a fiber provider's customer penetration.

Dgtl Infra provides a detailed overview of the fiber optic cable installation process, which includes fiber optic drop, fiber splicing, mounting a "wall box" or termination housing, enabling fiber access into the home, and setting up an optical network terminal (ONT) and enabling Internet, video and voice services over fiber optics. In addition, we answer important questions including: What do fiber optic installers do? and how long does the fiber optic installation take? Finally, Dgtl Infra verifies the costs of fiber optic installation for both the provider and the customer.

What is fiber installation?

Fiber optic installation is about transforming a residential building from the construction phase into a "home".household passed"to be"connected” or installed with fiber optics. The differences between these two phases are:

• household passed:Fiber optic cables "run" past a home along the street, meaning the home is "capable" of being served by a provider's fiber distribution facility, but may not be "connected" yet
• Connected:A fiber optic "drop" cable from the nearest network access point connects to the home. This enables a customer to order and receive internet, video and voice services from their fiber provider

If you want to know more about the initial:household passed” phase as well as the process and construction costs for the fiber optic networkconstruction, then check Dgtl Infra's previous analysis here:

CONTINUE READING: Building a fiber optic network: process and construction costs

In the following fiberInstallationFor the sake of clarity, we use the example from adetached housebe "connected" or installed with fiber optic services.

Preparation for fiber optic installation

Before fiber to the home (FTTH) is installed, a fiber optic provider performs construction, preparation and permitting work that includes the following tasks:

• civil engineer:Site survey, site inspection, supply conflict analysis (e.g. electricity and water), mapping
• Get ready:On-site survey of the ground or poles used to carry fiber optics from the street to the home
• To permit:Submission of engineering plans, details of installation or relocation of equipment and securing municipal right-of-way

When a customer orders fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) service, a special fiber-optic cableinstallerand"truck roll"Sent to the customer's home for service connection and placement of new equipment.

CONTINUE READING: Fiber to the home (FTTH) vs. FTTP, FTTN, FTTC and FTTB

What is a fiber drop?

A fiber optic connection connects a fiber optic service provider's access point to the optical network terminal (ONT) on the side of a customer's home via a fiber optic cable.

Fiber to the home (FTTH) Netzwerk

(Video) Fibre to the home pre installation process – setting expectations

Activation of new services requires the installation and connection of a fiber optic.drops"cable from"household passed“Point toheim. This location is called "drops” point and may take the form of a fiber optic pedestal (above-ground access point), handhole, manhole, chamber, or utility/telephone pole.

Fiber sockets and inserts - from Clearfield

A "drop point" means the location of a fiber transport network's feeder cable originating from a fiber provider's central office (CO).finishedorconnected. If the fiberglass isdoes notterminated or bundled is the name for the other common method of connecting fiber optic cablesSplay–which will be discussed in the next section.

From this "drop" point, a fiber optic installer connects a fiber optic "drop" cable to a box on the exterior wall of a home in two ways:

• Underground:Laying fiber optic cables underground using ploughing, burying or directional drilling techniques. Alternatively, if underground lines exist, the fiber optic cable can be routed through this infrastructure to the home
• From the air:Fiber optic cables are routed through overhead lines or telephone poles to a predetermined location in the customer's home

What is fiber splicing?

Fiber splicing is a fiber-to-fiber connection where the ends of two fiber strands are joined together. Below we discuss the preparation and process of fiber splicing:

Preparation for splicing fiber optic cables

To prepare the fiber for splicing, the fiber optic cable must be completely strippedfiberglass itself, removal of all protective components.

In this example installation, the fiber optic cable includes aMetal shieldinternallyyderjacks, several fiber threads in onebuffer tube, threads offKevlarwhich provides extra protection for the buffer tube, andripcordused to remove the outer sheath.

Cross section of fiber optic cable

The preparation begins by removing part of the outer jacket of the fiber optic cable using the rip cables. This will expose the metal shield, buffer tube and Kevlar wires. The metal shielding and Kevlar strands are then removed and discarded, leaving only the exposed buffer tube. Pulling back the buffer tube reveals the optical fiber used for splicing.

After the fiber is stripped, it is cleaned with alcohol, placed in holders and cut to precise length with a fiber splitter. A splicing protection sleeve is also added to protect the fiber after splicing.

How to splice a fiber optic cable?

Splicing is commonly used foractive"Fiber is brought into the house with the newly laid fiber optics in the house. Below are two examples of splicing fiber optics in different places in the house:

1) Splicing of a fiber droplet

The video below shows how to splice a fiber drop using "dropsThe point is placed on a fiberglass plinth outside the customer's home. This splicing allows a single fiber to be routed to the customer's home for installation.

2) Splicing of optical fibers at optical network terminal (ONT)

The video below shows how fiber is spliced ​​at an optical network terminal (ONT) mounted on the wall of a customer's home.

What methods are there for fiber splicing?

There are two methods of splicing fibersfusionsplicing andmechanicalSplicing, with fusion splicing being the most commonly used method for splicing optical fibers.

I amfusionA special fusion splicing machine is used in the splicing process to precisely align the two fiber ends. The glass ends are then "melted" using an arc. The splice protection sleeve is then crimped using the splicer's heater.

After splicing, the two fibers lie side by side, forming a transparent, continuous connection and an optical path between the fibers.

Fitel Ninja NJ001 fusion splicer

Below is an example of a commonly used fusion splicer manufactured by Furukawa Electric known as the Fitel Ninja NJ001.

How are fiber optics installed in a home?

Fiber optic cabling is installed in a home through: i) a "wall box" or junction box, ii) creating an entry point for the fiber, and iii) through an optical network terminal (ONT).

"Wall Box" or closed house

First, a fiber optic installer assembles a "Wanddose” or termination box on the side of a house, near the house's electrical panel. This wall box creates ademarcation pointor "limit"between the service provider's fiber network and the customer's. Typically, the fiber optic cable enters the termination housing, which is surrounded by a riser (tube).

This wall box serves two main purposes:

1. Storage of Slack:Any fiber optic cable left over from the "drop" to the house or from the entrance to the house can be wound up in the wall box
2. Maintenance:When a fiber optic technician attaches a wall box to the outside of a house, this is not the caseinitiallyYou need to enter a house to solve network problems. Instead, fiber technicians can start their network diagnostic checks from home. At the same time, fiber technicians can disconnect both sides of the fiber connector from the wall box to determine where the problem may be

Finally, the optical network terminal (ONT) –discussed below– placed in the "wall box" / termination housing.

How do fiber optic cables enter the house?

Generally, a fiber optic installer will drill a hole from the inside of the house to the outside of the house, going through both the inside and outside walls. A fiber optic cable is passed through this hole so that it can both enter the housing and reach the junction box on the outside of the housing. Alternatively, where possible, fiber optics can be fed into a home along with existing air conditioning or utility lines.

All entry and exit holes must be sealed with silicone or sealant to prevent insects, dirt and rain from entering the housing or junction box.

What does the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) do?

All fiber-based services are delivered to a home by a fiber optic provider through aoptical network terminal (ONT)These are transceivers that are located at the customer's home. The installer terminates the fiber optic cable connection at an ONT, which converts the fiber optic light/optical signals into electrical signals, enabling the home network to provide Internet, video and voice services.

In the event of a power outage, an ONT must be powered by a power source at all times, such as a power cord or battery backup.

Calix 727GE ONT for single-family houses

Below is an example of an optical network terminal (ONT) used for single-family homes, called an "optical network terminal".Calix 727GE ONT. This device supports Gigabit Ethernet transmission technology for passive optical networks (GPON) and point-to-point Gigabit Ethernet in a single ONT.

INoptical network terminal (ONT)is also commonly referred to asoptical network unit (ONU)orNetwork Interface Device (NID).

Service Activation

The optical network terminal (ONT) works in the same way as aModem(ie provides a connection to the Internet) and has an RJ-45 Ethernet port to connect to the customer'sRouter. The router makes it possible to connect several devices in the house via WiFi or a wired Ethernet connection. Some indoor ONTs also act asTor, which combines the functionality of a router and a modem in one device.

Fiber optic connection from headquarters to home

As shown below, fiber optic connections can be made to optical network terminals (ONTs) located both inside and outside the home. In the outdoor ONT example, an Ethernet cable acts as the final connection to connect the outdoor ONT to the customer's indoor router.

Once the customer's home is connected to the ONT, the fiber provider can provide internet, video and voice services over fiber. Internet signals can then be transmitted over WiFi through the customer's router or gateway device.

CONTINUE READING: Fiber optic broadband internet is the future for your home

What do fiber optic installers do?

Fiber optic installers perform civil engineering work, lay fiber optic cables, build cabinets and "wall boxes" or termination boxes, splice fibers, vertical (riser) and horizontal (floor) cabling, and connect and test laid fiber through optical cable components.

How long does the fiber optic installation take?

On average, it takes 1 to 5 business days to install a fiber optic "drop" cable from a "drop" point to the home, depending on whether the fiber needs to be buriedundergroundor runfrom the airon overhead lines. Underground fiber optic installations are much more time consuming (than aerial connections) and therefore the process can take up to 7 working days.

Once the fiber reaches the customer's "wall box" or termination box next to their home, the remaining installation process takes only 3 to 6 hours. This part of the installation process includes bringing the fiber into the home and setting up the optical network terminal (ONT) that connects to the Internet.

Costs for fiber optic installation –provider and customer

How much does it cost to connect fiber to the house?

Overall, the average price for aservice providerToconnectFiber to a subscriber's home costs between $500 and $700. These costs include the fiber optic "drop", the optical network terminal (ONT) for Internet service, the customer's equipment (router or gateway), and the labor required to install the fiber optic cable.

Of these, the optical network terminal (ONT) and customer equipment (CPE) costs the provider about $200 per home.

CONTINUE READING: Investments and expansion of broadband technologies are increasing

Is there an installation fee for fiber optics?

On the customer side, fiber providers typically charge their customers a one-time installation fee of $75 to $99. This installation fee is in addition to the monthly service fees customers pay and helps the fiber provider offset some of the previously mentioned costs of installing fiber optic cables.

What is an Internet Equipment Fee?

An Internet Equipment Fee includes a monthly fee to rent a modem and/or router from an Internet Service Provider (ISP). In the case of a fiber optic provider, the internet equipment fee will include the cost of renting an indoor optical network terminal (ONT) or gateway (modem and router combination).

Generally, internet equipment fees range from $10 to $15 per month, depending on the fiber provider. Again, these fees help the fiber provider balance the costs of ONT and Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) over time.