ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the types of fibre-optic cables in current use and methods of installation. Testing fibre cables after installation is an important aspect of any communication system. Fibre cables can be classified into the following categories: fibre-optic cables for indoor applications, those for outdoor applications and for indoor/outdoor applications. One of the fibre cables in common use is the ribbon cable. They are ideal for multi-fibre connector interconnect applications from equipment to a patch panel or as a patch cord. The chapter then describes some of the common fibre-optic cable installation methods for inside and outside plants in local area networks, metropolitan area networks and wide area networks. Fibre-optic cables can be buried directly in the ground using either ploughing or trenching methods. The chapter also describes some types of common fibre-optic hardware that are used in all telecommunication systems. A splice closure is a standard piece of hardware in the telecommunication industry for protecting fibre-optic cable splices.
