Corning Cable Systems offers fiber-to-the-antenna version of Evolant cabling line
Corning Cable Systems LLC, part of Corning Inc.’s (NYSE:GLW) Telecommunications segment, has expanded its portfolio of preterminated Evolant Solutions cabling line with an offering for wireless network applications. The new fiber-to-the-antenna (FTTA) cabling supports fiber-fed remote radio head architectures that reduce cable bulk, simplify antenna design and installation, and save time and money in comparison to the use of coaxial cable, Corning Cable Systems asserts.
According to Corning Cable Systems, the most basic way to connect remote radios or units to their base transceiver station (BTS) is to string optical and power cables from each remote radio to the BTS in a homerun arrangement. However, as new remote radios are added to a tower or as more operators share the same tower, this approach quickly can become complex, bulky, and difficult to maintain. The new FTTA line enables a terminal-based approach in which each remote radio head connects to an optical terminal at the tower or rooftop via short jumpers. A single optical cable then runs from the terminal to the base station. (For more details of this approach, read “The X Factor Has Changed in FTTx” in the September/October 2011 issue of Lightwave.)
The new FTTA Evolant family includes:
- OptiSheath MF2 MultiPort Terminal, which is placed at the top of the tower or on the rooftop to form the foundation of the solution.
- Remote Radio Fiber Optic Cable Assembly, a preconnectorized assembly with a connector for the radio interface on one end and the terminal on the other.
- Remote Radio Distribution Terminal, which combines optical and power connectivity into one terminal.
- Wireless Consolidation Terminal, which offers wireless backhaul providers to manage fiber drops to base station equipment at the cell site.
- Cell Site Drop Assembly, which is a preconnectorized cable assembly that makes the final link from the demarcation cabinet to an individual operator.