Study group tackles outside-plant issues

Study group tackles outside-plant issues

By DEAN R. FREY and STEPHEN C. METTLER

The work of the International Telecommunication Union (itu`s) Study Group 6 is divided into questions that deal with outside-plant technology. A rapporteur coordinates the work of each question. The nine lightwave questions are covered in Working Party 2, chaired by Dean Frey of Lucent Technologies (Questions 5, 6, 11, 12, and 13), and Working Party 3, chaired by J. Richard Osterfield, principal at Communications Cables Consultant in the United Kingdom (Questions 7, 8, 9, and 10).

Question 5 covers techniques, applications, and hardware for installing, splicing, and terminating optical-fiber cables. New recommendations for optical power ground wire, long length, and access network cables will supplement existing Recommendations L.11, L.12, and L.13. The rapporteur is Casimiro Rubio Merino of Telefonica in Spain.

Question 6 deals with remotely monitoring the transmission quality of active and inactive fibers in the outside-plant cable network. Recommendation L.25 covers general information. Currently, there is strong interest in using the 1600- to 1700-nm window for monitoring active fibers. Mashito Arii of Nippon Telegraph & Telephone (ntt) in Japan is the rapporteur.

Under Question 7, Recommendations L.10 and L.26 deal with construction of optical-fiber cables placed in ducts, directly buried, and aerial applications. Hydrogen gas in a cable can be estimated and controlled using L.27. Current work is focused on cables for the access network, distribution frames, and hybrid cables for power feeding. The rapporteur is Tadashi Haibara of ntt.

Question 8 covers performance tests and acceptance criteria for optical-fiber cables and associated apparatus. Michel Urien of France Telecom, cnet (France) is the rapporteur.

Marinised terrestrial cables (mtc) are the subject of Question 9. This work deals with the construction, protection, installation, and maintenance of optical-fiber cables that are intended for repeaterless applications in shallow water, such as lake and river crossings, mainland to islands, and inter-island. Unlike traditional, intercontinental submarine cables, construction of mtc is closely akin to terrestrial cables. Recommendations L.28, L.29, and L.30 cover additional protection and other installation aspects of mtc. An application handbook is being developed. The rapporteur is Stelios V. Angelidis of ote in Greece.

The physical construction, main features, and environmental performance of passive optical components, branching devices, isolators, filters, switches, and attenuators are the subject of Question 10. Recommendation L.31 covers optical attenuators. The rapporteur is Francesco Montalti of Telecom Italy.

Question 11 is a new question that covers supply of electrical power for equipment installed in the access plant. Shigeru Tomita of ntt is the rapporteur.

Question 12 studies trenchless techniques for construction of underground infrastructures for installing telecommunication cables. The rapporteur is Giovanni Ciochetto of cselt (Italy).

Question 13 focuses on the study of hybrid fiber/copper access networks. The work covers topology, cable construction, components, and installation techniques. The rapporteur is Anton Ludi of Alcatel Kabel in Germany; co-rapporteurs are Stephen Mettler of Lucent Technologies, Christo Vassilopoulos of ote, and Edoardo Cottino of Sirti of Italy. q

Dean R. Frey and Stephen C. Mettler represent Lucent Technologies, Norcross, GA, on itu-t Study Group 6. Frey can be contacted by phone and fax at (770) 394-0617; e-mail: [email protected]. Mettler can be contacted at tel: (770) 798-2728, fax: (770) 798-4655; e-mail: [email protected].