1. Drop Technology Presented by Jared Britten, P.E. and Gregory Rise, P.E. 2012 ACE School

2. Drop Technology Outline 1.Brief review of available drop material. 2.Should buried drops be installed in ducts? 3.How many fibers should be taken to homes and businesses (extra fibers are cheap)? 4.Are fusion splices vs. pre-connectorized splices still a question?

3. Drop Material and labor – large[st] FTTH Cost Dedicated drop cost common to all FTTH designs

4. Drop Material Round Flat Single Jacket Dual Jacket Dielectric Toneable Single Armor Double Armor Gel filled Dry/Gel Free Buried Aerial Pushable * Preconnectorized* single or dual Innerduct [optionally toneable] Microduct*

5. Should buried drops be installed in ducts? What are the added material and labor costs – Material Innerduct or microduct, plus Fiber cable, but may be less expensive flat drop, or single jacketed round fiber cable – Labor twice, once to place duct and more to pull, blow, or push the fiber Pro Better protection Much easier to repair Can stage install Faster installation Could install at less depth Con Initial cost higher in most cases

6. How many fibers should be taken to homes and businesses (extra fibers are cheap)? What are the added material and labor costs for more than 1 fiber in a drop cable – Small incremental material cost (2 to 10% of installed cost) – Available 1, 2, 4, 6, 12 fibers – Business 6 or 12 and Residence 2 or 4 (6 or 1 if pre- connectorized) – Labor also minimal to store slack for extra fibers Pro Rare single fiber break Second residential service New business service Con Not practical for pre- connectorized residential Stranded investment

7. Are fusion splices vs. pre-connectorized splices still a question? Available from ADC/Tyco (Shown OmniReach) Corning (FlexNAP)

8. Are fusion splices vs. pre-connectorized splices still a question? What are the cost differences? – Factory splicing less expensive – More time needed to generate exacting fiber lengths Pro Faster installation May be less expensive Staged Installation Pre-tested Delivery may be faster Manufactured distribution cables may reduce pedestal and vault/handhole cos Con Harder to adapt to future changes in subscriber location Only good for dense areas

9. Drop Technology Q & A 2012 ACE School