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Technology Stocks : 360Networks - TSX - TSIX -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: GraceZ who wrote (65)	11/16/2000 7:02:09 PM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 449

The ensemble is known throughout the industry, more than simply euphemistically, as "blown fiber" installation. That is a legitimate trade term used to describe this pneumatic process. Initially, "cold fiber" is placed in the infrastructure. Cold fiber amounts to empty, flexible tubing with relatively small diameters, what the NKF folks are calling micro-cables. When needed, fiber (hopefully of the most recent performance grade and type) is blown through. This allows integrators the ability to perform just-in-time, and most-recent-vintage, implementations, as opposed to stuffing the manicotti with yesterday's ricotta. A variant on this is to use inner-duct, three or four to a four inch PVC conduit. Still another variant on this is to install smaller-diameter PVC tubes in larger numbers (1" to 2" tubes sometimes called conduits, mostly for effect, but they are not the same diameter as other conduits that are 4"), as LVLT has done in many cases. ----------- There is a story on LVLT's construction methods in Outside Plant Magazine that I think I can fetch, if it's still available. Go to: ospmag.com Scroll down to an article titled "Down and Dirty." I could have given you the actual link, but I wanted you to see the picture of the ducts on this page, since it doesn't show up on the article page. --------- Blown fiber is especially useful when going into a building (or an aircraft carrier, submarine, or mine, say) that cannot easily be re-entered. We've recommended this for landmark preservation sites, when restorations were being done and we knew that there would be no going back, once the restorals were done. Another application we've seen work is in the spline of trading desks and call centers, where twenty four hour operations don't permit disturbing the work place to do upgrades. I believe that Summitomo and BICC General are the two dominant license holders to this technique, and they each sublicense the process to electrical firms and contractors who must attend special training. Here, the venue is clearly commercial structures, in contrast to 360's outside plant requirements. I don't know if the NKF arrangement requires similar licensing from the two parties I mentioned. I'll find out. Anyone know? FAC