Optical cable systems for the local loop

The authors show a number of the considerations being actively pursued to develop optimal solutions for the installation of a future proof optical access network infrastructure. New developments are continually improving the economics of this introduction and altering perceptions of the best evolutionary approach. In the long term the authors believe that fibre will be ubiquitous with increasing penetration of direct fibre customer links. Topics discussed include network architectures; cable design; interconnection and installation; and system reliability