The installation of conventional fiber-optic cables in conduits using the viscous flow of air

A technique using air to push fiber-optic cables makes it possible to install them in cheap HDPE (high-density polyethylene) ducts with an inner diameter of 26 mm, in spite of the tortuosity of the latter. An estimation of a convenient cable stiffness, based on conduit geometry and cable properties, is derived. When one installation unit (cablejet) is used, cables with a maximum length of 800 m can be installed with speeds up to 60 m/min. Even 36 right-angles curves in the conduit do not prevent the cable from going on. In less than one hour, 2000 m can be installed using the cablejets in cascade. So far, more than 150 km of fiber-optic cable have been installed in the public network in the Netherlands using the described method, resulting in considerable saving of time and labor