3M (NYSE:MMM) has introduced several FTTH drop products, including drop cable, indoor raceways, outlets and installation tools. The new Clear Track product family is intended to route fiber from outside to inside residential and commercial settings.
The new product family, which will debut at the 2016 FTTH Connect Conference and Expo in Nashville, consists of:
- Clear Fiber Drop Cable - The all-dielectric FTTH cable is designed to transition fiber cable from outdoors to indoors without the need for a splice or connection point. The flat, jacketed cable opens to expose a single 900 μm clear buffered bend-insensitive fiber (ITU-T G.657.B3) that's ready for indoor routing with the company's Clear Track Fiber Pathway. The cable is designed to be pulled through conduit due to its low friction, low profile cable design.
- Clear Track Fiber Pathway - The raceway is designed to unobtrusively capture and route a single 900 μm clear fiber to the desired outlet or terminal. It features 3M's proprietary clear tape adhesive backing and is designed to install directly to most walls without staples, heat guns or glues.
- 900 μm Clear Fiber - The clear buffered and bend-insensitive fiber locks into the Clear Track pathway and is designed for low insertion loss even with multiple 90-degree corners.
- Clear Track Fiber Installation Tool - The installation tool is a hand-held mechanical rolling device that requires no power source and requires limited training to operate.
- One Pass Mini Surface-Mount Wall Outlet - Available with SC/APC or SC/UPC adaptors, the outlet is intended to complete the Clear Track FTTH connection near an ONT or customer premises equipment (CPE).
