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Loose Tube

Loose tube cables are widely used for long-distance and high-fiber-count applications in challenging environments

A loose tube refers to a type of fiber optic cable construction designed for harsh outdoor environments, such as underground or aerial installations. In this design, optical fibers are placed loosely within semi-rigid protective tubes, which are typically filled with a water-resistant gel or dry blocking material.

A loose tube refers to a type of fiber optic cable construction designed for harsh outdoor environments, such as underground or aerial installations. In this design, optical fibers are placed loosely within semi-rigid protective tubes, which are typically filled with a water-resistant gel or dry blocking material.

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  • Corning Multi Fiber Riser OM1 62.5µm Freedm LST Loose Tube Gel Free Cable

    Type: Fiber Riser
    Gauges: (7)
    Standards: (NEC®) OFNR
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Fiber Optic Strand Indoor/Outdoor Singlemode Dry Loose Tube Cable

    Type: Single-mode dry
    Gauges: (3)
    Standards: TIA/EIA-568, ANSI/ICEA...
    Use: Indoor-outdoor

  • Corning Multi Fiber OS2 SMF-28 Ultra Indoor/Outdoor Oil Resistant Light Armored Cable

    Type: Fiber OS2 SMF
    Gauges: (6)
    Standards: Flame retardant IEC 60...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber OS2 Singlemode Altos LT Gel Free All Dielectric Non Armored Cable

    Type: Fiber OS2 Singlemode
    Gauges: (6)
    Standards: (NEC®) Article 770, ANS...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber OS2 Singlemode SST Drop Single Tube Gel Filled Cable

    Type: Singlemode SST Drop
    Gauges: (7)
    Standards: ALTOS®
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber Span Code E OS2 Solo ADSS LT Dual Jacket Gel Filled Cable

    Type: Span Code E OS2 Solo
    Gauges: (7)
    Standards: (NEC®) OFNR
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber Riser 50µm, 62.5µm Altos Lite Loose Tube Gel Free Single Armored Cable

    Type: Altos Lite Loose Tube Gel
    Gauges: (60)
    Standards:  ALTOS®, ANSI/ICEA S-8...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber Riser 50µm, 62.5µm Single & Multi Mode Freedm Loose Tube Gel Free Cable

    Type: Single & Multi Mode
    Gauges: (76)
    Standards:  Code® (NEC®) OFNR, C...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber Span Code A, C, E, 2 & 5 50µm, 62.5µm Solo ADSS LT Dual Jacket Gel Filled Cable

    Type: Solo ADSS LT Dual Jacket 
    Gauges: (65)
    Standards: USDA Rural, ANSI/ICEA, ...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber Plenum 50µm, 62.5µm Freedm LST Loose Tube Gel Free Cable

    Type: OM3 50 Micron Multimode
    Gauges: (13)
    Standards: (NEC®) OFNP, CSA FT-6
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber Riser 50µm, 62.5µm Freedm LST Loose Tube Gel Free Interlocking Armored Cable

    Type: OM2 50 Micron Multimode
    Gauges: (42)
    Standards: (NEC®) OFCR, CSA OFC...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Singlemode and Multimode Plenum Distribution Cable

    Type: Single and Multimode Plenum
    Gauges: (33)
    Standards: (NEC®) OFNP, CSA FT-6...
    Temperature: 0 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Singlemode and Multimode Plenum Interconnect Cable

    Type: Multi Plenum Interconnect
    Gauges: (18)
    Standards: (NEC®) OFNP, CSA FT-6...
    Temperature: 0 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber Riser 50µm, 62.5µm Freedm Loose Tube Gel Free Interlocking Armored Cable

    Type: Freedm Loose Tube
    Gauges: (72)
    Standards: (NEC®) OFCR, CSA FT-4...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Singlemode and Multimode Solo ADSS Short and Medium Span Loose Tube Gel Filled Cable

    Type: Loose tube Micron Multimode
    Gauges: (80)
    Standards: RDUP 7 CFR, ANSI/ICEA...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm LSZH Loose Tube Gel Free Double Jacket Cable

    Type:  LSZH Micron Multimode
    Gauges: (67)
    Standards: (NEC®) OFN-LS, (SUN R...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Industrial LSZH Tray Loose Tube Gel Free Double Jacket Cable

    Type: LSZH™/EXT
    Gauges: (51)
    Standards: (NEC®)OFN-LS, (SUN R...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Altos Lite Low Temperature LT Gel Filled Single Armored Cable

    Type: Corning ALTOS® Lite
    Gauges: (93)
    Standards: USDA Rural, Telcordia G...
    Temperature: -50º to +70ºC

  • Corning Multi Fiber Plenum 50µm, 62.5µm Single Mode Freedm Loose Tube Gel Free Cable

    Type: FREEDM®
    Gauges: (31)
    Standards:  (NEC®)OFNP, ANSI/ICEA
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm InfiniCor Indoor/Outdoor Oil Resistant Light Armored Cable

    Type: Oil Resistant
    Gauges: (48)
    Standards: Flame retardant, (FRNC... 
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Industrial LSZH Tray Rated LT Gel Free Interlocking Armored Cable

    Type: LSZH™ Tray Rated
    Gauges: (149)
    Standards: (NEC®), ANSI/ICEA, (SU...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Single Mode and Multimode Interconnect Armored Cable

    Type: MIC® Single/Multimode
    Gauges: (63)
    Standards: (NEC®) OFCP, NFPA 
    Temperature: 0 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Freedm Loose Tube Gel Free Interlocking Armored Cable

    Type: FREEDM®
    Gauges: (30)
    Standards: (NEC®) OFNP, ANSI/ICE...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Riser Plenum Freedm One Unitized Tight Buffered Cable

    Type: FREEDM® One
    Gauges: (40)
    Standards: (NEC®) OFNR,  ICEA S-1...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm LSZH Loose Tube Gel Free Corrugated Armored Cable

    Type: LSZH™Corrugated
    Gauges: (70)
    Standards: (NEC®) OFCR-LS,(SUN R...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Altos Figure 8 Loose Tube Gel Free Cable

    Type: ALTOS® figure-8
    Gauges: (33)
    Standards: RDUP 7 CFR, ANSI/ICEA...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Single-mode Altos Loose Tube Gel Free All Dielectric Cable

    Type: ALTOS® cable
    Gauges: (87)
    Standards:(NEC®) 770, ANSI/ICEA...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Altos Figure 8 Loose Tube Gel Filled Armored Cable

    Type: ALTOS® figure-8
    Gauges: (30)
    Standards:  RDUP 7 CFR, ANSI/ICEA...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm LSZH Loose Tube Gel Free Rodent Resistant Cable

    Type: Corning LSZH™
    Gauges: (52)
    Standards: (NEC®) OFN-LS, (SUN R...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Altos Low Temperature LT Gel Filled Single Armored Cable

    Type: ALTOS® low-temperature
    Gauges: (32)
    Standards: USDA Rural, Telcordia G...
    Temperature: -50º to +70ºC

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Altos Low Temperature Loose Tube Gel Filled Cable

    Type: ALTOS® low-temperature
    Gauges: (32)
    Standards: USDA Rural, Telcordia G...
    Temperature: -50 °C to 70 °C

  • Corning Multi Fiber 50µm, 62.5µm Altos LT Gel Filled Triple Jacket Double Armored Cable

    Type: ALTOS® gel-free triple-jacket
    Gauges: (30)
    Standards: USDA Rural, ANSI/ICEA ...
    Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C

Loose Tube

About the loose tube

A "loose tube" is a type of fiber optic cable construction designed for harsh outdoor and long-distance applications, such as telecommunications backbones and underground installations. The design protects the delicate optical fibers from environmental stresses like moisture and temperature fluctuations by enclosing them loosely within protective tubes. 

Key characteristics and construction

  • Loose fiber placement: Unlike tight-buffered cables where the fiber is coated directly, loose tube cables house multiple optical fibers in semi-rigid "buffer tubes" that are not tightly bonded to the fibers. This allows the fibers to move freely within the tube.
  • Environmental resilience: The design protects the cable from external forces and environmental factors.
  • Temperature: The loose structure prevents mechanical stress on the fibers from the expansion and contraction of the cable materials in fluctuating temperatures.
  • Moisture: The buffer tubes are often filled with a water-resistant gel or use dry, water-blocking materials to prevent water ingress, making them suitable for wet or humid conditions and underground installations.
  • High fiber count: Loose tube cables can contain a large number of individual fibers, sometimes up to 432, making them ideal for high-capacity networks like data centers and network backbones.
  • Tensile strength: These cables often include strength members, such as aramid yarns or fiberglass rods, to enhance their resistance to tension during installation.
Read More

Typical applications

  • Long-haul telecommunications: The robustness and capacity of loose tube cables make them the standard for long-distance, high-bandwidth communication lines.
  • Outdoor installations: They are designed for aerial, direct-buried, and underwater deployments where they are exposed to weather and physical stress.
  • Campus backbones and duct installations: Loose tube cables are used to connect buildings in campus networks or to run through buried conduits and ducts to protect fibers from damage.
  • Harsh industrial environments: Armored loose tube options are available for industrial settings, such as manufacturing plants or mining operations, to withstand physical damage and chemical exposure. 

Disadvantages and considerations

  • Termination complexity: The gel-filled versions require a messy and time-consuming cleaning process before splicing or terminating the fibers, which is often difficult and costly for smaller indoor jobs.
  • Installation requirements: Because they are not typically compatible with indoor fire codes, loose tube cables must be terminated at the point of entry to a building or be replaced with tight-buffered cables for indoor routing.
Read Less

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