Installing fiber in MDUs or commercial buildings is usually divided into three stages. First, Optical Fiber Cable Distribution Box must be brought into the building from the curb. It then needs to be routed from the basement to every floor of the building. In the final stage, cables must be routed into the apartments. Different techniques can be applied at any stage of the process.
1. Fiber from curb to building
Fibers are routed from curb stones to external distribution boxes. In most cases, then bring it into the building. However, in some regions of the world (such as the Middle East), operators often install a single fiber-optic cable directly from an external distribution box into each apartment and install the walls of the building through pipes and external point-to-point (P2P) cables.
In order for the fiber to enter the house, the cable must be passed through the wall from the end where it exists, through the building, and then inserted into another distribution box or patch panel in the basement or communication room. Installing fiber distribution points in a building can extend the life of the network and speed up the entire installation process by adding protection to the fiber.
Once the fiber is introduced into the distribution frame (or distribution box for small MDUs), it needs to be connected. The most popular connectors are SC and LC with beveled end faces.
Operators have three main options for connecting a distribution box or frame to a floor box. They can use pre-terminated indoor drop cables, they can use mechanical or fusion splices, or they can be fused to pigtails.
2. Floor Fiber
Next, you need to route the fiber optic cables from the basement of the building to each floor. In newly built apartment buildings and commercial buildings, this step is relatively simple, because usually architects consider fiber in the design and install microcatheters in the basement to each floor. Network operators can then choose to blow, push or pull fiber optic cables from the basement to each floor.
In older buildings, only PVC electrical conduit may be installed. In most cases, they are pre-populated with other types of existing infrastructure. Although well-routed microcatheter paths may allow 50-100 meters of cable to be pushed in and / or pulled through, crowded and poorly planned catheters may only accept 15-25 meters of internal cable. Sometimes there is no obvious way to lay fiber on the floor. In this case, or without proper infrastructure to transport the cables, the operator should use any space available in the building.
Use of any type of cable at this stage of indoor installation requires compliance with local fire regulations.
Whether or not the cable is routed through an existing conduit, the cable will terminate at the box on the floor. Similarly, network operators can choose to splice fiber at the box or use a pre-terminated wall box.
