A new Underwater cable has been successfully designed, developed and locally manufactured by Prysmian Australia: a 1728F Masslink Flexribbon Underwater Cable.
The request came from FibreconX as part of their Dark Fibre Network that is being built in Sydney connecting the city’s largest Data Centres.
“Fibreconx is building a network that will meet future demands; we are innovators and our aim is to provide a reliable Dark fibre network that will last for years to come” says Art Cartwright, Director Network and Operations at Fibreconx. “Prysmian took our request on board and developed the perfect high fibre count Harbour link for our growing network”.
Prysmian has been manufacturing harbour-crossing cables for many years, typically single strand design. This new design is the first underwater cable that offers the advantages of Flexribbon technology. A zig-zag bond is applied between the fibres to form the flexible ribbons. The result is a cable that is small and flexible but still has the advantages of mass fusion splicing. This is important for such high fibre count cables.
“Innovation is in our genes. We listen and understand our customer’s requirements and create new products to match. We look at the market, at the way our customers evolve and their need continuously change. That is why Prysmian is leading in cable’ manufacturing”, says Andy Pierce Chief Engineer for Prysmian Telecom Australia. “
The installation presents a first for both companies. Fibreconx’s first underwater cable deployment and Prysmian’s first Flexribbon underwater cable. “This innovative approach provides 1728F fibre cores in the same form factor as a conventional 624F fibre solution. This lowers the total cost of ownership, providing close to three times the fibre capacity per cable for the same installation costs. This way we can provide even more value to our customers” says Sarath Pathuri, Technical Manager at Prysmian.
See more on our FlexRibbon technology here.