Field Assemble Connectors VS FITS

Australian owned and operated Optical Fibre products developer and manufacturer Warren & Brown Technologies have completed their study into the corresponding benefits and advantages as to which connectorised solutions are more suitable to use in Fibre-to-the-Premise FTTP outside plant installations. Much debate has been forthcoming as to the merits of implementing a pre-connectorised and FITS terminal solutions over a general field spliced approach.

Warren & Brown’s own independent and unbiased research has led it to believe that using Field Assembled connectors is an overall superior solution to the pre-connectorised approach.

Firstly, FITS solutions and pre-connectorised products require much more prior measurement and planning. Lengths between Terminals, premises and Cabinets need to be precisely measured. This approach leaves room for error and does not provide cable redundancy as excess cable lengths need to be properly managed. In aerial deployments, hanging cable loops are unsightly and offensive especially with thick external cables are used.

“Cable lengths need to be pre-measured and be exact. If the cable lengths specified are too long you have the ghastly and offensive sight of overhanging cable spools. Many consider overhanging cable spools to be thick and offensive.” said Mr Bill Kotsakidis of Warren & Brown Technologies.

In addition, the cost of pre-connectorised and FITS terminal products are extremely high when compared to FAS connectors and do not provide an economical alternative.

In general, even though labour costs and installation time is slightly reduced in the field, these savings are offset on the extra pre-planning, measurement and engineering and material costs.

Using pre-connectorised products shifts the costs from in the field into the manufacturing facility. The costs are shifted to lower labour costs but in turn material and product costs are higher. The cost benefits are therefore cancelled out.

Pre-connectorised and FITS terminal product costs would need to significantly drop before WBT would consider this a viable alternative.

In addition, having connectors sealed inside a joint closure which may require opening adds only minimal amount of time with installations. Protecting connectors within a Joint Closure is long-standing and proven method of field termination. Field Assembled connectors are very easy and cost-effective to install in terms of labour and material costs. They also provide greater flexibility in the field especially when unseen obstacles present themselves.

Many other telcos are already using drop/indoor cable and FAS solution including the following:

UAE Etisalat, China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, Chunghuwa Telecom Taiwan, PLDT Philippine, TOT Thailand, TM Malaysia, NTT Japan, KDDI Japan.

Currently, in the Asia-Pacific region there are currently some 30 million households and businesses that are FTTP subscribers. Of these, 99.9% have been connected using Field assembled connector techniques and is currently the technology of choice in the for the market-leading Asia Pacific region. Over 80% of the worlds FTTP subscribers are in the Asia Pacific region.

WBT believe that Field Assembled connectors are a better option and well suited to Australian conditions.

WBT believe that the benefits and costs savings from using pre-connectorised products is minimal and does not present a cost-effective and economical approach over using Field Assembled Connectors.

By Mr Bill Kotsakidis

Business Development Manager

Warren & Brown Technologies