ADSS Fiber Optic Networks and Cables / Fast Internet

High-speed Internet connectivity has become one of the basic requirements of mankind in the developed world. Faster and stable connections are the basis for access to the media and digital space and they can be constructed through:

Wi-Fi repeaters that receive wireless signals;
Aerial fiber networks

ADSS fiber optic cables are currently the most up-to-date way to distribute telecommunication signals through stable overhead networks to end user, which means they are the most economically acceptable in terms of flow speed and connection stability.

With the appearance and remarkable development of this type of networks, there was also a need to develop ADSS accessories for the installation of overhead networks. ADSS networks are most often installed on existing poles of overhead power distribution networks which can be wooden, steel or concrete. ADSS equipment is not strictly standardized and this leads to the appearance of different technical solutions for setting up aerial ADSS networks. The manufacturers of ADSS accessories follow technical requirements of the manufacturers of fiber optic cables, technical requirements of the owners of the networks depending on the technical details that relate in brief to the type of poles on which the network is installed, topography of the terrain, climatic conditions in which the network works, as well as the greatest possible uniformity of ADSS equipment because it will make proper installation much easier.

Proper design is of utmost importance for a good aerial fiber network. Large spans, strong winds, excessively high or excessively low temperatures over a long period of time during the year, the phenomenon of ADSS cable freeze-up (ice sticking to the cable sheath and increasing its mass in geographical areas with strong winds) are challenges which designers of ADSS networks can easily solve by choosing the right ADSS equipment.

Correct installation is the basis for good functioning of aerial fiber networks. Apart from the network designers, the people who work on installation of the network are also very important for its proper functioning.

Accessories for ADSS networks are divided into the following groups:

Anchoring clamps
Suspension clamps
Pole rings and brackets
Accessories for jointing and branching

ADSS anchor clamps have the function to tension ADSS cables. They are generally distinguished by:

the outer diameter of the conductor that needs to be tensioned; It is desirable that the clamps have as big range as possible regarding the minimum and the maximum diameter of the conductor that they can reliably hold during tensioning the overhead network.
span, i.e. the distance between two poles; Spans can be over 100m, but they can also be very short, like spans for home connections.

The designers or the wiremen that work on the network select ADSS anchoring clamps depending on the above parameters. Generally, ADSS anchoring clamps are divided into:

large ones, such as MAREL ADSS tension clamp PA 1500i, which are intended for big spans (up to 120m), crossings of important roads, at places where the height of the route suddenly loses or increases its altitude and where the network is constructed with fiber optic cables of a larger diameter, for example from 12 to 16 and more mm.
Medium size clamps, such as MAREL anchoring clamp DN 525 or MAREL ADSS anchoring clamp PA ADSS, which are intended for spans up to 80 m for networks constructed with aerial fiber optic cables of outer diameter ranging from 8 to 14 mm.
small clamps, such as MAREL anchoring clamps DN 318 and DN 118, which are intended for smaller spans (up to 60m) and fiber optic cables of outer diameter ranging from 1 to 8 mm.

Anchoring clamps can hold cables of bigger diameters if length of the span is reduced. When constructing and installing a network, it is very important that every 4^th or 5^th field on flat terrain configurations is an anchor field. An anchor field contains 4 pieces of ADSS anchoring clamps. When anchoring ADSS clamps are used the force withstood by the clamps themselves is not expressed because it depends on the breaking force of the cables themselves.

ADSS suspension clamps have the function to suspend ADSS cables. There are generally three types of ADSS suspension clamps. We can divide them into larger and smaller clamps, while the third type would be defined as ADSS suspension clamp with a vertical force limiter. Larger ones accept fiber optic cables up to 20mm in diameter, while smaller ones accept fiber optic cables up to 12mm in diameter. Smaller ADSS suspension clamps can also suspend cables of bigger diameters, but due to vertical forces they suffer this is avoided. An example of such a clamp is MAREL clamp PS 300. Larger ADSS suspension clamps which can suspend cables up to 20mm in diameter and are technically designed to be able to withstand big forces (over 1000daN) are MAREL suspension clamps type PS and PS 1500.

ADSS suspension clamp with a vertical force limiter is an interesting clamp. Its function is to protect the network from sudden mechanical impacts. How does it work - the ADSS suspension clamp itself has a built-in fuse that can break, for example, at 300daN, and thus a part of the network falls without damage (tearing or breaking the fiber optic cable or its deformation in the form of loss of outer and inner diameter). Their replacement is very cheap because only the fuse of the ADSS suspension clamp is replaced, and it provides reliable protection for the aerial fiber network. Generally, suspension clamps are installed on the network on two three suspension fields after one anchor field.

Brackets, pole rings, stainless steel bands and perforated bands are the accessories that, in addition to anchoring and suspension ADSS clamps, are used for the construction of aerial fiber network. Their function is to make a connection between the pole itself, which can be steel, concrete or wooden, and the suspension and anchoring ADSS clamps. They are also used on the facades of the buildings. They are manufactured in several options, which mostly depend on the affinity and choice of the owner of the network or the owner of the poles.

While waiting for standardization of the above-mentioned area, manufacturers offer their technical solutions. MAREL offers complete technical solutions for construction of aerial fiber networks in all parts of the world. We also offer precise instructions for the use of MAREL products, as well as suggestions and instructions for the proper construction of the network.