Both Infrastructures have key factors which play vital roles to consider before Fiber installations can be implemented. Some of the first steps are geological surveys of the area and what types of infrastructures are already in place (Example – Poles which housed older cabling technologies) Fiber installations can become very costly when planning is not done correctly. Companies try to avoid this so they can bring more reliable and affordable Fiber to new areas. Let’s have a closer look at the key factors between Buried vs Aerial Fiber Installations
Buried / Underground Fiber Installations Key Factors
As the Fiber cabling is buried, the earth becomes a natural defensive layer to any above surface hazards like fires, snow, ice, wind and animals. Normally more expensive to implement, but 10 times more reliable compared to Aerial Installations. Some of the common methods used for underground Fiber installations are Direct Buried, Micro Trenching and Cable Jetting. The cabling is also out of sight and has no visual impact on the environment. There is however a downside to this – Any future projects involving below surface work need to be aware of the route and depth used when the Fiber infrastructure was installed. Damages could be very costly if careful planning is not made before hand.
Aerial Fiber Installations Key Factors
Aerial fiber installations are mostly used in rocky and uneven terrains, where the cost of digging would be too expensive. An aerial route is laid out where the Fiber cables are installed onto poles. Most urban and rural areas already have some sort of pole infrastructure in place (which, if available for use) cuts costs and installation times. Where no pole system is available, new poles are constructed. Support strand cables are connected between poles to which the Fiber cable is lashed later during installation. Aerial installations are vulnerable to weather and animals like wind, fire, ice, snow and birds. They however, are easier to repair as it’s visually visible to see where the cable has been damaged.
Some Fiber installations make use of both methods to cater to customers situated in rural areas.
Also see: Areal vs underground fibre
