Fiber to the antenna - Corning Incorporated

Corning Cable Systems
fiber to the antenna (FTTA)
optimizing fiber for FTTA |
The most basic way to connect remote radios (or units)
to their base transceiver station (BTS) is to homerun
optical and power cables from each remote radio to the
BTS. However, wireless operators concerned with adding
future remote radios and making repairs and upgrades
with ease can benefit from a terminal-based solution.
This approach places an optical terminal at the tower
or rooftop to which short jumpers can be connected for
each remote radio. A single optical cable runs from the
terminal to the base station.
Corning Cable Systems’ products support both terminalbased
and homerun solutions. However, compared to
the homerun approach, the terminal-based solution
leverages Corning’s experience and technology used in
other access networks, such as fiber to the home, to
address a much wider range of short- and long-term
operator needs.
how does the terminal-based
solution work? |
Corning Cable Systems OptiSheath® MF2 or MF4
MultiPort Terminal, which is placed at the top of the
tower or on the rooftop, forms the foundation of the
solution. From that terminal to the remote radio, short
cable assemblies (typically 3 to 10 m) are easily installed.
With the 6-port version (two fibers/port), the OptiSheath
MF2 or MF4 MultiPort Terminal can connect three
remote radios on day one and add three more at a later
date simply by adding the remote radio cable assemblies.
The terminal has an integral 12-fiber stub cable that
routes vertically down the tower and is preconnectorized
for easy plug-in at a demarcation point or equipment
rack at the BTS. The terminal and stub cable assembly are
also available as separate components – in this case, a
non-stubbed terminal has an input connection and various
length cable assemblies can be stocked to address a
range of tower heights. For carriers preferring to combine
optical and power connectivity into one terminal, the remote
radio distribution terminal (RRDT), or sealed remote
radio distribution terminal (SRRDT), provides this capability.
A variety of connectivity options for the BTS complete
the FTTA solution set.
selecting the best passive optical solution
for your FTTA deployment is accomplished
as three design choices |
choice 1 | tower/rooftop
At the tower or rooftop, both a terminal and remote radio fiber optic
cable assembly (RRCA) are selected. RRCAs are preconnectorized
assemblies with a connector for the radio interface on one end and
the terminal on the other. The terminal provides ports for RRCA
connection and either an integrated stub cable to reach the BTS or
an input port for a vertical cable from the BTS. The OptiSheath MF2
or MF4 MultiPort Terminal provides low-profile optical connectivity
while the RRDT supports both optical and power connectivity.
choice 2 | tower to shelter/cabinet
If a stubbed terminal is selected, its integrated stub cable acts as
the vertical cabling that reaches out to the BTS shelter/cabinet. If a
non-stubbed terminal is used, a preconnectorized cable assembly is
selected to be “plugged in” at the terminal. In both cases, the BTS end
of the stub/cable assembly is connectorized for the type of connector
used at the BTS shelter/cabinet.
choice 3 | BTS shelter/cabinet
Fibers originating at the remote radios terminate at the shelter or
cabinet. Within the shelter or cabinet, preconnectorized fibers from
the terminal stub/cable assembly can be brought into a conventional
patch panel or, if a multi-fiber connector is used, a quick “plug-andplay”
solution can be deployed. While fibers from the tower can be
connected directly to the electronics, a patch panel provides a test
point and storage for spare fibers in the assembly. From the patch
panel, patch cords of the appropriate length can be used to manage
the connectivity between the tower verticals and the BTS electronics,
including any adds, moves or changes. If the shelter or cabinet is prepared
offsite and then placed at the tower, an external demarcation
point can be included so that the tower vertical is simply plugged in
(everything in the shelter or cabinet is prewired).
EVO-1040-EN | Page 2