Installation of 500m FTTH (Fibre to the home)
Mas Gener, Spain – FTTH installation in rural farm
The challenge
A particular challenge within this region and common in similar rural regions, is the long distance of the "home-drop" for the FTTH connection.
The typical FTTH links in the north of the Osona region in Catalonia vary from 300 to 1,000m in length and would be impossible or too expensive to provide a fiber for the home using traditional techniques.
This link was 500m long, had to cross large areas of farmland, 2 road junctions and a railway bridge. All of these are challenges in using traditional methods, however, the patented CRALEY Fibre™ solution proved to be a real benefit to this connection.
The solution
The connection would be made using the existing water supply pipe using the patented Atlantis Hydrotec M-Series product. The CRALEY Fibre™ solution uses a special accessory approved by the water industry to introduce a small diameter pipe into the existing water supply pipe. This small diameter tube ultimately provides a conduit for the installation of the fiber cable, without the fiber coming into contact with the water. The introduction of this pipe has no harmful effect on the water supply. The connection would be made using the existing water supply pipe using the patented CRALEY Fibre™ M-Series product. The CRALEY Fibre™c solution uses a special accessory approved by the water industry to introduce a small diameter pipe into the existing water supply pipe. This small diameter tube ultimately provides a conduit for the installation of the fiber cable, without the fiber coming into contact with the water. The introduction of this pipe has no harmful effect on the water supply.
There was a 75mm HDPE water pipe, which extended from the main water chamber below the road, through the railway bridge and again under the road to a second water chamber where the water pipe became a 32mm MDPE pipe. This tube of 32mm, then ran through crops to the house.
The installation
The 500m installation was completed by a team of two engineers from the water company in record time, including the preparation time, the re-packaging of the equipment and the final washing of the water pipes.
The final installation included two individual executions:
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A link of 300m inside the 75mm HDPE water pipe.
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A 200 m link inside the HDPE 32mm water pipe.
In each section of pipe a "Messenger Pipe" of small diameter 5 / 2.5 was installed using a combination of quick guide and the water traction itself (using a sponge).
After the installation of CRALEY Fibre™ M-Series, an end-to-end fiber was blown from the farm to the main water pipe where it was spliced to deliver the FTTH service.
Conclusion
The rural farm was connected to an FTTH circuit in a short period of time, with a low cost, crossing a long distance with multiple physical obstacles, without interruptions or road closures and without heavy machinery or excavations.
The connection would not have been economically viable using traditional techniques.
Faster than Usain Bolt? Maybe not, but in terms of FTTH connection, it's a record.
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Phase 1. Phase 1 of the project consisted of installing an end-to-end fiber network that extends along some 16km of land located in the northern part of Osona, in the province of Barcelona. The CRALEY Fibre™ T-Series solution was used to implement fiber at the heart of the region through the use of trunk water supply infrastructures. The speed of implementation was very fast and the installation of the fiber was achieved at a fraction of the cost, interruption and time of alternative traditional technologies. These were key factors in the decision to use this solution.
Phase 2. Phase 2 of the project now considers that the houses are connected to the main fiber route to offer broadband to many rural homes, farms, businesses and schools within the area. All this is being achieved using another CRALEY Fibre™ technology, the M Series, which makes use of the water service supply pipes belonging to the main water pipe network.
