Atlanta Fiber System Experiment: Lightguide Cable Manufacture and Performance

As part of the Bell Laboratories Atlanta Fiber System Experiment, a small, ruggedized, high-capacity, optical fiber cable was designed, manufactured, and characterized both optically and mechanically. After manufacture and evaluation of the fiber optic cable, it was installed in underground ducts, typical of those used by telephone companies, and characterized once again. In the present paper, we describe the optical fiber ribbon and cable designs used for the Atlanta Experiment and their performance results. In addition, the cable environmental performance is also discussed. These results provide initial indications of the manufacturability of the cable design, including yield information.