Welcome to our blog for another day! Today we are going to talk about the ducts for fibre optic deployments, that is, the cables that make the internet reach each of our homes through fibre optics.

Although nowadays it may seem like the most common thing in the world to have internet in our homes, it is important to contextualise the reality that relatively recently this did not exist, and cables and ducts were simply used to carry electricity.

Nor was the internet itself brought by fibre optics, which has meant that progress with regard to the installation of fibre optics has had to be rapid. Precisely the problem of what type of conduit to use to carry the cables that connect our home network to the fibre optic network has been the one in which most advances have been made and where the greatest number of steps have been taken to simplify the process and make the installation simple and resistant.

So, today we are going to tell you how ducts are used for fibre optic deployments: how the size of the ducts has developed and why nowadays what is most commonly used is something called micro duct.

On with the article!

The development of ducts for fibre optic deployments

As we have told you in previous posts, there are different ways for the internet to reach our homes. Sometimes it is done through fibre that reaches the building, and other times through a fibre that arrives directly to our flat and specifically to our house.

In these different ways of getting there, for many years ducts were used for fibre optic deployment. These had a large appearance, measuring approximately 100 to 160 millimetres in diameter. Thus, the cable made of copper that provided the network signal went inside these tubes or ducts.

Problems that they had

What was the main problem? Well, these large pipes meant that the installation had to be more complex: larger holes to allow them to pass through, as well as more difficulty in making them comfortable inside our houses. On the other hand, the material used to make these ducts, which was usually low-intensity polyethylene, was not of sufficient quality and the resistance was quite low.

There was also another problem in practice, and that was that they did not allow the copper cable to be blown inwards: it had to be inserted manually, and when it had to travel a long distance, it could break in the middle and make the installation much longer.

As a result of being aware of this problem, attempts were made to make ducts of smaller diameter, and some measuring about 40 millimetres in total began to be used, but the problems with the larger ones remained more or less the same with this option.

How are micro ducts commonly used today?

According to data provided by some telephone companies such as Movistar, it is estimated that in the next few years more than 80% of Spaniards will have access to fibre optics so that the internet can reach their homes.

With this we want to show you how important it has been for the people in charge of installing this service to improve the whole process, to make it easier and to use resistant and useful materials. For this reason, micro ducts have been used for some time now.

These micro ducts have been manufactured with a maximum diameter of 20 millimetres, although there are also some that can be up to 6 or 7 millimetres thick. Moreover, they are always made of high resistance polyethylene, a material that is not only more resistant, as its name suggests, but also more flexible and facilitates the installation process.

There are so many advantages to the existence of micro ducts for the installation of fibre optics that even some electricity companies are beginning to plan the installation of electricity service through these narrow and useful channels.

Main benefits of micro ducts for fibre optics

So… What are the benefits of microducts for fibre optic installation? Obviously, as we’ve told you throughout the article, they make installation much easier and make the holes for the fibre to enter the home smaller and simpler to assemble.

Further benefits

• The transport of micro-ducts to households is made much easier. It is no longer necessary to carry so much weight, as everything is reduced in size.
• In addition, the stronger material also allows the micro ducts to be blown to insert the copper cable inside. This makes installation safer and faster.
• Advances in the material used for them have also allowed them to be distinguishable by colour and shape, making them easily distinguishable from each other. This not only simplifies installation for technicians, but also for people who have signed up for home internet and can find out what is going wrong with the connection at any given time.
• Micro ducts can be manufactured to very technical specifications: not only using certain materials to make installation simple and quick, but also using something specific against rodents if necessary.
• Finally, the fact that installation and possible repair is much simpler than with other materials lowers the cost of the whole service, which translates into a huge advantage for consumers.

As you can see, as technological advances arrive, it is practically obligatory to also advance in the rest of the elements that form part of the installation. We hope we have cleared up some of your doubts regarding how to install internet at home, and how to facilitate the fibre optic connection process in a simple, safe and cheap way.

If you have any remaining doubts, or would like to know more about the types of ducts that have been used over the years in fibre optic installation, you can contact us whenever you need to, see you in the next post!

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