Snowstorms and thunderstorms might be fun to watch, but they can put significant stress on wires and cables. So can animals who like to nibble on them and humans who don't know how to handle them. While fiber optic cables are fairly robust, some situations can introduce threats beyond everyday wear and tear. When these conditions appear, they can damage the cable or interrupt the signal.
You can't eliminate these threats, but you can protect your fiber optic cables from extreme weather by using the right equipment and following some best practices for handling. Let's explore how to protect your optic cables from extreme weather conditions and animal or human intervention.
Why Is It Important to Protect Fiber Optic Cables?
Fiber optic cables are crucial components of continued network access. They may run indoors, through conduit or direct buried, but all installations require the right level of protection. Without it, you might face network interruptions and extensive repair or replacement costs.
On a residential level, fiber optic cable damage could mean going without Internet. Disconnection is certainly inconvenient, but many people now work or attend school from home. A lack of Internet connection could create significant disruptions, even affecting their livelihoods. Broken cables or enclosures also call for repairs and replacements, all of which take time and skilled labor. By protecting cables in the first place, you can avoid creating these problems for residents.
For businesses, an interruption could mean significant losses. Consumers use debit and credit cards for most of their payments, and many security systems rely on network connections. Just a few days without Internet can be an expensive problem. Businesses might be forced to pay premium prices to get a fiber optic network up and running again, but resilient cables can mitigate this need.
Fiber optic cables are built to stand up to normal indoor and outdoor conditions, but even small amounts of damage can interrupt a signal. Protecting them isn't too expensive or complicated, and it can save a lot of hassle. A damaged cable requires finding the problem area and having a skilled technician fix it. By being proactive and protecting cables, you can avoid this process entirely.
What Causes Fiber Optic Cable Damage or Disruptions?
A fiber optic cable is relatively resilient to high and low temperatures. Since these cables use light to transmit signals, extreme heat and cold don't interfere with transmissions. Instead, the primary danger lies in the likelihood of damage. Some dangerous situations include:
Harsh winter weather: Extreme cold usually comes with snow and ice. Heavy snow can build up over a cable and add pressure, while ice can hang from an aerial cable and weigh it down. Plus, freezing temperatures can cause the cables to become stiffer and brittle, which makes cracking or breaking more likely. Ice can even make its way into improperly sealed connectors, interrupting signals.
Moisture: Moisture is another potential threat to fiber optic cables. Poorly sealed connectors or cracked cables can cause water ingress. When temperatures drop, the water expands and causes breakage. Thankfully, fiber optic cables resist corrosion well, so they're a good choice near coasts or large bodies of water. Still, reliable connectors are a critical part of keeping water out of the inside of your cables.
Animals: Many small creatures will gnaw on a cable if it's in their way or to prevent teeth overgrowth. Even rugged cables can benefit from extra protection, such as our Squirrel Guard sleeves that help keep sharp teeth away from the cables.
Humans: Humans can purposely or accidentally damage fiber optic cables. They may vandalize connectors, enclosures or cables, or they could unknowingly dig in an area with buried cables.