Air Blown Fiber Systems –
A Technical Discussion
By Eric Quinby
The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast air blown fiber (ABF) systems
versus conventional cabled optical fiber systems. Included is a description of how each
system is installed, a comparison between the two systems, and other issues regarding
ABF systems.
Air Blown Fiber Overview
Air blown fiber (ABF) systems claim to offer reduced cost and increased flexibility to
the designers of optical fiber cable plants. ABF systems also claim to be able to offer
advantages that cannot be matched by conventional optical fiber cables.
ABF systems originated in 1982 through the work of British Telecom. The thought
behind the product was to develop a system that could accommodate moves, adds and
changes easily with minimal disruption. Initially, a premises cabling standard was not
defined, and there were a number of fiber types available (including 50 mm, 62.5 mm,
85 mm, 100 mm and single-mode). Now, TIA/EIA-568-B.1, “Commercial Building
Telecommunications Cabling Standard,” provides guidance on fiber types and system
design. TIA/EIA-568-B.1 recognizes 62.5 mm and 50 µm multimode fiber for premises
applications and has eliminated most of the uncertainty regarding correct fiber selection.
The principle of ABF systems is to install a network of tube-cables between locations,
and the fiber is blown into the tubes as needed. When fiber is required between two
points, the installer blows fiber into the tube-cables, then connectorizes the fibers. ABF
systems purport to offer cost advantages over conventional cabling systems in two ways.
First, the decision to purchase fiber can be postponed until the fiber is actually needed.
Second, the ABF technology eliminates the need for splicing and interconnection points.
There are four components to the ABF system: the tube-cables, the blowing apparatus,
the optical fiber bundles and the connecting/termination hardware. The tube-cables
consist of multiple individual tubes, which are bundled together in a single sheath. If
installed indoors, the tube-cables must comply with the appropriate flame rating for
the area in which they are installed – the same way innerduct must comply with their
appropriate flame ratings. To install a fiber between two locations, there must be an
available tube in a tube-cable between those locations. The tube-cable can range in
size from 5 mm for a single-tube model to 53 mm for a 19-tube model. Naturally, more
tubes increase the size of the tube-cable, which increases the corresponding bend radius
of the tube-cable.
Special connecting hardware called Tube Distribution Cabinets are required everywhere
the tube-cable branches to another location and at the end of every length of tube-cable.
Some designers recommend that cabinets be placed in every, or every other, maintenance
hole. Additionally, special push/pull connectors are needed to connect the tube in one
tube-cable to the tubes in another tube-cable.
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Once the tube-cables are in place, the installer must test them to ensure integrity and
continuity. These checks are conducted as acceptance criteria after the tube-cable is
installed, but must also be conducted prior to installing the fiber. The integrity check
verifies that the tube-cables are able to hold the pressurized nitrogen or compressed
air used to propel the optical fiber through a tube. To check for integrity, nitrogen is
pumped into each tube, the tube is capped, and two-man teams with pressure gauges
check the pressure on both ends of each tube. If the pressure is the same at both ends
and there are no other indicators of a problem (hissing, etc.), the integrity of the tube
is acceptable. If the tube will not hold pressure, either the problem must be fixed or
the tube must be capped and labeled to prevent it from being used.
The continuity check also ensures that connections between tubes actually lead to
the desired location, and the tube path is suitable for use. Most ABF system suppliers
recommend the continuity check be conducted by blowing a small pellet from one
location to another. If the pellet is not received, it means one of three things. Either
the tube is kinked and will not allow the pellet to pass; the tubes have been incorrectly
patched and the pellet exited in the wrong location; or dirt, insects, rodents or other
foreign material blocked the empty tube. Regardless, the problem must be fixed or the
tube must be capped to prevent it from being used.
When integrity and continuity checks are completed, the installer is ready to install the
fibers. During installation, compressed air or nitrogen is used to propel fibers from one
location to another. To make this possible, the 2-, 4-, 6-, 12- or 18-fiber (typical) bundles
are manufactured with a foamed polyethylene skin that has special aerodynamic properties.
A blowing tip is attached to the fiber bundle to aid in the installation. The blowing tip
(an additional expense) is placed into a viable tube, and the specialized blowing apparatus
creates a wave of air that carries the fiber from one location to the desired location.
Published standard lengths for the fiber bundles range from 2.1 to 4.2 km, depending
upon single-mode or multimode fiber selection. Therefore, depending upon the route
length, fibers may need to be spliced along the route. This requires the use of more
hardware and the use of a fusion splicer. At each end, the fibers must be broken out of the
skin and furcated to prepare for connectorization. Finally, the fibers are terminated and
placed into termination hardware, and the link is tested to determine the loss in the link.
Subsequent fiber installations are somewhat simplified but do require the same verification
process, so an installer must return to test the tube path for the fiber. Once the tube is
verified to be continuous, the fibers can be blown in. As previously mentioned, with no
tube-cable installed between buildings, the fiber has no pathway. What appeared to be a
postponed decision on the fiber plant requires an initial investment to connect all potential
locations with tube-cable. Because of this, the deferred investment is never realized.
Conventional Fiber Optic Cable Overview
Contrast the above with a conventional optical fiber cable installation. The optical fiber
cable is installed from one point to another. Even very large cables with up to 288 fibers
have diameters less than 25.4 mm (1 in) and are available in lengths up to 4 km or 12 km
depending on whether the cable is indoor or outdoor and whether it is single-mode or
multimode fiber. Note that an ABF cable with 288 fibers will have a diameter of 43.2
mm (1.7 in). The optical fibers are already installed in fiber cable, and the cable can be
loose tube, stranded single-tube, ribbon or tight-buffered indoor cable, depending on
the customer’s preference. Once the cable is pulled throughout the pathway, the fibers
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are furcated, terminated and inserted into passive hardware. The fiber is then tested for
end-to-end attenuation and OTDR traces are taken to ensure the cable and fiber optic
joining points were installed properly. After any problems are identified and repaired,
the conventional fiber optic cable system is ready to be used.
If moves, adds or changes are necessary, the cabling system is reconfigured at the
cross-connect hardware. If a cable is not already at the new location, a new cable is
simply installed. The system for the new link is tested for end-to-end attenuation
and OTDR traces to ensure the system was installed properly.
Comparison
The following example illustrates the cost comparison of air blown fiber versus conven-
tional cabling, using a length of 1000 ft in riser space as a cost comparison between an
ABF tube-cable with four tubes with 12 62.5/125 µm fibers to meet current needs, to a
conventional 24-fiber 62.5/125 µm OFNR optical fiber cable as a future-proof overbuild.
The cost breakout is below:
Air Blown Fiber Cost*
Materials – 4-cell tube-cable, tube-cable/tube connectors, $3,922
12 blown fibers and termination materials (24 each)
Labor – installing a 4-cell tube-cable, fiber installation, $1,654
termination and testing
Total $5,576
Total cost per installed fiber $464.67
*BICSI Summer 2000, Blown Fiber Cost Comparison
Conventional Fiber Optic Cable Cost
Materials – 24-fiber 62.5/125 µm OFNR cable, $3,047
termination materials (48 each)
Labor – installing cable, fiber termination and testing $1,940
Total $4,987
Total cost per installed fiber $207.79
The indoor cable example illustrates that the conventional cable installation cost is
significantly less per fiber, considering the fact that 24 (not 12) fibers have been installed
and terminated. The cost per fiber of the ABF system is $464 versus $208 for a conven-
tional cable system. Innerduct is not needed for the conventional cable because the cable
is already approved for use in riser spaces.
The conventional cable has already been installed and terminated, so the fibers are
ready for use when the system needs to be expanded, whereas the ABF system would
require a crew to perform the tube integrity and continuity test to ensure that the tubes
have not become blocked or kinked. Once the tube passes the integrity and continuity
tests or has been repaired to pass the tests, additional fiber may be blown in to expand
the system. The additional testing and blowing fiber in may extend the completion time
of the move, add or change to the network, and each time a network change must be
made, a crew has to be called in to perform all these steps for the ABF network. Not
only are all of these steps necessary, there is the additional risk of network disruption
each time someone is testing or blowing fiber in if the existing fiber, tube or tube-cable
is disturbed during testing or installation.
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Outside Plant Considerations
In recent years, ABF manufacturers have developed outdoor tube-cables. The outdoor
tube-cables now have waterblocking tape between the tube-cable core and outer jacket.
However, there is no waterblocking technology inside the individual tubes. So the tube-
cable would not pass Fiber Optic Test Procedure (FOTP) 82, “Fluid Penetration Test
for Fluid-Blocked Fiber Optic Cable,” which states that a one meter length of unaged
cable that shall withstand a one meter static head or equivalent continuous pressure of
water for 24 hours without leakage through the open cable end. Conventional outside
plant fiber optic cables are designed and tested to FOTP-82. Additional problems may
be encountered over the lifetime of the cable. For example, since the empty tubes are
hollow in a tube-cable, insects may easily migrate from the tube distribution cabinets
into the tubes and block the future ABF pathways. Other problems relating to the
continued reliability and integrity of the tube-cable system may include loose tube
connectors and kinked tubes.
Other ABF Viewpoints
ABF proponents claim that the flexibility of this technology is unmatched. Unfortunately,
any flexibility in the system is a direct function of the up-front spending. If a tube-cable
is not installed between points, fiber cannot be installed between desired locations.
One stated benefit of ABF systems is the ability to blow out optical fiber and blow in
new fiber(s) if necessary while reusing the original fiber bundle. While the ability to
blow out existing fiber appears to be an attractive option, it is difficult to imagine this
being necessary. Anticipating growth, the designers most likely included spare tubes to
each location. If fiber is blown out, it must be reinstalled in a location that is shorter
than the original location. Even if this criteria is met, an obvious disconnect remains,
which is using a fiber in a new location that was deemed unsuitable for current
applications in its original location.
The final flexibility argument revolves around hub placement. ABF designers and
installers indicate that in order to comply with the TIA/EIA-568-B.1, all cables must
originate from the same point. In the ABF system, if another site makes a more logical
hub, relocate the hub. The implication is that this is not possible with optical fiber
cabling systems. In reality, this is a greater strength with conventional cabling than with
ABF. If a hub is more suited to another location, place it there. This can be done at any
time and for the minimal expense of the cable installation. There is no need to plan the
potential of a new hub and pre-install expensive hardware and pathway material.
Questions need to be answered about the potential downside of the ABF technology.
Specifically, there are standards questions, reliability questions and sourcing questions
that need to be answered. ABF installations rely on a technology that is not addressed
in any industry standards. The tube-cables with the installed fiber do not meet the cable
requirements of TIA/EIA-568-B.1. (TIA/EIA-568-B.1 refers to Insulated Cable Engineer
Association (ICEA) S-83-596, “Standard For Fiber Optic Premises Distribution Cable,”
and ICEA S-87-640, “Optical Fiber Outside Plant Communications Cable.”) The ABF
system is not sufficient to meet the requirements for indoor or outdoor cables in accor-
dance with the references incorporated in TIA/EIA-568-B.1.
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With no standards in place to govern the performance of the cable, reliability questions
must be answered. There are no test procedures defined to test the long-term reliability
of the tube-cable, tube or installed fiber. With that in mind, end-users must determine
in advance exactly who is responsible for warranting the use of the pipe system after the
installation is complete.
Finally, there are only a few manufacturers offering ABF systems in the United States
today. An end-user purchasing an ABF system is dependent now upon their proprietary
source for product, pricing and performance. The up-front investment in an ABF system
makes it difficult to justify a return to conventional cabling later, and since it is a propri-
etary solution, it makes it difficult to obtain competitive pricing. Over the past five years
(1997 to 2002), the ABF fiber pricing has decreased by 36 percent in contrast to the
conventional cabled fiber price decrease of 55 percent, which is clearly a result of
increased competition and pricing pressure.
Conclusion
With the above questions hovering unanswered and with serious issues surrounding
claims of reduced cost, increased flexibility and reliability, ABF is certainly not an
approach to be chosen lightly. Conventional optical fiber cabling is a proven, standards-
based design which can easily meet the requirements of the most demanding customers,
at a significantly lower cost, well into the future.
Corning Cable Systems LLC • PO Box 489 • Hickory, NC 28603-0489 USA
800-743-2675 • FAX: 828-901-5973 • International: +1-828-901-5000 • www.corning.com/cablesystems
Corning Cable Systems reserves the right to improve, enhance and modify the features and specifications of Corning Cable Systems products
without prior notification. LANscape is a registered trademark of Corning Cable Systems Brands, Inc. Discovering Beyond Imagination is a
trademark of Corning Incorporated. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. Corning Cable Systems is ISO 9001
certified. ©2005, 2008 Corning Cable Systems. All rights reserved. Published in the USA. LAN-575-EN / January 2008
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