Bow-type Drop Cable

Bow-Type Drop Cable: The Last 100 Metres of FTTH

The bow-type drop cable is the small, flat, self-supporting cable that connects the fibre access point on the pole or in the handhole to the subscriber's ONT indoors. It is the single most-installed fibre cable in any FTTH rollout — and the one most often specified carelessly.

Why the Bow Type Shape

The "bow" refers to the two strength members running along the edges of a flat, figure-eight-like profile, with the optical unit suspended between them. That geometry gives three practical advantages:

• Integrated strength — the FRP or steel wires at the edges carry the span load, so no separate messenger is needed
• Small bend radius — the flat profile can turn tightly around corners and into the ONT without kinking the fibre
• Easy stripping — a notch or rip cord lets installers open the cable by hand in seconds

Types We Supply

• GJXFH / GJXH — flat bow-type drop cable with 1 or 2 cores, FRP or steel strength members, LSZH or PVC sheath. The everyday FTTH workhorse.
• GJYXFCH — reinforced version with a thicker sheath and higher tensile rating for longer spans and coastal or windy sites.
• GJXFH with steel wire — where a stronger messenger is needed for spans above 50 m.
• Armoured drop cable — corrugated steel tape layer for rodent-prone areas and direct-buried drops.

How to Choose

• Span length — up to 50 m for standard FRP types, 50-100 m for reinforced types, above 100 m switch to figure-8 aerial cable
• Environment — coastal, industrial or humid areas need LSZH and a UV-stabilised jacket
• Rodent risk — farmland and older buildings warrant the armoured variant
• Fire code — indoor riser sections must use the flame-retardant grade required by local code

Connector and Hardware Compatibility

Bow-type drop cable is designed around the standard field-installable connector family: SC/APC and SC/UPC in most regions, LC in high-density deployments. Cold-joint and fusion-spliced pigtail termination are both common. For pre-terminated drop cables we also supply the reinforced type with factory-fitted connectors, which removes the need for field termination entirely and cuts installation time per subscriber.

Common Installation Mistakes

• Exceeding the rated span — the FRP members creep and the fibre eventually sees the load
• Tight cable ties over the optical unit instead of over the strength members
• Sharp 90-degree corners without a bend limiter, causing macrobend loss
• Leaving the connector end unprotected on the drum, so dust enters before termination

Field Termination vs Pre-Terminated

Three termination approaches are used in FTTH drop work. Field-installable connectors let a technician fit the plug on site with a mechanical splice inside the body; they need no fusion splicer but demand careful preparation and a clean cleave. Fusion-spliced pigtails give the lowest loss and the most reliable joint, at the cost of a splicer and more time per subscriber. Factory pre-terminated drop cables arrive with the connectors already fitted and tested, and simply plug into the ONT and the distribution box.

Pre-terminated assemblies win when the drop route is straightforward and the span is known in advance: they remove the two most skill-dependent steps from the installation and cut the time per home dramatically. Field termination remains the flexible option for awkward routes, mid-span entries and repair work.

Storage and Handling

• Keep reels upright and on a spindle; never lay a reel flat where the cable can cross-wrap
• Leave the end cap on until the moment of termination — dust at the ferrule is the single largest cause of high first-time loss
• Do not exceed the minimum bend radius while paying out; a kink in a 900 µm tight-buffered unit cannot be straightened out
• Store indoors, away from direct sunlight, and use within the shelf life printed on the reel for pre-terminated assemblies

Ordering

Huifiber supplies bow-type drop cable in 1-core and 2-core versions, FRP and steel strength members, LSZH and PVC sheaths, armoured and non-armoured, in 1 km and 2 km reels or pre-terminated lengths. Tell us the span, the environment and the connector type and we will quote the right grade.