There is no doubt that optical fibre has changed the way we work within the cabling industry, and the National Broadband Network (NBN) will only further push the technology into Australian homes and offices. When installing cabling systems into with having to chase cable into older building materials, such as stone, brick or solid plaster. Often this means it simply can’t be done. The solution for many installers in this situation would be to run exposed trunking or conduit wherever it’s needed, but your client probably won’t be a fan of this approach. Enter 3M. “3M’s new One Pass Fibre Pathway has been specifically designed for Brownfield applications, particularly MDUs,” says 3M business development manager Rex Buckley.
“To take fibre to and into an apartment has typically been a difficult job for network providers with traditional methods being messy and labour intensive. The new 3M One Pass system Provides a most aesthetically pleasing outcome in a fraction of the time needed to install a traditional pathway system.” The 3M One Pass Fibre Pathway is a horizontal cable pathway and drop cable solution installed simultaneously in one run around a hallway perimeter. It is designed for use in Brownfield MDUs serviced by FTTH networks but is also suitable for hotels, hospitals, schools and small businesses. It uses 3M adhesive technology to adhere a duct to a wall and is compatible with a variety of wall surfaces.
“The 3M One Pass Fibre Pathway doesn’t fit every situation. It’s not a solution for a new building being built, and if an existing building has raceways, pipes or ducts that are available then it’s not necessary, either. “But in older buildings where existing pathways are crowded or even non-existent, it makes a lot of sense. “The labour savings are very significant and are a result of eliminating separate steps, such as pathway creation and drop cable placement, common in traditional pathway solutions. These labour savings translate to a lower total cost to complete the job.” Rex explains that 3M One Pass uses similar adhesive to that which holds windows into high-rise buildings, so you can be assured that once it is installed it will stay there.
Recently, communications contractor Universal Communications Group (UCG) completed a network upgrade to Pacific Park – a 162 unit apartment complex in Sydney. This apartment complex had a failing television cabling system that did not support pay TV and wasn’t compliant with digital television. UCG sold the concept of a future proof fibre.
