Embodiments of the disclosure relate to an optical fiber ribbon. The optical fiber ribbon includes optical fibers arranged in a row having a first width. Indicator fibers are provided at the edges of the row. The indicator fibers have different color fiber jackets. The optical fiber ribbon also includes a primary matrix into which the plurality of optical fibers is embedded. The optical fiber ribbon also includes an opacifying layer having a second width and a color layer, distinct from the opacifying layer, having a third width. The optical fiber ribbon further includes a layer of printing disposed on an outer surface of the primary matrix. In the optical fiber ribbon, the first width is greater than at least one of the second width or the third width such that the indicator fibers extend past at least one of the opacifying layer or the color layer.

Aspects of the present disclosure describe aerial fiber optical cable localization using distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) that advantageously may determine the locality of electrical transformers affixed to utility poles along with the aerial fiber optical cable as well as any length(s) of fiber optical cable between the poles. Further aspects employ survey manned or unmanned, aerial or terrestrial survey vehicles that acoustically excite locations along the fiber optical cable and associate those DAS excitations with global positioning location (GPS).

A method for use in connection with installing a cable into a conduit having a first conduit end and a second conduit end, comprising the steps of —providing the cable with a metallic attribute, —providing within or proximate to the conduit, sensing means for sensing the metallic attribute, —introducing the cable into the first conduit end and driving it towards the second conduit end and —detecting that the sensing means has sensed the metallic attribute by sensing a change in inductance levels of the sensing means.

A roadway access hole drill for cutting a square or rectangular access hole in a roadway having a first saw opposing a second saw and a third saw opposing a fourth saw. A method of cutting a microtrench in which the buried utility is exposed by opening a square or rectangular access hole in a roadway above the buried utility using the roadway access hole drill that is controlled by a computer system connected to an under-roadway detection unit that detects a buried utility and stops movement of the drill to avoid damaging the buried utility.

A non-metallic layer stranded optical cable with a reversal point capable of being positioned and a detection method thereof, which solves the problems of determining a reversal point of a cable core and performing an operation of drawing out an optical fiber from the optical cable. The present invention relates to a non-metallic layer stranded optical cable, and the key points of the technical solution thereof includes a cable core and a metal film provided at each reversal point of the cable core, and an outer sheath is provided on the cable core.

A method is disclosed to identify a port that is associated with a faulty cable. In one embodiment, such a method identifies a cable to replace. The cable provides a path between a first port, residing on a first component, and a second port, residing on a second component. The method further identifies whether an alternative path, bypassing the first cable, exists between the first component and the second component. In the event the alternative path exists, the method sends, over the alternative path, from the first component to the second component, a command to activate an indicator on the second port. This command is received and executed by the second component to activate the indicator. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed.

This application provides a method and an apparatus for establishing an optical cable connection. The method includes: receiving, by a network device, a service provisioning request message including user information from a terminal device; allocating, by the network device, an optical splitter port based on the user information; sending, by the network device, a service provisioning response message to the terminal device, where the service provisioning response message includes the user information and port information; receiving, by the network device, an optical cable installation complete indication message sent by the terminal device, where the optical cable installation complete indication message carries the port identifier, the user information, and an optical cable identifier, and the optical cable identifier is used to indicate an optical cable corresponding to the user information; and storing, by the network device, a correspondence between the optical cable identifier, the port identifier, and the user information.

A cable assembly including a tracer conduit and one or more data transmission conduits. Physically separable proximal and/or distal portions of the data transmission conduit(s) and the tracer conduit are held together by a sleeve. In some examples the sleeve is axially and radially expandable and collapsible multiple times. In some examples, the tracer conduit transmits a visible laser light signal that can be observed after it radially diffuses through the sleeve.

An apparatus including a first ferrule, a second ferrule and a tracing fiber. The first ferrule may comprise a cap. The second ferrule may comprise the cap. The tracing fiber may be configured to propagate light from the first ferrule to the second ferrule. The first ferrule may enable the light to be directed into the tracing fiber when the cap is removed. The cap of the second ferrule may be configured to scatter the light to provide an omnidirectional emission of the light from the second ferrule. The tracing fiber may be bundled with one or more data carrying lines in a cable. Each of the data carrying lines may be configured to enable a communication of data. The tracing fiber may be configured to propagate the light without interrupting the communication of data.

An apparatus including a first light pipe, a second light pipe and a tracing fiber. The first light pipe may comprise slot features and may be configured to receive light. The second light pipe may comprise the slot features and may be configured to emit the light. The tracing fiber may be configured to propagate the light from the first light pipe to the second light pipe. The first light pipe may focus the light by refraction into the tracing fiber. The slot features of the second light pipe may be configured to scatter the light to provide omnidirectional emission of the light. The tracing fiber may be bundled with one or more data carrying lines in a cable. Each of the data carrying lines may be configured to enable a communication of data. The tracing fiber may be configured to propagate the light without interrupting the communication of data.