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Microducts are microscopic ducts used to lay fiber optic lines. They are typically 3 to 16 mm in diameter and are inserted as bundles within bigger ducts.
Microducts are small-diameter, flexible or semi-flexible ducts that are meant to offer clean, uninterrupted, low-friction routes for putting optical wires with low pulling tension restrictions.
According to the Telcordia GR-3155 Generic Requirements for Microducts for Fibre Optic Cables industry requirements document, microduct devices must:
Be compatible with current building designs and configurations for riser- and plenum-rated applications, including cable blowing apparatus.
Allow cables to be deployed securely by draw lines or strings with less than 50 lbs of force, as well as using cable blowing techniques at standard deployment speeds.
According to GR-3155, the three fundamental varieties of duct are smoothwall, corrugated, and ribbed. The factors that are significant to the end user influence the selection of a certain duct design.
The type of duct required will be determined by the demand for a certain attribute or combination of qualities such as pulling strength, flexibility, or the lowest coefficient of friction.
Ducts are available with a number of choices or characteristics. Pre-lubrication is one such advantage. Pre-lubricated ducts can be impregnated with anti-friction chemicals permanently or coated with liquid lubricant during production (see GR-3155).
When dragging cable into the duct, this may or may not eliminate the need for additional lubricant. The user should inspect the extra lubricant before using it with a pre-lubricated duct.
Failure to do so may cause the cable to seize rather than reduce the duct’s friction coefficient. When the optical cable is pre-installed, the duct maker extrudes the duct directly over it.
Tight temperature control of the duct throughout the production process is required to guarantee that the duct does not adhere to the cable as it cools.
All of the fibers in the optical cable must be inspected at the end of the procedure to confirm that no damage has occurred. Cable tugging is still a popular fiber cable installation technique. A high-strength pull line is blown into the duct after it has been fitted (if one has not already been pre-installed by the duct maker). The pull line is connected to one end of the cable and is used to draw it through the duct.
Traditional cable pulling methods are extremely sensitive to duct condition as well as the amount of bends and undulations along the duct route. As a result, air-blown cable installation techniques are likely to be the most useful for microducts. The installation of air-blown cables necessitates the employment of a device that injects a large amount of air into the duct at pressures as high as 20-25 psi.
The viscous drag forces created by the rushing air throughout the cable’s length operate to lessen or eliminate friction between the cable and the duct. Cables for telecommunications can be put in water, air, or both.
In the latter situation, the wires might be buried directly or put in ducts. The former is more usual for copper balanced lines, whereas the latter is more prevalent for fiber optic cables. The ducts in which the fiber optic cables are often placed are constructed of polyethylene. They normally range in size from 25 mm to 100 mm. They are sometimes used as subducts in bigger ducts. These bigger ducts may also be made of other materials, such as concrete.
Pulling or cable jetting can be used to install fiber optic cables in ducts. Making branching fiber optic networks in the access network is more challenging than making copper balanced connections. Connecting copper wires is significantly easier than splicing optical fibers.
An Optical Distribution Network (ODN) is used to branch cables from a roadside cabinet or pit that holds optical equipment and is supplied from the Central Office in Fibre to the Home (FTTH) networks with many branches.
Bundles of tiny microducts can be put in larger protected ducts (e.g., PVC conduit) using microduct cabling. This can be accomplished, for example, by jetting.
Micro duct bundles can also be factory pre-installed. The microducts in the network can be readily forked.
A window is cut in the protective duct and the microduct of choice is cut at any location of choice. This microduct is then linked to a microduct that branches to the desired place using a simple push/pull connector. A separate microduct path has been built in the network once all connections have been made. Without the requirement for a splice, a microduct cable can be jetted through the microduct. Microduct cabling technology is becoming increasingly popular across the world.
The number of fibers per cable has increased to 144 and can be put in microducts as small as 8 mm in diameter. Bundles of microducts can be blasted for up to 1500 meters.
Microduct cables may be blasted over 3.5 km in a single shot. By putting jetting equipment in tandem, it may get more length without splicing.
The Global Microduct Market accounted for $XX Billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach $XX Billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of XX% from 2024 to 2030.
Today at the FTTH Conference in Luxembourg, OFS unveiled the newest member of their expanding micro cable product range.
The MiDia 2GX Cable, which builds on OF experience in micro cable technology, may help take urban networks to the next level with higher fiber density, improved performance, and much lower implementation costs.
The MeDia 2GX Micro Cable, which is specifically designed for seamless installation into existing microduct networks, can assist service providers achieve up to a 100% increase in fiber density as well as longer air-blown installation distances by employing a single, reduced-diameter cable.
North America
The North American market, particularly the USA, will be one of the prime markets for (Microduct) due to the nature of industrial automation in the region, high consumer spending compared to other regions, and the growth of various industries, mainly AI, along with constant technological advancements. The GDP of the USA is one of the largest in the world, and it is home to various industries such as Pharmaceuticals, Aerospace, and Technology. The average consumer spending in the region was $72K in 2023, and this is set to increase over the forecast period. Industries are focused on industrial automation and increasing efficiency in the region. This will be facilitated by the growth in IoT and AI across the board. Due to tensions in geopolitics, much manufacturing is set to shift towards the USA and Mexico, away from China. This shift will include industries such as semiconductors and automotive.
Europe
The European market, particularly Western Europe, is another prime market for (Microduct) due to the strong economic conditions in the region, bolstered by robust systems that support sustained growth. This includes research and development of new technologies, constant innovation, and developments across various industries that promote regional growth. Investments are being made to develop and improve existing infrastructure, enabling various industries to thrive. In Western Europe, the margins for (Microduct) are higher than in other parts of the world due to regional supply and demand dynamics. Average consumer spending in the region was lower than in the USA in 2023, but it is expected to increase over the forecast period.
Eastern Europe is anticipated to experience a higher growth rate compared to Western Europe, as significant shifts in manufacturing and development are taking place in countries like Poland and Hungary. However, the Russia-Ukraine war is currently disrupting growth in this region, with the lack of an immediate resolution negatively impacting growth and creating instability in neighboring areas. Despite these challenges, technological hubs are emerging in Eastern Europe, driven by lower labor costs and a strong supply of technological capabilities compared to Western Europe.
There is a significant boom in manufacturing within Europe, especially in the semiconductor industry, which is expected to influence other industries. Major improvements in the development of sectors such as renewable energy, industrial automation, automotive manufacturing, battery manufacturing and recycling, and AI are poised to promote the growth of (Microduct) in the region.
Asia
Asia will continue to be the global manufacturing hub for (Microduct Market) over the forecast period with China dominating the manufacturing. However, there will be a shift in manufacturing towards other Asian countries such as India and Vietnam. The technological developments will come from China, Japan, South Korea, and India for the region. There is a trend to improve the efficiency as well as the quality of goods and services to keep up with the standards that are present internationally as well as win the fight in terms of pricing in this region. The demand in this region will also be driven by infrastructural developments that will take place over the forecast period to improve the output for various industries in different countries.
There will be higher growth in the Middle East as investments fall into place to improve their standing in various industries away from petroleum. Plans such as Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, Qatar Vision 2030, and Abu Dhabi 2030 will cause developments across multiple industries in the region. There is a focus on improving the manufacturing sector as well as the knowledge-based services to cater to the needs of the region and the rest of the world. Due to the shifting nature of fossil fuels, the region will be ready with multiple other revenue sources by the time comes, though fossil fuels are not going away any time soon.
Africa
Africa is expected to see the largest growth in (Microduct Market) over the forecast period, as the region prepares to advance across multiple fronts. This growth aligns with the surge of investments targeting key sectors such as agriculture, mining, financial services, manufacturing, logistics, automotive, and healthcare. These investments are poised to stimulate overall regional growth, creating ripple effects across other industries as consumer spending increases, access to products improves, and product offerings expand. This development is supported by both established companies and startups in the region, with assistance from various charitable organizations. Additionally, the presence of a young workforce will address various existing regional challenges. There has been an improvement in political stability, which has attracted and will continue to attract more foreign investments. Initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are set to facilitate the easier movement of goods and services within the region, further enhancing the economic landscape.
RoW
Latin America and the Oceania region will showcase growth over the forecast period in (Microduct Market). In Latin America, the focus in the forecast period will be to improve their manufacturing capabilities which is supported by foreign investments in the region. This will be across industries mainly automotive and medical devices. There will also be an increase in mining activities over the forecast period in this region. The area is ripe for industrial automation to enable improvements in manufacturing across different industries and efficiency improvements. This will lead to growth of other industries in the region.
USA – $210 billion is allocated to federal R&D with main focus on health research, clean energy, semiconductor manufacturing, sustainable textiles, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing. Investments by private players are mainly focused on technological development including 5G infrastructure and AI in the region.
Europe – EIC is investing €1 billion to innovative companies in sectors like AI, biotechnology, and semiconductors. There is also a focus on developing the ecosystem in the continent as well as improving the infrastructure for developing industries such as electric vehicles and sustainable materials. Private players are targeting data centers, AI, battery plants, and high end technological R&D investments.
Asia – There are investments to tackle a range of scientific and technological advancements in this region mainly coming in from China, India, South Korea, and Japan. This will include artificial intelligence, 5G, cloud computing, pharmaceutical, local manufacturing, and financial technologies. Many countries are aiming to be digital hubs including Saudi Arabia.
Africa – Investments in the region are focused on improving the technological capabilities in the region along with socio-economic development and growth. Private participants of investments in this region is venture capital dominated who are targeting the various growth elements of the region as social stability improves. The major industries are fintech, easier lending, and manufacturing.
Latin America – The focus in the region is for fintech, e-commerce, and mobility sectors. There are also investments in improving manufacturing in the region. Local investments is focused on improving the healthcare, and transportation infrastructure in the region. The region is attracting foreign investments to improve their ability to utilize the natural resources present in the region.
Rest of the World – The investments in this region are focused on clean energy, green metals, and sustainable materials. Funds in Australia are focused on solar energy and battery technologies, along with high end futuristic areas such as quantum computing. The main countries of private investment in ROW will be Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
