MDU/MTU fiber optic deployments come in many different forms. For this reason, they are some of the most challenging types of deployments for network providers. Ranging from single level townhome designs to low-rise garden style units to mid-rise and high-rise buildings, each environment has its own unique installation hurdles…yet they share the common need for deploying fiber quickly and easily.
After the MDU/MTU is built, the ability to provide simple, fast, less disruptive upgrades and maintenance is key…especially during these days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clearfield® provides solutions that help fiber optic technicians get their work done quickly and with minimal disturbance and contact.
1. Provide Service Quickly, Without Sacrificing Quality
Traditional pre-connectorized fiber usually involves a very large connector, which doesn’t fit well in an MDU/MTU environment. Our small, pre-terminated, pre-connectorized fiber solutions help eliminate labor and splicing time, fit in more compact raceways and are easily handled by technicians. This reduces splicing, so providers move more quickly and install more units per day, using any level of technician while ensuring that the highest quality connections are made every time.
2. Minimize Contact with Clearfield Home Deployment Kits (HDK)
Fiber technicians are concerned not only with their safety, but with the well-being of their customers. If a technician minimizes the time inside a building, that’s a huge benefit to everyone…especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Engineered to streamline connections, the Clearfield Home Deployment Kit (HDK) minimizes the time spent on-site. It’s a complete solution (everything is in 1 box) that includes a Test Access Point (TAP) box, jumpers and a consumer-friendly CraftSmart® Fiber Outlet.
To minimize contact with the customer, the technician mounts the TAP box outside the building, runs the fiber down the outside of the building, makes a drill point and slides the pushable fiber through the drilled pathway into the living unit. Then the technician puts the Fiber Outlet, which is in plastic, a safe distance from the customer (such as by their door).
When ready to complete the installation, the customer picks up the Fiber Outlet, takes it inside and opens the package, which contains written instructions and a QR code that leads to a short video. These show the customer how to put the connector onto the pushable fiber and finish the installation process, which requires no special tools.
If the customer wants more installation help, the technician assembles and places the connector housing onto the pushable fiber. The technician would then drill a slightly larger hole outside and pass the connector through it. Then the customer only needs to put two screws in the wall…to hold the Fiber Outlet…and plug it in.
3. Future-Proof Your Installation
Not long ago, the slower speeds of 3G were fine. The COVID-19 pandemic helped change that. Families suddenly push their broadband capacity further than ever as more people vie for the internet. Slower technology won’t even run an online movie, much less handle a large group on a teleconference or serious multi-tasking.
Placing fiber at the beginning of the MDU/MTU installation leads to less maintenance, less need for upgrades and provides more options for easy upgrades later when technology, such as 5G, gets better and faster. This means that technicians will spend less time on-site, creating fewer disturbances and interactions at businesses and homes.
As you look for ways of causing less disruption and contact in your MDU/MTU environments, consider solutions such as our pre-connectorized fiber and Home Deployment Kits. We also invite you to reach out to Clearfield. We have experienced fiber optic professionals who are happy to help.