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PPC Broadband, Inc. (“PPC”), a Belden brand and leading developer and manufacturer of connectivity solutions, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the assets of Special Product Company (“SPC”), a U.S.-based manufacturer of integrated fiber enclosures.

PPC Broadband, Inc. (“PPC”), a Belden brand and leading developer and manufacturer of connectivity solutions, is pleased to announce two strategic broadband fiber acquisitions - the OPTERNA® family of U.S. and international companies (“OPTERNA”), and the FutureLink® family of fiber products from Suttle Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Communication Systems Inc. (“CSI”).

As operators drive fiber deeper into their networks for increased speed and capacity, tolerances become tighter and margin for error becomes lower. That means quality is critical and every component in the network needs to perform better.

This blog post explores the purpose and function of PPC's new product category of fiber optical passives and splitters to help service providers gain speed and bandwidth, and the crucial role these devices play in enhancing the transmission of high-quality, ultra-high-speed broadband to multiple subscribers.

PPC Broadband, Inc. has acquired the Nebraskan-based fiber provider, Net-Tech Technology (NT2) - a move that will add a range of innovative optical passives products to PPC's fiber business unit.

"Broadband providers are driving fiber deeper into their networks, increasing speed and capacity to meet subscriber demand," says PPC President Dave Jackson. "The year-over-year spend continues to increase and we believe this trend will continue well into the future." 

Hardline coax connectors are some of the most important pieces to delivering service to a subscriber’s home network, so making sure the connectors and cables are prepped and installed properly is vital to network performance.

Hardline cable is used from the headend through the trunk and feeder lines, to the subscriber’s home, and there are many connectors used at the fiber node, amplifiers, line extenders and multitaps.

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and ice storms will always be the enemy of cable and internet service providers, but there are things you can do to ease the burden of long-term issues from a storm or earthquake.

We’ve seen the challenges first-hand and have tips to help make your broadband network post-disaster restoration as flawless as possible.

Cable taps that are being left empty and open on telephone poles are causing problems for TV service providers and technicians. This can be due to a number of reasons, for example if a subscriber cancels their service or a newly-installed tap does not have enough neighborhood subscribers to fill the ports.

These unused ports are becoming a problem because of corrosion from moisture, and noise from RF egress and ingress, but could be solved with the use of a terminator.

Terminators are simple devices that electrically terminate RF coaxial ports both inside and outside of the home. The use of terminators can help protect nearby broadband networks from noise, avoid corrosion of ports and enable technicians to easily decipher the availability of a port.

The advantages of fiber optic cable over copper wire are well understood. Fiber can transfer more data, in less time, over longer distances than copper. It does not degrade like copper, requires little maintenance and loses only a fraction of its signal strength over 100 meters.

Today, there is a growing demand for fiber, as consumers expect faster Internet speeds. This demand is largely being fuelled by video and music streaming services and over the top (OTT) bundles. Additionally, businesses also require faster broadband, to grow and scale their organisations in a digital and global world.

In this post, we will explore how fiber is successfully delivered to multi-dwelling units (MDUs) and commercial buildings.  

Bonding is the electro-mechanical joining of two or more conductors, to form a conductive path that ensures electrical continuity. Grounding is connecting a circuit to the earth or to another conductor that is itself connected to earth. 

Broadband cable systems are usually connected to ground to limit the voltage potential between the cable sheath in the house and the other grounded items in the house, including water pipes, appliances and anything else connected to the utility.

A cable not properly grounded can have a high electric potential when compared to the utility ground in a house. Grounding the cable system to the same ground used by the utility minimizes voltage that could exist between them. 

Take our quiz to find out.

When it comes to actually implementing an FTTx network, there are many details to pay attention to.

Choices have to be made based on landscape topography – there is a big difference between an FTTx drop installation in rural and urban landscapes. Regulatory issues need to be addressed. Technical factors must also be carefully weighed – techniques like cable blowing and pulling only work in certain situations.

It is also critical that customers are not inconvenienced at any point during an FTTx implementation. No customer wants their property to be at the center of a major civil engineering project..

Then there is the matter of cost.

Lastly, it's important to consider whether the solution needs to be future-proof. Some cable can be ripped and replaced. But there are other options, such as direct unducted cable, which, once installed, cannot easily be removed or replaced.

These are just some of the many decisions that have to be made before beginning an FTTx implementation.

Do you think you are ready? Take the quiz below to find out.