Simplex Technologies Inc. of the US is completing the production of a cable for the world“s longest undersea fibre optic cable system. With the UK firm DuPont Hytrel engineering thermoplastic elastom…
Simplex Technologies Inc. of the US is completing the production of a cable for the world“s longest undersea fibre optic cable system. With the UK firm DuPont Hytrel engineering thermoplastic elastomer and Zytel nylon resin protection delicate glass fibres in its fibre optic core, the FLAG (fibre optic link around the globe) cable will run from the UK to Japan, linking up with existing transoceanic cables at each terminus. The FLAG cable covers a distance of 26,198 kilometres as it passes through parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Mediterranean and various other seas along the route. Simplex is producing 15,000 kilometres of cable which will be deployed and integrated with other networks by AT&T Submarine Systems Inc. Hytrel and Zytrel play key roles in protecting the optical fibres of the cable against mechanical damage during handling and installation of the cable. In addition, Hytrel provides an effective barrier to water vapour penetration, which would affect adversely the signal transmission capabilities of the fibres.