| What is FastAccess™ Technology? |
| FastAccess™ Technology was developed from gathering extensive feedback from our customers. Installers have been accessing outside plant cables in the same manner for nearly 30 years. These techniques were time consuming and risky to both the installer and cable itself. FastAccessTM Technology is an innovative cable jacket design that allows the installer to effectively peel the cable jacket away, reducing access time by at least 50% and dramatically reducing overall risk of harm to the installer or the fibers within the cable. |
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| What drove the development of FastAccess Technology? |
| Corning's continued commitment to gaining a deep understanding of how our customers do business and work in their daily lives identified this unmet need and led to the development of FastAccess Technology. |
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| Which cables come with FastAccess Technology? |
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Currently Corning is offering two cables with FastAccess Technology. First, all ALTOS All-Dielectric Gel-Free Cables sold in the Americas sold through our Enterprise distribution partners will be converted to ALTOS Cables with FastAccess Technology by the end of 2012.
Additionally, our FTTx customers who purchase ROC™ Drop Dielectric Cable have also begun receiving ROC Drop Dielectric Cable with FastAccess Technology.
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| Will there be an armored version of cables with FastAccess Technology? |
| Not at this time. We're seeking opportunities to extend the FastAccessTM Technology to other cable designs. More information will come at a future date. |
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| When will ALTOS Cables with FastAccess Technology become available? |
| Enterprise distributor inventory has begun converting now in the summer of 2012. Multimode cables will convert first with single-mode cables to follow. Our plan is to have the entire distributor inventory converted by the end of 2012. |
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| Can I get jacket stripes on ALTOS Cables with FastAccess Technology? |
| No, not at this time. |
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| Can I still get a special print statement on the cable jacket? |
| Yes. Special print statements area available and can be discussed with you Corning Customer Care Representative. |
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| Will ALTOS Cables with FastAccess Technology still contain a ripcord? |
| For a limited time during the inventory transition, ALTOS Cables with FastAccess Technology will contain a ripcord to aid those installers unfamiliar with the technology. Starting in January 2013, all ALTOS Cables with FastAccess Technology will no longer contain a ripcord. |
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| Is FastAccess Technology proprietary to Corning Cable Systems? |
| Yes. Corning developed this technology and has extensive intellectual property. |
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| Where can I purchase ALTOS Cables with FastAccess Technology? |
| ALTOS Cables with FastAccess Technology will be phased into distributor inventory during the summer of 2012, with a targeted complete transition by the end of the year. Select part numbers will be available at Accu-Tech, Anixter, CSC, and Graybar beginning August 2012. Call your preferred distributor for availability. |
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| Is ALTOS Cable with FastAccess Technology available in all fiber types and all fiber counts? |
| Yes, cables will be available in all multimode and single-mode fiber types and from fiber counts from 2 to 288. |
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| Can I purchase any other cables with FastAccess Technology? |
| Currently FastAccess Technology is only available on ALTOS All-Dielectric Gel-Free cables and ROC Drop Dielectric Fiber Optic Cables. Corning is working on extending the technology to additional cable types. |
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| Is the part number changing? |
| Yes, there is a change in our standard ALTOS part number for FastAccess Technology. The 9th digit in the part number is changing from a "1" to a "7". The "7" denotes FastAccess Technology. For example:
12-fiber, single mode ALTOS Cable - 012EU4-T4101D20
12-fiber, single mode ALTOS Cable with FastAccess Technology - 012EU4-T4701D20
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| Will I notice a difference by looking at the cables? |
| There are two distinguishing features of ALTOS Cable with FastAccess Technology. First, the cable print has been modified. In addition to the required standard cable print we have added "ALTOS Cable with FastAccess Technology" to the print statement. Furthermore, installers will notice two locator ridges that run along the length of the cable which are used to aid the installer in the sheath removal process. These ridges are very slight and will not alter installations in any way. |
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| How does the performance of ALTOS Cable with FastAccess Technology compare to my standard ALTOS Cables? |
| The optical, mechanical, and physical performance of ALTOS Cable with FastAccess Technology meets or exceeds all standard industry performance criteria as the standard ALTOS cables deployed in the market today. All standard installation methods and environments are acceptable. |
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| Can I still purchase standard ALTOS Cable that doesn't include FastAccess Technology? |
| Yes, standard ALTOS All-Dielectric Gel-Free cables will still be available for purchase. However, our plan is to transition all Enterprise distributor inventory to ALTOS Cable with FastAccess Technology. |
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| Which tools will I need to strip the cable? |
| The only tools needed will be a pair of needle nose pliers, side-cutting, or diagonal lineman's pliers. No sharp blades or additional tools are required. |
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| Will the cable open accidentally through twisting or normal installation stresses? |
| Absolutely not! Although the cable peels with ease during cable prep, we've designed the feature in a manner that allows the cable to meet or exceed all industry specifications. Extensive testing was performed for more than a year in both lab and field environments to insure the highest cable integrity no matter what the cable may see over its lifetime. We fully understand how a field failure of this manner would affect customers and have therefore designed and tested the cable to ensure the highest level of reliability. We've provided testing documentation as well as videos that demonstrate the required lab testing as well as additional field testing. |
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| Does FastAccess Technology cable pass all industry standards? |
| Yes. ALTOS Cable with FastAccess Technology is designed and tested to ANSI/ICEA S-87-640. |
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| What is the temperature range for the ALTOS Cable with FastAccess Technology? |
| ALTOS Cable with FastAccess Technology has an operating temperature of -40 ̊C to +70 ̊C (-40 ̊ to +158 ̊F) and an installation temperature of -30 ̊C to +70 ̊C (-22 ̊ to +158 ̊F). This is the same as standard ALTOS All-Dielectric Gel-Free Cables. |
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| Will ALTOS Cable with FastAccess Technology cost more? |
| No. Customers will enjoy all the great new features and functionality at the same price paid today for standard ALTOS® All-Dielectric Gel-Free cables. |
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| Can the FastAccess Technology cable be installed in all outdoor application spaces? |
| Yes, in accordance to the above mentioned operating and installation temperature ranges. Again, ALTOS Cable with FastAccess Technology performs exactly as the standard ALTOS Cable does; only the technology enabling the jacket's ease-of-access has changed. |
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| Can cables with FastAccess Technology be installed with cable jetting equipment? |
| Yes, following the manufacturer's standard operating procedures. |
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| What type of pulling grips should be used with FastAccess Technology cables? |
| Standard wire-mesh pulling grips following manufacturer's procedures should be used. |
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| Will hardware that uses grommet to seal out the elements work with the FastAccess Technology cable? |
| Absolutely! The cable is compatible with the same hardware is use today with standard ALTOS All-Dielectric Gel-Free cables. |
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| How does a FastAccess Technology cable react when using a heat gun to install in cable into a closure that requires heat shrinks? |
| The cable is compatible with the same hardware in use today with standard ALTOS® All-Dielectric Gel-Free Cables. |
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| Does using sand paper to scuff up the cable jacket to install in closures with B-Tape effect the performance of the FastAccess Technology? |
| No. Performance will be the same as standard ALTOS All-Dielectric Gel-Free Cables. |
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