Fiber blowing is a great method for installing cables. Network capacity can quickly expand through blown fiber systems. As you can see by the graphic below, at EC our goal is to provide the technology, resources and education to ensure your success when it comes to fiber blowing. However, because it is still regarded as a new method compared to the conventional systems, here are some myths about fiber blowing that should be debunked. 

Fiber Blowing Myth 1: Fiber blowing is optimal only for outside networks 

Nope. Fiber blowing can easily be adapted for any environmental condition, whether it be aerial, underground, or indoor. First of all, blown fiber has good cold and heat resistance and can operate from -45ºC to +70ºC, making them good for any weather conditions. They can also be used for a multitude of applications, from large outdoor plants such as long-haul, WAN, MAN, and LAN to small indoor installations. Hence, this is why blown fiber cables are now in mass deployment for FTTH. As a matter of fact, planning fiber deployment becomes simpler with fiber blowing because only a single type of ducting is required to be installed, which makes branching easier, even when done later. 

Fiber Blowing Myth 2: Fiber blowing takes more time than fiber pulling

Not true. Installations are much simpler and faster. Conventional cable-pulling is time-consuming and normally requires a crew of three or four installers. Blown fiber installations are carried out in a few minutes with normally one or two installers. Using a proper air-compression tool and an electric motor, one person feeds the fiber unit and the other receives it at the far end. Conventional fiber cable requires costly digging of trenches and in-building innerduct. The cost for trenching and installation of conduits has the highest uncertainty and depends on many parameters, such as type of soil (grass, asphalt, stone, etc.), labor cost for different areas and machinery and methods.

In conclusion, blowing fiber is much quicker, and it also allows for faster deployments. A trained crew can blow thousands of feet of fiber per day with blown fiber. 

Fiber Blowing Myth 3: Fiber blowing is ideal only for large enterprise installation 

As we mentioned before, it’s just not true that fiber blowing is ideal for large installations. Blown fiber systems are efficient and effective under any circumstances and that is why the winners of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund have largely chosen fiber as their method of building out broadband networks across the rural United States. The truth is that fiber blowing is now possibly the best method of installing fiber cables wherever the network may be, and that is the future.