COATED OPTICAL FIBERS AND CABLES AND METHOD

摘要

Optical communication media particularly adapted for blow-in installation, including single optical fibers and lightweight flexible optical cables comprising one or more glass optical fibers in a multilayer polymer coating, are disclosed. The multilayer coating includes a textured polymer outer layer and at least one soft buffer layer positioned between the textured polymer outer layer and the glass optical fiber or fibers, the buffer layer comprising a low Tg polymer and preferably having a layer thickness at least sufficient to maintain thermally induced microbending loss in the optical communication medium below about 0.5 db/km at medium operating temperatures in the range of 0 .degree.C to -60 .degree.C.