ABSTRACT: This document replaces TA-NWT-001121.

This Technical Reference (TR) provides the Telcordia view of generic requirements and characteristics required of optical fibers and self-supporting cables containing optical fibers that are deployed in the outside plant portions of a Local Exchange Carrier's (LECs) interoffice, feeder, and/or distribution network.

This Technical Reference includes generic functional design criteria, mechanical and optical requirements, desired features, and test methods for comparing the product against the stated requirements. The specified test methods are intended to reflect the typical service provider operational conditions for optical fiber and self-supporting cable analysis.

Although the principal usage of self-support cable is intended for placement in the distribution network, a limited amount of cable may be used for interoffice applications. Although both analog and digital signal modulation formats are compatible with fiber cable, this document addresses only digital transmission. Single-mode fibers, both conventional or dispersion-unshifted, (EIA/TIA Class IVa) and dispersion shifted (EIA/TIA Class IVb), and multimode fibers with defined core/clad diameters (EIA/TIA Class Ia), are considered in this document. The generic requirements in this document are intended to permit the use of either laser or light-emitting diode (LED) transmitters.