UK’s Leading Telecom Operator Boosts Fire Safety with HFCL's Top-Rated B2ca Cables
Case Study Highlights
- Achieved B2ca-s1a,d0,a1 rating, the highest fire safety class attainable
- Exceeded customer's Cca rating requirement, upgrading from D2ca
- Reduced cable diameter and lower costs compared to legacy solutions
- Designed, tested, and certified within a 6-month timeline
- Offers cable options spanning from 16 to 288 fibers
Background
A leading telecom provider in the UK faced an urgent need to future-proof their fiber plant by improving the flame rating of their legacy cabling solution. There was a critical requirement to improve their cables’ rating to the more stringent Cca classification. This upgrade was crucial to enhance fire safety and comply with evolving regulatory standards. Moreover, the customer sought a solution within an aggressive timeframe and with a minimal cost impact to minimize operational disruptions.
Customer’s Overview
The customer is one of the largest service providers in the UK, renowned for their commitment to technological innovation and operational excellence in telecommunications. They operate a vast network infrastructure that supports a wide range of residential and commercial services across the country.
Challenges Faced
Flame Rating Upgrade
The primary challenge was to upgrade the existing Dca-rated cables to achieve the higher Cca-s1a,d0,a1 classification, ensuring enhanced fire resistance and smoke control.
Aggressive Timeline
The project required a comprehensive solution, including design, prototyping, testing, and certification, to be completed within an unprecedented 6-month.
Material Selection
Selecting materials that balance mechanical performance with fire safety properties, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards without compromising on durability or operational efficiency.
Cost Efficiency
Developing a solution that meets stringent fire safety requirements and reduces overall costs compared to existing legacy cables, ensuring that customers do not incur additional expenses to adopt the new solution.
HFCL’s Approach to the Challenges
- Identification of Initial Solution
HFCL leveraged its extensive experience and R&D capabilities to design multi-loose tube cables. HFCL’s library of available “fire test ready” materials and on-site evaluation facilities enabled concepts to be rapidly screened. The new multi loose tube cable was designed, internally tested, and prototyped within a 3-month window. The result was the development of a solution with a B2ca-S1a,d0,a1 classification. In practice, B2ca and B1ca are believed to represent the highest achievable classes for cables.
- 6-Month Rapid Development
Dedicated teams at HFCL managed the entire testing and certification process rigorously. This included internal testing phases and collaboration with third-party auditors to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards. This enabled the team to adhere to a timeline of 6 months compared to an industry-standard CPR design/certification timeline of > 1 year.
- Cost Optimization Strategies
From a design standpoint, material selection is challenging because mechanical performance needs to be maintained while flame propagation and smoke release are limited. A reduction in jacket thickness coupled with vertically integrated material sourcing, enabled HFCL to produce a lower-cost solution as compared to the legacy cable offering.
Success Metrics
Result
HFCL achieved the highest achievable B2ca-s1a,d0,a1 classification. They delivered a cutting-edge solution with a full suite of unarmored multi-loose tube cables, available in options ranging from 16 to 288 fibers.
These cables helped customers future-proof their fiber infrastructure with enhanced fire safety capabilities. This accomplishment met stringent regulatory standards and enhanced operational efficiency by lowering costs and boosting network reliability. It underscores HFCL's dedication to innovative, quality, and customer-centric telecommunications.
