Clearfield Launches New Fiber Management Products

MINNEAPOLIS — Two new fiber management products designed to improve density and ease of fiber access were announced by Clearfield Inc., a specialist in fiber management and connectivity platforms. The new products, which are designed to enable customers to scale operations as they grow subscriber revenues, are Clearview Blue - the latest-generation Clearview Cassette - and FieldSmart FxHD, a high-density fiber distribution system. Like all Clearfield designs, they are maximized for modularity and scalability.

Integrated slack management, cable routing and compatibility with the entire FieldSmart architecture allows Clearview Blue to provides superior performance with minimal risk of fiber damage. FieldSmart FxHD utilizes Clearview Blue’s user-defined “Blue Building Blocks” to align desired cable counts and scale to very high density.

”Density has always been a critical factor in fiber design. Clearview Blue delivers not only the highest-density options in the industry, but sets the standard for access, protection, and reduced labor time,” comments Johnny Hill, chief operating officer for Clearfield. “And our new FieldSmart FxHD leverages Clearview Blue to make it possible for headends, central offices and data centers to deploy more ports per square foot and reduce the cost of real estate by more than 40 percent.”

Clearview Blue
Designed for the utmost in modularity and scalability, Clearview Blue is used across the FieldSmart architecture, providing superior fiber protection from the inside plant, through the outside plant and into the access network of panels, frames, outside-plant cabinets and wall boxes. By deploying the Clearview Blue as a 12-port, self-contained fiber management device, service providers can stock a single fiber management component for all environments, reducing inventory levels and technician training and installation time.

Clearview Blue offers:

• A smaller footprint that minimizes space requirements, reducing the cost of deployment.
• Flexibility and a simple snap-together design that saves time and accelerates turn-up.
• Ten feet of integrated slack storage and splicing functionality, resulting in reduced labor time and ultimate space savings.
• Building-block packaging that offers compatibility with the FieldSmart FxHD panel and extends Clearfield’s ongoing commitment to providing customer-led configurability in all of its designs.
• Flexibility and reliable performance in the toughest operating environments in the access network, central office and in the field.

FieldSmart FxHD
FieldSmart FxHD uses Clearview Blue with a user-defined “Blue Building Block” approach that enables service providers to align desired cable counts and scale to high density. The number of ports housed per square foot is improved by more than 40 percent, reducing the real estate cost by $.75 per port per year. For a central office of 20,000 ports, an annual savings of $15,000 is targeted.

“Our office was excited to hear that Clearfield was developing the FieldSmart FxHD high-density fiber frame," says Steven Weaver, senior project engineer for Mid-State Consultants. “As our clients turn towards utilizing active Ethernet solutions and higher fiber counts, we, in turn, are looking to provide high-density fiber solutions for our customers. Thanks to Clearfield for being a part of that solution.”

FieldSmart FxHD offers:
• A modular, space-maximizing frame solution. At a floor footprint of 18” x 36”, the FieldSmart FxHD can house 2,016 ports in 4.5-square-foot footprint. The unit provides for rear access but can be fully deployed using a front-access-only approach, which minimizes required aisle space and maximizes the utilization of real estate.

• Cable routing integrity that maximizes proper slack storage of any jumper length. An integrated “W” intra-bay route path greatly reduces the chance of improper jumper tie-in or weaving. Upper and lower troughs support a combined 6,600 jumpers for inter-bay routing with left and right exit paths. A fold-down lower trough door allows for complete access while providing superior physical fiber protection when closed.

• Easily deployed alongside other FieldSmart frame solutions or competitive alternatives for an easy bay-line up migration or growth strategy.

Shipping and Availability
Clearview Blue and FieldSmart FxHD are currently available from Clearfield and its distribution partners for immediate shipping. Clearview Blue can be purchased individually or assembled in Clearview Building Blocks of two or more cassettes (24 ports or more) to configure to exact port count specifications. Installation for FieldSmart FxHD is compatible alongside current-generation FxDS frame lineups as well as other 19” or 23” frame solutions.