Directly buried cables are exposed to challenges such as rocks, roots, rodents, excavation, frost heaves, and many others. Conduit provides a channel and thus shields the cable that is laid inside it. Maintenance and Repair Maintenance is where the difference becomes most. A direct burial fiber optic cable is a type of cable specifically engineered to be placed directly in the ground without the need for conduit. Unlike standard indoor or aerial cables, it features multiple protective layers designed to withstand underground conditions such as moisture, soil acidity. Compared to aerial routes, buried fibers are better protected against wind, lightning, ice, falling trees, vehicle impact and vandalism. They also remove visual clutter from urban skylines. The Process:. Having outlined the two strategies, one can easily note some advantages and disadvantages of each of the approaches.
[PDF Version]