What Is an OSP Cable?

What Is an OSP Cable?

Outside plant cables are structured cabling made to withstand harsh conditions. OSP cabling is part of a design that includes all external infrastructure and hardware associated with the cable route. 

Outside plant fiber-optic cable management has vastly different needs than inside plant — OSP cables must tolerate extreme weather and temperatures and external forces like pests, water, power surges and hazardous agents. Installation sometimes involves trenching, crossing bodies of water, housing in an optical terminal enclosure or even constructing underground vaults. 

OSP cables are necessary for applications that require transfer over long distances or have external components that drive internal operations. In telecommunications, OSP cables connect a communications device, like a telephone, to the switching center or adjoining optical fiber cabling so it can function correctly. Other applications might include:

• External security systems like those with live feeds
• Automated buildings
• Internet data transfer

Benefits of OSP Cables

OSP cabling connects point A — your “home base" — to your point B user. These durable and versatile cables are the only way to safely and efficiently transfer data across an external route. They let you expand your network's reach across a large property, campus or even distances. This reach is crucial for applications like:

• Large hospitals and medical campuses
• Higher education facilities
• Financial institutions
• Transportation departments

By design, OSP cables stand up against things flooding and submersion, extreme temperatures, pest damage and other environmental factors standard cabling cannot handle.

Types of OSP Cables and How They Work

While some small applications may incorporate copper wiring, fiber-optic connectivity is the most common and reliable cabling type because of its long-distance capabilities and powerful bandwidth. It tends to be the most cost-efficient.  

Other factors differentiate OSP cables from one another, including their design, fiber configuration and installation site.

Loose Tubes, Ribbon Cables and Micro-Cables

Optical fiber cabling for outside plants consists of loose tubes, micro-cables, ribbon cables or a combination of these. Each has distinct benefits that directly impact network latency or data acquisition and loss.

• Loose tubes: Loose tubes are suitable for applications that require fewer fibers and help minimize optical loss during data transmissions.
• Micro-cables: Micro-cables are for bridging connections between fiber needs, ideal for businesses whose network needs may increase over time.
• Ribbon cables: Ribbon cables are generally for higher-count fiber configurations.

Single-Mode vs. Multi-Mode

Single mode fiber is designed to propagate a sinlge light mode whereas multimode supports multiple simultaneous light modes. This difference impacts bandwidth, signal transmission distance and signal stability.

Additionally, single mode and multimode cables are built differently. The optical core in a single mode cable is 9µm and the optical core in a modern multimode cable is 50µm,  though older fiber cables (specifically OM1 rated cables) feature a 62.5µm core.

Types of OSP Cable Installations

The OSP location for cabling installation is one of the most significant factors determining cable type. OSP cables fall into one of four categories.

Browse Multilink’s Fiber-Optic Cables and Equipment

Multilink creates, develops and manufactures fiber-optic network solutions for installing and expanding your telecommunications network. We offer product customization across all industries — no matter the configuration or load demand, our engineering team can make it happen.

Our products are also universal, fitting perfectly into existing infrastructure. We're here to help through consultation services, hardware bundling, outside building fiber-optic cable designs and beyond. Get in touch today to get started!