Fiber optic cables can be severed in a variety of ways, ranging from accidental damage to environmental factors and even deliberate acts of vandalism. Let's explore the common causes:
Accidental Cuts:
- Construction and Excavation: Accidental digging during construction or excavation projects is a major cause of fiber optic cable damage. Heavy machinery can easily sever the cables buried underground.
- Home Improvement Projects: DIY projects, such as landscaping or digging, can also inadvertently cut through buried fiber optic lines.
- Rodent Activity: Rodents like squirrels, rats, and mice gnaw on the protective sheathing of cables, sometimes exposing and severing the delicate fibers within. Commercialelectronics.com highlights this as a leading cause.
- Accidental Cuts During Maintenance: During maintenance or repair work on other infrastructure, accidental cutting of fiber optic cables can occur.
Deliberate Damage:
- Vandalism: Malicious cutting of fiber optic cables can occur due to vandalism or theft.
- Theft: Cables may be targeted for theft of the valuable materials they contain.
Environmental Factors:
- Extreme Weather: As noted, strong wind, rain, snow, hail, and even earthquakes can easily sever fiber optic connectors. [Reference Source] These forces can cause trees to fall, impacting overhead cables or causing ground shifts that damage buried ones.
Tools & Methods Used for Cutting:
While sharp scissors can cut thinner fibers (0.25 mm – 1.00 mm), Quora and The Fiber Optic Store indicate that specialized tools are typically used for clean cuts to prevent damage to the fiber's core. These tools ensure precise and clean cuts, minimizing fiber breakage and facilitating efficient splicing or connection. Repairing a cut fiber optic cable often requires specialized training and equipment as evidenced by this Reddit thread.
Repairing Cut Fiber Optic Cables:
Repairing a cut fiber optic cable requires specialized tools, expertise, and careful procedures to restore connectivity and signal quality. This typically involves: cleaning the cut ends, splicing the fibers using fusion splicing techniques or connectors, and testing the repaired connection for signal integrity. The process is detailed in resources like FS.com's guide.
