Mohawk Announces VersaLite Indoor/Outdoor Plenum Cable Leominster, MA, November 1, 2004Š Mohawk, a leading manufacturer of fiber optic and copper cable products, announces VersaLite, a versatile indoor and outdoor plenum cable, as a cost-effective solution for campus environments. As part of Mohawk's Mini-Distribution product line, VersaLite was originally developed to provide data center-type installations with a compact, flame retardant cable that meets stringent OFNP (plenum) rated requirements. By combining its unique cable properties with rugged jacketing materials, VersaLite also becomes ideal for outdoor installations. "Traditionally, non-rated loose tube, gel-filled cables have been specified for outside plant, which are spliced to a termination point within fifty feet inside the building to meet NEC requirements. From there tight buffered cables have been installed for runs within the facility," explains Mike Connaughton, RCDD, Fiber Optic Sales Manager, Mohawk. "VersaLite employs an exceptional 'dry' water blocking system that includes an absorbent polymer filling throughout the length of the inner tubes, to halt any moisture migration. Its added UV-resistant jacketing prevents additional sunlight degradation needed for diverse outdoor environments. Because of its plenum flame rating, this cable can also be installed indoors, eliminating transition points between buildings and closets, which dramatically saves on installation time and money," notes Connaughton. "In addition, dry blocking, loose tube cables are easier and cleaner to handle during installation versus previous gel-filled cables." Fiber optic cable splicing drastically affects link attenuation, which contributes to overall optical power loss. With the increasing demands of high-speed, high-bandwidth 10 Gigabit backbones, it becomes even more vital to minimize insertion loss. "By installing VersaLite cable, splice point insertion loss is eliminated and can result in 1.5 dB of improved attenuation per cable run, which is 20% of the total power budget for Gigabit Ethernet applications," adds Connaughton.