How FS Products Leverage SMF-28® Ultra Fiber to Enhance Optical Network Performance

As demand for higher bandwidth and denser connectivity grows, hyperscale and AI-driven data centers require optical fiber solutions that deliver superior performance, flexibility, and scalability. Corning’s SMF-28® Ultra fiber rises to the challenge with its exceptional bend resilience, low-loss characteristics, and seamless compatibility with legacy networks.

Core Advantages of SMF-28® Ultra Fiber

Exceptional Bend Performance

SMF-28® Ultra fiber outperforms the ITU-T G.657.A1 standard in macrobend loss. As Table 1 shows, at a 10 mm bend radius and 1550 nm wavelength, SMF-28® Ultra fiber exhibits a maximum macro-bend loss of 0.5 dB per turn, with a 33% lower than the G.657.A1 threshold of 0.75 dB. This enhanced bend tolerance simplifies installation in space-constrained environments, reducing the risk of signal degradation caused by tight bends. For AI data centers deploying thousands of fibers across GPU clusters and server racks, this capability minimizes deployment time, maintenance costs, and downtime risks.

Attribute	Units	SMF-28® Ultra Fiber	ITU-T G.657.A1
100 turns, 30 mm radius at 1625 nm	dB	≤ 0.10	≤ 0.1
1 turn, 10 mm radius at 1550 nm		≤ 0.50	≤ 0.75
1 turn, 10 mm radius at 1625 nm		≤ 1.5	≤ 1.5

Table 1: Macrobend loss (dB) for SMF-28® Ultra fiber ais compared to ITU-T G.657.A1 standard.

Low Attenuation and High Bandwidth

Signal loss directly impacts transmission efficiency and network economics. As Table 2 shows, SMF-28® Ultra fiber achieves 20% lower attenuation at 1310 nm and 40% lower at 1550 nm compared to standard G.657.A1 rules. This low attenuation helps extend transmission reach and reduce the need for repeaters. Additionally, SMF-28® Ultra fiber's low polarization mode dispersion enhances network redundancy and stability, minimizing signal distortion in high-speed transmissions, which is beneficial for efficient data center operations.

Attribute		Units	SMF-28® Ultra Fiber	ITU-T G.657.A1
Attenuation	1310 nm	dB/km	≤ 0.32	≤ 0.4
	1383 ±3 nm		≤ 0.32	≤ 0.4
	1550 nm		≤ 0.18	≤ 0.3
	1625 nm		≤ 0.20	≤ 0.4
Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD):	Link Design Value	(ps/√km)	≤ 0.04	≤ 0.20
	Maximum Individual Fiber PMD		≤ 0.10	Not specified

Table 2: Fiber attenuation for SMF-28® Ultra fiber ais compared to ITU-T G.657.A1 standard.

Compatibility

With a 9.2 µm mode field diameter, identical to G.657.A1 fibers, SMF-28® Ultra fiber is compatible with standard single mode fibers. Additionally, SMF-28® Ultra fiber supports superior bend resistance, which ease occupying additional space in cable trays or fiber patch panels due to large bend radii, addressing the spatial challenges of modern AI data centers. It also avoids excessive bend-induced signal loss.

FS Fiber Products with SMF-28® Ultra Fiber

As mentioned above, the bend resistance, low attenuation, and flexible high-density cabling of SMF-28® Ultra fiber make it a vital component in supporting high-density data center fiber systems. FS, adhering to a "customer-centric" research and development philosophy, has introduced MTP® and MMC connector single mode cables with SMF-28® Ultra fiber materials and corresponding fiber cabling solutions to meet diverse customer cabling needs.

Figure 1: MTP® and MMC connector OS2 cables with SMF-28® Ultra fiber.

FS MTP® single mode products use SMF-28® Ultra fiber and are available in 8, 12, 16, and 24-core standard options. According to different applications, the MTP® fiber series are divided into MTP® jumpers, MTP® trunks, MTP® harness and MTP® conversion fibers and their recommended usage environments are as follows. For more FS MTP® fiber products, please refer to the article FS MTP® Cable Product Family for High-speed Data Center Use.

Types	Fiber Counts	Custom Services	Recommended Usage
MTP® Jumper	Base-12/16/24	Support	Inner-cabinet connections
MTP® Trunk	Base-8/12	Support	Cross-cabinet connections with double jacket sheath design
MTP® Harness	Base-8/12/16	Support	For upgrades like 10G to 40G, 100G to 400G, 50G to 400G connections
MTP® Conversion	Base-12/24	Support	For conversion connections like 24-fiber to 2x 12-fiber, 24-fiber to 3x 8-fiber, 16-fiber to 2x 8-fiber, 12-fiber t 2x 4-fiber

Moreover, to support data center users and networks advancing to 800G speeds or AI applications, FS has introduced the MMC-16 single mode fiber jumpers with SMF-28® Ultra fiber design. Leveraging its compact TMT ferrule design, optimized optical performance, and DirectConec™ push-pull protective sleeve design, this MMC-16 OS2 fiber significantly increases cabling density in ultra-high-density network environments, enhancing data center utilization. Learn more about how MMC connector aids high-density cabling.

FAQ

Is SMF-28® Ultra fiber compatible with existing G.652.D infrastructure?

Yes. SMF-28® Ultra fiber is fully compliant to ITU-T G.652.D as well as ITU-T G.657.A1.

How to deploy fiber cables with SMF-28® Ultra fiber in high-density networks?

It is recommended to use FS modular high-density cabling series solutions, such FHD® series for small and medium-sized enterprise data center cabling, FHU series designed for enterprise building with rapid cabling, FHZ series recommended for telecom FTTX scenarios cabling, and FHX™ series used in large computing data centers or cloud computing data centers' high-density cabling. All the high-density fiber cabling solutions use modular design and support plug-and-play. They protect fiber cables in cabinets while helping to create a flexible, organized, and scalable cabling environment. For more FS fiber cabling solutions, click here to read.

Figure 2: Cabling examples of FS FHD®, FHU, FHZ, and FHX™ series.