HFCL launches 1728 fibre IBR cable to meet the growing demand of high fibre count cables from data centres and boost 5G network infrastructure

• Exhibiting at India Mobile Congress 2023, New Delhi, India
• HFCL’s new IBR cable has a capacity of up to 1728 optical fibres. Ideal for use in ducts in crowded urban and rural areas and for data centre interconnect in India
• The next-gen IBR cable offers twice the fibre packing density as compared to traditional cables in the same volume and is up to 50% slimmer than its traditional flat ribbon cables
• These completely gel-free IBR cables allow high productivity mass fusion splicing for faster installation and quick restoration in case of an accidental outage

HFCL Limited (HFCL), a leading technology enterprise and integrated next-gen communications product and solution provider, yesterday launched its innovative, high-fibre count Intermittently Bonded Ribbon (IBR) Cable at the ongoing India Mobile Congress, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India. HFCL’s new 1728-high fibre count IBR cable offering will allow telcos and enterprises to accelerate installation of 5G network infrastructure, expand FTTH capabilities and address the rising demand for high[1]capacity networks particularly from data centres. HFCL is amongst the few companies in India and worldwide that has successfully developed this industry leading product.

As a leading manufacturer of optical fibre cables in India, HFCL is at the forefront of innovation, developing sustainable smaller duct size cables at its Hyderabad plant. Compared to traditional 864-fibre flat ribbon cables, the next-gen 1728-fiber IBR Cable offers twice the fibre packing density in the same diameter. HFCL’s gel-free IBR cable is also optimised with high productivity mass fusion splicing for cost efficient deployment, easy installation in congested areas and quick restoration in case of any accidental outage. The manufacturing of these environmentally-friendly IBR cables is further poised to result in reducing plastic consumption per unit of fibre, lowering carbon footprint and expenses associated with network maintenance and upgrades.

As businesses migrate to the cloud and segments such as Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), e[1]commerce, manufacturing and retail drive demand, India’s data centre market is expected to boom and attract investments in hyperscale data centres. Currently, with 138 data centres, India is the world’s 13th largest market. As per research by ANAROCK-Binswanger, 45 new data centres—covering 13 million sq. ft are expected to come up in India by the end of 2025. High-fibre count IBR cables will complement the demand for dense fibre connectivity which is essential for enterprises to manage larger, more sophisticated data centres.

Further, the strong demand for IBR Cables fuelled by increasing government’s thrust on fiberisation, investing in capex and telecom infrastructure across key global markets including India, US, UK, France, Germany, Middle East and other leading economies also present a significant opportunity for companies like HFCL. While the fibre penetration in India has now moved to around 38.44% according to data provided by Digital Infrastructure Provider Association (DIPA), however, we are significantly lagging the 70% tower fiberisation in the country by 2024-25, a target set by the Indian government. The recent Union Cabinet’s approval of the Rs 1.39 lakh crore plan for rural broadband connectivity is also a major stride that will lead to massive demand for fiberization to bridge the digital divide. The launch of this revolutionary IBR cable further underlines HFCL’s commitment to emerge as a significant contributor and a partner of choice in the government’s nationwide infrastructure upgrade along with leading enterprises, and telcos.

Mr. Mahendra Nahata, Managing Director, HFCL said, “India is undergoing a massive digitisation drive and I believe that the new, high-fibre capacity IBR Cable will play a crucial role in deploying high-speed internet connectivity and bridging the existing digital divide in the Country. Our revolutionary yet sustainable 1728-fibre IBR cable will significantly help capitalise demand from data centres and contribute to national fiberisation priorities under BharatNet, NHAI programme and rollout of 4G, 5G networks by telecom operators and technology enterprises.”

The core technology behind these dense 1728-high fibre count IBR Cables is individual Intermittently Bonded Ribbons, each made up of 12 optical fibres, which are securely bonded at specific intervals along their lengths. Unlike traditional flat ribbons, IBR Cables offer a unique blend of space efficient design with a fully backward- compatible cable design, allowing seamless upgradation of optical infrastructures and further making it a readily deployable innovation in the field of optical fibre technology.