Interconnect Systems recently installed the first ever `mini-cable` solution in Africa, along with well over 100km of single mode fibre optic cable, for long-standing client Sasol.
The entire Sasol core upgrade project was managed by industry veteran Theo van der Wath, senior project manager from Business Connexion`s Professional Services Competency.
For Interconnect Systems, the reticulation aspect of the project involved upgrading Sasol`s pre-existing multimode fibre backbone, at its sprawling 60 square kilometre plant in Sasolburg, to a blown fibre infrastructure, with Pirelli`s mini-cable installed between the four primary distribution areas on the Sasol campus.
Mini-cable systems use small diameter cables, to deliver between 12 and 72 fibres per cable to provide unprecedented choice in network expansion strategies.
The option of installing further mini-ducts and, within them, appropriate mini-cables to reflect changing business conditions, offers significant cost-savings and gives operators tremendous flexibility in planning their networks. Over the past two years in particular, mini duct systems have become increasingly popular in Europe, with over 20 000km of mini-cable fibre with up to 72 fibres per cable already installed in France alone.
Van der Wath, who directed the upgrade so that it complied with Cisco`s Best Practice Campus Model, gave the blown fibre and mini-cable technology the thumbs up for several reasons. "These systems offer the most flexible `pay as you grow` architecture available. Also, operators have the distinct advantage of deferring all but essential capital investment in the network, building directly according to today`s need, then simply increasing the fibre count in line with demand later.
"Also, because the network has been designed to offer the client full redundancy, in the event of one of the fibre links going down, cable repairs can happen behind the scenes. This means that while repairs are being carried out, network users won`t notice a thing. The same holds true for future upgrades."
What made this a particularly interesting project to observe was the fact that after Interconnect had built the routes and installed the infrastructure of straw-like tubes, the actual bundles of blown fibre and mini-cables were blown in with compressed air at speeds of up to 86m per minute.
At the end of the project, which ran from March to November 2005, there were several accolades in store for Interconnect Systems` project manager Arnout Malherbe and his crew. They not only achieved a 100% safety record and reduced the overall cost of the project by R6 million, they were also all presented with excellence awards by Sasol`s Steering Committee Chairman in recognition of their extraordinary performance.
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