ALTOS® Dielectric Loose Tube, Gel-Free Cable
The Corning ALTOS® Lite Gel-Free, Single-Jacket, Single-Armored Cable combines the ease of a gel-free design with the rugged durability of single-layer armor — delivering reliable, high-speed data transmission in duct, buried, or aerial outdoor applications with simplified installation and long-term performance.
ALTOS® Lite Gel-Free, Single-Jacket, Single-Armored Cable
by Corning
Corning's ALTOS® Lite Single-Armored cable delivers the proven performance of the ALTOS® platform in a lightweight, armor-protected design. The gel-free construction eliminates messy cleanup while flexible buffer tubes simplify installation and maintenance — reducing labor costs at every termination and splice point. Single-layer armor provides robust mechanical protection for direct buried and exposed outdoor environments.
Key Features
Proven Performance
Corning's extensive ALTOS® loose tube fiber optic cable portfolio offers reliable, high-speed data transmission in duct, buried, or aerial outdoor applications — backed by decades of field-proven deployments across every major network segment.
Ease of Installation
The gel-free design and flexible buffer tubes simplify installation and maintenance, reducing labor costs at every termination point. No messy gel cleanup, no solvents — just faster, cleaner mid-span access at closures, vaults, and splice locations.
Single-Layer Armor
A robust single-armor layer provides excellent mechanical protection against crush, rodent damage, and installation stresses — making this cable ideal for direct buried and exposed outdoor environments where additional ruggedness is required.
Gel-Free Waterblocking
Water-swellable materials replace traditional flooding gel — providing effective moisture protection with no cleanup, no solvents, and significantly faster mid-span access. Reduces installation time and labor cost at every termination and splice point.
MDPE Outer Jacket
Medium-density polyethylene outer jacket provides rugged environmental protection — UV resistant, easy to strip, and rated for direct burial, duct, and aerial installation — with an operating temperature range of -40°C to +70°C.
Broad Fiber Type Range
Available in 62.5 µm, 50 µm multimode, singlemode (including bend-insensitive and NZ-DSF options), and hybrid versions — covering the full range of network fiber specifications across 6 to 432 fiber counts in a single cable platform.
Technical Specifications
All ALTOS® Lite Gel-Free, Single-Jacket, Single-Armored Cable configurations comply with ANSI/ICEA S-87-640, Telcordia GR-20, and RDUP PE-90 standards.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fiber Count | 6 to 432 fibers |
| Fiber Types | 62.5 µm, 50 µm, singlemode (incl. bend-insensitive & NZ-DSF), and hybrid versions |
| Buffer Tube Diameter | 2.5 mm |
| Outer Jacket Material | Medium-density polyethylene (MDPE) |
| Operating Temperature | -40°C to +70°C (-40°F to +158°F) |
| Installation Temperature | -30°C to +70°C (-22°F to +158°F) |
| Storage Temperature | -40°C to +70°C (-40°F to +158°F) |
| Standards Compliance | ANSI/ICEA S-87-640, Telcordia GR-20, RDUP PE-90 |
| Armor Type | Single-jacket, single-armored construction |
| Waterblocking | Gel-free — water-swellable materials |
| Installation Types | Duct, direct buried, and aerial outdoor applications |
| Construction | Loose tube, gel-free, single-jacket, single-armored |
Applications
The ALTOS® Lite Gel-Free, Single-Jacket, Single-Armored Cable is the ideal choice for outdoor deployments requiring both mechanical protection and installation ease.
Direct Buried Installations
The single-armor layer provides critical protection against mechanical damage, rodents, and ground movement — making this cable the preferred choice for direct buried backbone routes where conduit is not available.
Outdoor Backbone Networks
Campus, metropolitan, and access network backbone applications — where the gel-free design reduces splice closure turn-up time and armor protection ensures cable longevity in exposed outdoor environments.
Aerial Deployments
Aerial lashed and self-supporting applications where rugged construction is essential — the single-armored design resists wind, ice loading, and installation stresses while the gel-free buffer tubes enable rapid splice closure work.
Telecommunications Infrastructure
Central office, distribution, and last-mile infrastructure where the broad fiber count range (6–432 fibers) and multi-fiber-type support accommodate both current network demands and future capacity growth in a single cable route.