PRYSMIAN BOOSTS EFFICIENCY FOR HIGH DENSITY BROADBAND, DATA CENTERS AND 5G ROLL-OUT WITH SIROCCO ULTRA CABLES

Prysmian has launched a new cable solution, the Sirocco Ultra, the first microduct cable featuring 160µm optical fiber. The cable will be an essential component in applications such as data centers, Fiber-to-the-x and 5G use cases which depend on high density data transfer.

Size matters – more density, smaller footprint

Prysmian’s innovation represents the first time that a microduct cable can feature 160µm optical fibre. Microducts are small, flexible tubes that are inside the cable and are used for clean and continuous paths for fiber connections – while the 160µm optical fiber is a new best-in-class standard for high density data transfer use cases. The two together unlock greater efficiency, reliability and thanks to the smaller size, more flexibility in where it can be installed, reducing deployment costs and accelerating installation times.

Ian Griffiths, Vice President of R&D for the Digital Solutions segment at Prysmian said: “We set a new standard of fiber miniaturization, and now we can unlock unpredicted cable density. This means not only more efficient connections in high-density application such as data centers, FTTx and 5G, but also, we can significantly reduce deployment costs for our customers and make the roll-out of this essential digital infrastructure much faster thanks to its compact design. We have also done this in a sustainable way, by reducing the use of materials.”

Sustainable by design because thinking-ahead matters

By integrating the PicoTube Technology, Prysmian’s breakthrough miniaturization technology that enables ultra compact, high density optical cables and microducts, the cable reduces Its size by up to 35% compared to conventional microduct cables, enabling installers to put new cables into already crowded ducts and use smaller ducts in new buildings or infrastructure - such as a in a city street, or a data center - cutting installation costs and reducing use of raw- materials. The combination of smaller diameters and higher fiber densities supports both economic efficiency and environmental sustainability.

The technical details

Prysmian’s Sirocco Ultra cable contains 288 fibres within a compact 6.1 mm diameter, achieving a density of 9.9 fibres per mm² and allowing installation into standard 8 mm ducts. The Sirocco Ultra family leverages Prysmian’s BendBrightXS 160µm single‑mode fibre (ITU‑T G.657.D, G.657.A2), a bend‑insensitive fibre designed for next‑generation networks while maintaining full compatibility with existing G.652 infrastructures. This ensures a future‑proof, high‑performance solution.