News & Events

News archive: Fujikura 12S

March 1st, 2013
Author: Chris Conder
Tags: arkholme b4rn community digitalbritain fibre ftth fusion innovation jfdi radio Lancashire splicing team volunteers
Posted In: Archive News

This last few weeks B4RN volunteers have been test driving the new Fujikura 12S in the fields, and the homes in Rural England. With sheep. And Tea.

Fujikura are very kindly loaning this splicer to B4RN for a few weeks because we only have one splicer and the diggers and farmers are digging like mad and its a job to keep up with them! The volunteers are busy blowing the fibre and installing equipment in homes and businesses. It’s all go at the moment  and with lambing time looming everyone has a push on. On one row in Arkholme of the 40 properties all but 5 took a connection, with 32 taking live service and 3 just having the install done until their current contracts expire. 80% take up. Nice.

Some little videos of the 12S in action and more photos below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqZHHanD4xQ&rel=0]

The fujikura in action again, with some digging too, and more sheep. And tea.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHMlR1Jgrto&rel=0]

This is a brilliant little splicing machine which is also very portable. It even has straps so you can hang it round your neck if you want to climb poles! All our fibre is buried so we don’t need that facility, but it proves how nimble the machine is. So far we have tested it in fields, in tents, in snow and frost, in homes and yesterday we worked in one of the cabinets. It has performed well in all of the places and not been any problems. The cleaver and tools that came with it were also of excellent quality and of a few hundred splices the majority have been very low dB. Only two splices have had to be re-done, (with loss of 0.4db or above), with the 12S notifying the operator of any faults before fusion is attempted. Most splices have given 0.0dB estimates, which we feel is a good guestimate of success. We have been very pleased to be able to be the first in the UK to test drive this product, and will seriously consider buying one as our company gets bigger and generates income. If anyone would like to sponsor this machine and so B4RN could keep it a bit longer please do get in touch!

With grateful thanks to our sponsor Fujikura, and many thanks to Tom Watson who has shown us its potential and enabled us to speed ahead with delivering connectivity to this beautiful area of the Lune Valley, where internet services are very poor but the views are amazing. The people can do IT for themselves, and bring a fibre to every home to make it one of the fastest villages in the land. If not the fastest. Since seeing the fusion splicing in action we have since had a request from the local WI to be trained as volunteer splicers, and we think this is a great idea. Women make good splicers as their fingers are very nimble. There is no escape for anyone in this community, if you have a skill we will find you! As soon as we get photos of the ladies in action we will post them.

12S handheld

The Fujikura 12S fusion head

Fibre holders

The heater which heat shrinks the splice protectors on the fused fibre