System and method for loose tube tight buffer indoor/outdoor optical fiber cable

摘要

A fiber cable having at least one fiber optic element, a water swellable powder, disposed on the fiber optic element and a tube surrounding the fiber element and the water swellable powder. The fiber optic element is in a loose non-coupled arrangement with respect to the inside of the tube such that during installation, mechanical installation stresses applied to the cable and the tube are not imparted to the fiber optic element therein.