AFL and Winchester Electronics Partner Offering Fujikura Fusion Splicers for Broadcast SMPTE Cable

AFL Telecommunications and Winchester Electronics have partnered to develop a customized Winchester KINGS® brand Fujikura fusion splicing system for installation of their Fiber Optic Tri-Loc® Camera Connectors for SMPTE 311 hybrid fiber optic cable and the AFL FuseConnect™ field installable connectors.

Splicing of the Tri-Loc connector is performed using a special cable clamping system along with fiber holders designed to accept the Tri-Loc termini. This design allows for the use of a standard length connector housing for the connector. Both the V-groove and core alignment splicer models retain standard splicing functionality while incorporating enhanced features to provide the most reliable fusion splicers in the market today. The new rugged construction adds improved reliability by resisting shock, dust and rain.

"Customers using Fiber Optic Tri-Loc Camera Connectors now have an easy and affordable way to install these in the field," said Greg Pickeral, Product Manager of Fusion Splicing Systems at AFL Telecommunications. "Our design retains all the standard functionality of both the 60S and 18S making this a truly versatile tool for those who install the Winchester Tri-Loc connectors or just splice standard fiber optic cables."

Winchester Electronics, a leader in design, development and deployment of interconnect technology, designs and manufactures an extensive range of interconnect products, value-added cable and electromechanical assemblies. In partnering with AFL, Winchester adds a new product to the mix – a fiber optic fusion splicer customized for the broadcast market.

"Winchester is excited to offer our customers the ability to fusion splice our Fiber Optic Tri-Loc Camera Connectors using customized Fujikura splicers," said Mark Yanzo, Marketing Manager for Winchester Electronics. "The partnership of Winchester and AFL delivers the best performance and value in the industry."

The broadcast fusion splicer is available now from Winchester Electronics. For additional information, visit www.AFLtele.com or www.winchesterelectronics.com.

AFL Network Services Connects Buccament Bay Guests with Fiber-to-the-Cabana

Guests at the newly opening Buccament Bay Resort in St. Vincent, The Grenadines, will experience fiber optic-based communications services with the deployment of a Fiber-to-the-Cabana system from Grove Networks, AFL Network Services, and Tellabs.

Like many property owners, Harlequin Hotels & Resorts, the owner of Buccament Bay Resort, understood that deploying traditional copper/coax architecture is not the best option for a new property, especially given the large geographic footprint of Buccament Bay Resort. While working with their technology consultant, Grove Networks of Miami, the Harlequin management team determined that the FTTC (Fiber to the Cabana) architecture had many advantages over a more traditional copper-based network, including delivery of high-bandwidth services to guests, and the ability to upgrade to future services seamlessly, without costly upgrades to existing infrastructure.

"Grove Networks provided a solution delivering all guest services over a common, managed infrastructure, not only providing significant cost savings over a traditional model, but also sufficient capacity for future services without additional infrastructure expense," said Joerg Roterberg, Vice President of Operations for Harlequin Hotels & Resorts. The fact that fiber is naturally immune to electromagnetic interference, lightning, and corrosion from saltwater also contributed to the decision to utilize a fiber, rather than copper architecture.

Grove Networks turned to AFL Network Services for complete design and implementation assistance. As a globally-recognized manufacturer and integrator of fiber optic components, AFL provided a complete package of passive fiber optic components and Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) components in conjunction with Tellabs equipment. Products include cables, closures, splitters, and panels for the passive portion of the network, and the Tellabs 1134 platform at the data center with individual Optical Network Terminals (ONTs) to provide voice, data, and video services for the cabanas.

"The complete package of products and services from AFL has enabled us to put together a state-of-the-art fiber optic infrastructure for Buccament Bay at a very reasonable price point," said Andrew Judge, Founder and CEO of Grove Networks Inc."AFL helped take the uncertainty out of the process, enabling us to build the right network the first time at the right price. The 1134 platform from Tellabs also provides enough room for growth so we know that the platform will serve the needs of our customer well into the future."

Visit AFL Network Services and Tellabs at the HITEC Conference in Orlando, Booth #743.