Sterlite Technologies develops ultra-slim optical fibre cable for U.S. market

Sterlite Technologies (STI), the US subsidiary of STL, has announced the development of one of the world’s slimmest high-capacity optical fibre cables, designed for data centre operators, hyperscalers, and telecommunications providers in the United States.

The Celesta Intermittent Bonded Ribbon (IBR) Cable by STL features a high-density configuration, accommodating 864 fibres within a cable diameter of just 11.7 mm. This design is optimised for air-blown installation in ducts with a 14 mm inner diameter. In performance testing, the cable achieved a jetting distance of approximately 4,700 feet (over 1,500 metres) in under 20 minutes.

The cable uses STL’s bend-insensitive HD G.657.A2 200-micron fibre and conforms to industry-standard sheathing specifications, supporting efficient installation practices. These features are particularly suited to applications where space is constrained and performance demands are high.

Modern data centre and hyperscale network environments require infrastructure capable of supporting high-capacity, low-latency, and scalable data transport across distributed sites and cloud platforms. In such scenarios, fibre cables must maximise fibre count within limited duct space while ensuring fast, reliable installation and consistent performance under varying environmental conditions.

The Celesta IBR Cable is engineered to support these requirements, combining high-count mass fusion splicing compatibility with a compact ribbon bond design. This allows for dense fibre packing and reduced cable diameter, making it appropriate for data centre deployments, intra-cabinet equipment connections, and outdoor plant applications.

With its 864-fibre count, the cable offers what it claims to be the highest capacities within a microduct of 14/18 mm dimensions. It is compliant with GR-20 and meets ICEA 122-744 standards. The cable has also been tested in accordance with IEC-compliant track configurations.

STL’s IBR cable portfolio spans from 12 to 6912 fibres, representing one of the highest fibre count offerings in the industry. Over the last five years, STL has delivered more than 10 million fibre kilometre (fkm) units to customers in Europe and the United States. STL was also an early pioneer of IBR technology in India.With 10 manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe, and Asia, STL is positioned to address diverse global connectivity requirements at scale.

Commenting on the development, Dr Badri Gomatam, Chief Technology Officer at STL, stated, “The Celesta IBR cable represents a significant step forward in advanced optical engineering. By combining high fibre density with enhanced bend performance in a compact form factor, we aim to support scalable and efficient network infrastructure for hyperscale and data centre environments.”