With the advent of 5G, mobile communication has evolved beyond voice and data services of the 2G/3G/4G era. The advantages of 5G in terms of transmission speed and latency have paved the way for its application in various fields, such as VR/AR, autonomous driving, smart manufacturing, smart homes, and the Internet of Things. As 5G deployment progresses, the demand for fiber optic cables is rapidly increasing, and the advantageous MPO/MTP fiber optic cables are gaining more attention. This article will highlight the seven major advantages of using MPO/MTP fiber optic cables in 5G data centers.

The seven advantages of using MPO/MTP fiber optic cables in data centers:

1. Investment Protection: Although using MPO/MTP fiber optic cables places higher demands on the integrator’s initial capabilities and on-site surveying abilities, it effectively protects the investor’s control over the project and their rights to be informed about the products used, avoiding material waste and project investment risks.
2. Cost-Effectiveness: Overall, the MPO/MTP pre-terminated approach does not incur additional costs.
3. Ease of Operation and Installation, Time-Saving, Plug-and-Play: We can make a simple comparison. For example, when laying a 288-core fiber optic cable with three workers and two sets of equipment, using the traditional fusion splicing method would take approximately 2 hours for laying and 8 hours for splicing and installation, totaling around 10 hours. However, with MPO/MTP pre-terminated fiber optic cables, the laying time remains 2 hours, but the installation time is significantly reduced to approximately 45 minutes, undoubtedly providing a substantial advantage in time and cost savings.
4. Complete Factory Testing: MPO/MTP pre-terminated fiber optic cables undergo complete testing in the factory, and the installation process does not involve adding any other products, making on-site testing operations simple.
5. Comprehensive Link Protection: With no fusion points and no exposed bare fibers in the air, there are no issues with aging or connector breakage.
6. Convenient and Safe Maintenance: The mechanical performance of MPO/MTP pre-terminated fiber optic cable branch units is excellent, and maintenance or operation does not affect normal fiber use.
7. Redeployability and Mobility: MPO/MTP pre-terminated fiber optic cable branch units can be quickly plugged and unplugged, allowing for easy relocation and reinstallation as needed.

Compared to regular fiber optic cables, the main features of MPO/MTP fiber optic cables are their high density and pre-terminated design, ultimately manifested in the MPO/MTP multi-fiber connectors. Looking at industry developments, fiber optic connectors have undergone two distinct stages: The first stage aimed to save space by miniaturization, evolving from traditional FC, ST, and SC connectors to LC and MTRJ. The second stage not only focused on space-saving but also addressed the need for multi-fiber applications, leading to the transition from LC and MTRJ to MU and MPO/MTP.

As 5G approaches, the rapid development of data center interconnection, fiber optic sensing, and next-generation fiber optic technologies will require ultra-high-capacity, ultra-high-speed, and ultra-long-distance optical transmission networks as a prerequisite for 5G data center construction. With the dual advantages of technical and cost-effectiveness, MPO/MTP fiber optic cables are highly likely to become the mainstream choice for operators’ 5G data center construction in the future.