The Prysmian Group announced that it is working with Dutch operator KPN in a pilot project involving a fiber optic network that will use 90% recycled plastic.

A press release said that KPN will be the first telecommunications firm in Europe to use the new Prysmian cable concept to install connections for its customers. The sustainable solution uses Prysmian’s Sirocco HD 96f cable, launched earlier this year, and thinner Easenet tubes. The 4.5-mm diameter cable in a 10-mm sleeve can replace the use of a conventional 6-mm cable in a 14-mm sleeve. That advance alone guarantees an approximately 50% reduction in the volume of plastic used. Also, the smaller diameters allow a greater length of cable to be supplied on a single reel, significantly reducing costs in terms of transport, storage and packaging.

The pilot projects will be developed in the Netherlands, in Buitenpost (Friesland) and Nijmegen. Further advantages are expected to emerge during the installation, such as less excavation works required at the network concentration points, leading to less soil to be removed and processed.
“This project is yet another demonstration of Prysmian’s commitment to developing innovative and sustainable quality broadband networks,” said Prysmian Group Vice President Toni Bosch. “With the world’s ever-increasing demand for information, this innovative solution enables the use of smaller trenches for new installations, resulting in lower installation costs and the use of less raw materials. This provides benefits in terms of both the total cost of network deployment and the environmental footprint.”

The new cables and tubes require about half the usual raw materials (plastic or PE) of conventional cabling. Beside these direct savings, the new concept offers an indirect environmental advantage since over 90% of the tubes are manufactured using high-quality recycled PE. This immediately translates into a reduction of the carbon emissions and ultimately of end-of-life waste. In addition, Prysmian expects to achieve a further reduction of carbon emissions through savings on logistics, storage, and packaging materials, which will be evaluated in a real-life test for KPN.