Network Platforms - Liquid Emergency Maintenance NLD JB1-CT1- 5th October 08H00 – Maintenance details

Dear Customer,

Please take note of a Liquid Planned Change scheduled at Klerksdorp N12 Alabama on the 5th October 2024 from 08:00 to 15:00 (GMT: +02:00). Liquid needs to replace damaged fibre on NLD-2 48F along Klerksdorp N12 Alabama toward Wolmaransstad.

IMPACT: Services will experience an intermittent 50ms switching hit.

IMPACT: Services will be down for a maximum duration of 2Hrs during the change.

Affected Services: NLD JB1-CT1

Reason for Change:

To replace damaged Liquid fibre on NLD-2 48F along Klerksdorp N12 Alabama toward Wolmaransstad.

  Implementation plan

• Confirm the working fibres for each cable.

• Uncoil the cable slack from the manhole and remove the closure.

• Mount the closure in the splicing vehicle and open the closure.

• Ensure that the GRP of both cables are properly secured.

• Remove the heat shrink seal as follows:

o Use a sharp knife and score (partially cut – about two thirds) the heat shrink seal longitudinally.

o Heat the seal with a gas torch – the heat shrink will split along the score line.

o Remove the heat shrink completely with pair pliers while it is hot.

• Prepare the end of the new cable – remember to balance the slack to the existing cable.

• Install the cable also through the Oval port and secure the GPR.

• Cut the fibres in the tubes that contain only spare fires and remove the tube and fibres of the faulty cable side from the trays.

• Splice the same tubes from the new cable onto these fibres.

• When all the tubes that contain spare fibres are spliced, test all the spare fibres from both adjacent PoP’s and create a bi-directional trace to confirm that all splice losses meet the 0.15dB loss requirement. If not, re-splice until it is met.

• If all splice losses are within specification, transfer the working circuits at both POP’s to a pair(s) of the new spare fibres. Please assure that the necessary permissions are obtained prior to this.

• Now at the splice, cut the remaining fibres and splice through on to the new cable.

• Do again bi-directional OTDR tests to confirm that these splice losses are also within the specification.

• Remove old cable completely from the closure.

• Re-seal the oval spigot by using a FOSC OVAL SPIGOT WRAP AROUND SHRINK SEAL KIT.

• Fit closure and manage cable slack as per normal.

Cut into existing cable: Will be checked.

• Remove cable slack from the manhole.

• Measure 10m slack from the healthy cable entry into the manhole.

• From this point remove 3m of cable sheath.

• Open the oval port of a new Closure and slide the new heat shrink over the looped cable end.

• Push the looped cable end through the oval port. Apply caution not to kink or bend tubes to short as there is still fibre that carries traffic. Secure the GRP on both sides.

• Put the traffic carrying tube one side and cut the tubes with the spare fibres.

• Cut the fibres in the tubes that contain only spare fires and remove the tube and fibres of the faulty cable side.

• Splice the same tubes from the new cable onto these fibres.

• When all the tubes that contain spare fibres are spliced, test all the spare fibres from both adjacent PoP’s and create a bi-directional trace to confirm that all splice losses meet the 0.15dB loss requirement. If not, re-splice until it is met.

• If all splice losses are within specification, transfer the working circuits at both POP’s to a pair(s) of the new spare fibres. Please assure that the necessary permissions are obtained prior to this.

• Now at the splice, cut the remaining fibres and splice through on to the new cable.

• Do again bi-directional OTDR tests to confirm that these splice losses are also within the specification.

• Remove old cable completely from the closure.

• Close oval spigot with heat shrink seal as per normal.

• Fit closure and manage cable slack as per normal.

Removal of Faulty Cable

Recover of faulty Fibre cable from ducts preferable by means of blowing.

Repair New Spare Duct

Repair the new spare duct by following the same procedure as in clause 4.1.

Confirm integrity of the repair with a DIT test.

Closing the Excavation

Remove the canvas from underneath the ducts. Ensure that all stones are removed from the excavation. Ensure that the area underneath the ducts is levelled with bedding material.

Ensure the ducts are straight with the correct duct spacing. Fill the area to 100mm above the ducts with padding material and compact lightly.

Fill the rest of the excavation in layers of 150 – 200mm and compact each layer.

Reinstate at NGL to as before.

Final Testing

After all splices are completed and all slack a and store and closures are fitted and excavations is filled, repeat bi-directional OTDR test on all fibres to confirm compliance of the splice losses to specification.

Repeat DIT test to confirm that ducts were not damaged during compaction

Rollback Plan:

If the planned cut over fails the splicing team will splice the fibres back to its original state, pairs of fibre are currently splice through on tube if cut over fail the fibres will be spliced back to their original state.

Clients with protected services will be unaffected by this maintenance.

If you have any questions regarding this maintenance, please email support@networkplatforms.co.za

Regards,

Network Platforms