Fiber optic cable transmits data as light through glass or plastic strands, which means the fiber core itself carries no electrical current and requires no grounding. This Applications Engineering Note (AE Note) discusses conventional bonding and grounding practices for conductive fiber optic cable and hardware installations within the scope of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Systems include cables, messengers, and guys, or a combination of these facilities at the supply or communication level. The term “messenger” is defined in Rule 21. The. Since an optical fiber cable is non-conductive and there is no electric flowing, there are several advantages over a twisted copper cable in deploying: The non-conductive (dielectric) characteristics of fiber impacts how a designer lays out cabling pathways.
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