Optical cable · Georgia
We buy outside plant and intra-building fiber optic cable
Loose tube, ribbon and tight-buffer fiber from network builds, campus risers and decommissioned suites. Fiber is reviewed on glass type, count, jacket rating and whether the cable has been pulled — not on weight, because there is almost no metal in it.
- OS2, OM3 and OM4
- Loose tube and ribbon
- Terminated trunks
01Overview
What this page covers
Fiber is the one cable on a surplus list where the usual logic inverts. There is no copper to fall back on, no metal value to set a floor, and no scrap route that recovers much of anything. A reel is worth what it can still carry, and that depends on glass type, fiber count, jacket rating and whether the cable has been kinked.
It arrives from builds that finished with spares, from routes that were redesigned mid-construction, from premises risers replaced during an upgrade, and from buildings being gutted where the riser cable comes out in one length. Pre-terminated trunks and harnesses turn up whenever a project ordered the wrong length.
Of everything on this site, fiber is the material most often thrown away and most often worth keeping. A half reel of 48-count singlemode outside plant cable has no metal value at all and is still a useful asset to the contractor who needs that footage next month.
02Specification
What identifies a fiber lot
- Types
- Loose tube OSP, ribbon, tight buffer, armored, ADSS and figure-8
- Glass
- OS2 singlemode, OM3, OM4 and OM5 multimode
- Counts
- 6 through 288 fibers; ribbon up to 864 in some constructions
- Jackets
- PE for outside plant, riser and plenum rated for indoor runs
- Standards
- Telcordia GR-20, ICEA S-87-640, TIA-568 series
- Reels
- 1,000 ft to 20,000 ft wood reels; 500 ft and 1,000 ft premise spools
- Condition
- Sealed, part reel, pulled, removed from service, kinked
('The reel tag gives fiber type, count and length in one place, and the jacket print repeats it. Photograph both before the cable is moved, because the print rubs off on a reel that has been dragged.',)
03Fiber we buy
Fiber we buy
Loose tube outside plant cable
Gel-filled tubes around a central strength member, built for duct and aerial runs. Reviewed on fiber type, count, jacket integrity and whether the reel has been paid out through a duct.
Ribbon cable
Flat ribbons stacked in a tube for high-count splicing. Valuable where the count is high and the reel is intact, because the splicing labour it saves is the reason it was specified.
Tight-buffer and premise cable
Indoor distribution and riser cable, often plenum rated, in 6 to 48 count. Arrives as part spools after a riser replacement and is reviewed on footage and jacket rating.
Pre-terminated trunks and harnesses
Factory-terminated assemblies with MPO or LC ends. Reviewed as assemblies: the connectors and the length are fixed, so a trunk that does not fit the next job is a much smaller asset.
04Evaluation
How a fiber lot is reviewed
Glass type and count come first, because they decide what the cable can be used for. Singlemode outside plant cable and 50-micron multimode riser cable are not interchangeable, and a 12-count reel will not serve a route designed for 48. Both facts are printed on the jacket every metre or so.
Then whether the cable has been installed. A sealed reel with the tag and the factory packaging is the best case. A reel that has been pulled through duct has been tensioned and bent, and its history is unknown until it is tested. Attenuation testing with an OTDR or a light source and power meter is what turns an unknown into a known, and a seller who has that result is ahead.
Then storage. Fiber tolerates damp better than copper but not crushing: a reel that has had pallets stacked on it, or that has stood on its flange in mud, may have crushed tubes inside. Note the flange condition, whether the cable is still wrapped, and whether the reel ends are exposed.
Never look into a fiber end or a connector, with or without magnification. The light is invisible and the hazard is real. Cleaved fiber splinters are glass and are handled with tape and a sharps container, not fingers.
05Seller terms
Before you sell: how it works
Four things a seller should be able to pin down before a truck is booked.
Verification
Footage is checked against the reel tag, the sequential marks on the jacket, the wrap count against the barrel, or a published weight per 1,000 ft — whichever the reel actually supports.
Payment
Payment method and timing are agreed in writing for the specific lot before anything is loaded or moved. No verbal number is treated as an agreement.
Paperwork
A bill of sale for the lot, and for utility material the owning utility’s release reference. Neither is optional and neither is created after the fact.
Freight
Collection is arranged as part of the terms. Say what can lift the reels and whether a 53-foot trailer can reach them, and the pickup is planned around that.
Sending a reel list and photographs costs nothing. A review is not a purchase, and nothing is bought, moved or scheduled until written lot terms are agreed for that material. Request a pickup when the lot is ready.
07Questions
Fiber optic cable questions
Does fiber optic cable have scrap value?
Very little. There is no copper in it and the glass is not recovered. Its value is as usable cable, which is why footage and condition carry the whole review.
Do you buy fiber that has been pulled through duct?
Yes, with the history stated. Pulled cable is reviewed as recovery material unless attenuation test results come with it.
Can a kinked reel be salvaged?
Part of it. The damaged section can be cut out, but the remaining lengths are then shorter and are listed as such rather than as a full reel.
Are terminated trunks worth listing separately?
Yes. A trunk is a fixed assembly with fixed ends, so its length and connector type decide whether it fits another job. Mixed in with bulk cable it loses that detail.
Send the fiber type, the count and the footage
Glass type, fiber count, jacket rating and remaining length start the review. Say whether the reel is sealed, part used or pulled, and whether test results exist.