When should I choose fibre over copper cabling?

Three triggers. First, distance, any single run over 100m has to be fibre because copper Ethernet stops working past that. Second, between buildings. Copper between buildings is asking for trouble (lightning, ground potential differences, EMI). Third, bandwidth headroom, if the link will need to carry 10Gb, 40Gb or 100Gb in the next decade, fibre is the right tool.

What is the difference between single-mode and multi-mode fibre?

Single-mode uses a tiny 9μm core and laser light to push signals tens of kilometres. It's the choice for inter-site and long-haul links. Multi-mode uses a larger 50μm core and lower-cost LEDs/VCSELs, and is the choice for runs under 400m inside a building or small campus. Single-mode cable is cheaper; single-mode optics are pricier. The decision is about distance, then equipment cost.

Can you fuse-splice on site?

Yes, every fibre install we do uses fusion splicing rather than mechanical splices. Loss is recorded for every joint and included in the handover pack. Mechanical splices have their place (emergency repairs, very short-life installs), but fusion is the standard for any permanent install.

Do you provide OTDR test results?

Yes. Bidirectional OTDR traces on every fibre, plus insertion loss and return loss measurements where the link budget needs them. Reports are handed over as PDFs and become part of the manufacturer warranty pack.

How does a leased line installation work?

Your ISP runs a fibre to your building (the "tail") and terminates it on a Network Termination Unit (NTU) in your comms room. We handle everything from the NTU into your network: rack-mount the NTU, patch the LAN handoff into your firewall or router, label and test the cross-connect, and co-ordinate the cutover so the line goes live with minimal downtime. The carrier handles the tail and the wider WAN; we handle your side.

Services/Fibre Optic Cabling

Single-Mode · Multi-Mode · OTDR Tested

Fibre Optic
Cabling.

Fibre is the right answer when copper runs out of road, runs over 100m, links between buildings, sites with serious EMI, or backbones that need to carry 10Gb, 40Gb and 100Gb without breaking sweat. CoreComms designs, installs and tests fibre optic cabling for offices, factories, campuses and healthcare sites across Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and the wider North West and West Yorkshire.

Request a fibre quote

0330 838 1000

FIBRE INSTALLATION

Fibre Optic Cable Installation for High-Speed Networks.

A fibre install is part craft, part documentation. The pull is the easy bit. What separates a good install from one that limps along is the splicing, the termination, the OTDR-tested launch loss on every fibre, and the as-built drawings you can hand to the next contractor in five years.

We handle the full job:

Design, single-mode vs multi-mode selection, fibre count, route, containment

Installation, internal, external, ducted, direct-burial, aerial where needed

Termination, fusion splicing on site, LC/SC/ST connectors, FOSC enclosures, ODF and patch panel mounting

Testing, OTDR traces, insertion loss, return loss, every fibre certified end-to-end

Handover, labelled patch panels, port schedules, OTDR PDFs, as-built drawings

Whether you need a single 24-fibre run between two buildings on Trafford Park or a campus backbone serving five buildings across a Wellington Place fit-out, the standard is the same. For shorter copper runs and structured installs, see our structured data cabling page.

FIBRE TYPES

Single-Mode vs Multi-Mode Fibre.

Choosing the right fibre type at design stage saves you from re-pulling cable later. The decision comes down to distance, bandwidth, and what active equipment you're putting on either end.

Single-Mode (long distance)

Single-mode fibre (SMF. Typically OS2) carries one mode of light through a 9μm core and is built for distance. Lasers at 1310nm or 1550nm push signals tens of kilometres without active regeneration. For any inter-site link beyond a few hundred metres, single-mode is the answer.

We specify single-mode for:Inter-building links over 550mCampus backbones with growth headroomLeased line tails where the carrier hands off on SMFLong-term installs where you want the cable to outlast 2 to 3 generations of switching

Multi-Mode (short distance, high bandwidth)

Multi-mode fibre (MMF) uses a 50μm core and lower-cost LED or VCSEL light sources. Lower cost to terminate and on optics, and the standard for short-haul backbones inside buildings and small campuses. The current standard for new installs is OM4 (or OM5 for short-wave wavelength division multiplexing); older OM1/OM2 cable is best replaced when upgrading.

We specify multi-mode for:Backbones between floors in a single building10Gb / 40Gb / 100Gb runs under 400mData centre and comms-room linksEquipment-room to equipment-room within a campus

Active equipment for single-mode (10Gb LR transceivers, BiDi optics) is more expensive than multi-mode equivalents, but the cable itself is cheap and the lifespan is effectively unlimited.

Rule of thumb: under 400m and inside a building, multi-mode is usually cheaper end-to-end. Over 400m or any inter-site link, single-mode pays back inside the first equipment refresh.

Got a project in mind? Let's scope it together.

Get a free quote 0330 838 1000

INTER-BUILDING & CAMPUS

Inter-Building & Campus Links.

Multi-building sites are where fibre comes into its own. Copper can't span the distance reliably, and fibre delivers a clean, high-bandwidth link with a long service life.

We've installed inter-building links across:

Manufacturing campuses in Trafford Park and the Aire Valley industrial belt

Healthcare estates with separate clinical buildings sharing a single network

Schools with detached blocks needing a single, manageable network

Office estates where tenants share a comms room

External fibre needs the right cable type for the route. Direct-burial gel-filled cable for buried duct, armoured cable for aerial runs, fire-rated cable inside buildings, and waterproof FOSC enclosures at every joint. We design the route around the building, not the other way round.

LEASED LINES

Leased Line Installation.

Where your ISP delivers a leased line on fibre, we handle the customer-side install: terminating the carrier's tail in your comms room, mounting the NTU, patching the LAN handoff into your firewall or router, and testing the link end-to-end. We work with all major UK carriers and deliver a neat install with full handover documentation.

If your leased line is being upgraded (e.g. a 100Mb FTTC dropping out for a 1Gb FTTP) we'll co-ordinate the cutover with the carrier's engineer to minimise downtime. Most jobs are a single-evening cut.

SPLICING · TERMINATION · TESTING

Splicing, Termination & Testing.

This is where long-term reliability is won. Every splice and termination is done to manufacturer spec and signed off with full test results. Our process:

Fusion splicing

on site using a fibre splicer with arc-discharge alignment to every splice loss measured and recorded

LC, SC or ST terminations

as required by the kit, with proper inspection of every endface under fibre microscope

OTDR launch testing

bidirectional traces on every fibre, with the report handed over as a PDF

Insertion loss / return loss

measured against the channel design

Labelling

every fibre, every connector, every patch panel, with a port schedule that matches the as-built

If any fibre fails its budget at test, we re-splice or re-terminate before handover. You shouldn't have to chase contractors over their own test results.

Want a fixed-price quote? We'll come and survey first.

Get a free quote 0330 838 1000

INDUSTRIES WE SERVE

Industries we serve.

Healthcare

GP networks, dental practice imaging links, care home infrastructure, hospital outbuilding connections. DSPT-aligned, EMIS- and SystmOne-compatible. See our healthcare IT support page for clinical-environment specifics.

Manufacturing

Factory backbones, plant-to-office links, warehouse-to-warehouse runs in industrial estates. Single-mode for inter-building, multi-mode inside the comms room.

Education

University campuses, FE colleges, multi-building secondary schools. Holiday installs, integration with safeguarding networks, AV-grade fibre for lecture capture.

Office Campuses

Multi-tenant business parks, single-tenant campuses, head-office-to-disaster-recovery-site links. Resilient diverse routes where uptime matters.

SERVICE AREAS

Service Areas.

We install fibre across the North West and West Yorkshire, with dedicated city pages: