Multidwelling Unit Solutions for Building Connectivity | Corning

What is a Multidwelling Unit?

What is a Multidwelling Unit?

Multidwelling units (MDUs) come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from high rise buildings, small condos, duplex units, or multiuse properties with a combination of business and residential customers. Other factors such as aesthetics, labor skill levels, and access to rights of way also play a role in the fiber architecture and product selection. No two MDUs are exactly the same in appearance or construction, nor are the MDU solutions for one going to fit into others. We offer a range of MDU solutions to address the wide variety of fiber architectures you may encounter in the field, backed by the expertise we have gathered from numerous global MDU deployments.

The Customer Connecting Challenge

The Customer Connecting Challenge

MDU deployments often present operators with challenges, which can include:

• Duct space is limited, full, unusable, or not continuous

• Space is at a premium in aisles and basement

• Availability of and access to tenants requires coordination and causes tension
 

Our experience with numerous global MDU deployments has taught us the following key considerations:

• Use the smallest, most robust, and bend tolerant cable and fiber to avoid reworks and repairs

• Pre-connectorisation can limit disturbance of tenants and speed installation

• Plan network access points at basement and/or floor level

• Avoid expensive and special tools (splice machines)

• Terminate passives separately to account for shorter life time of actives

With experience gained through millions of units connected around the world, we can help simplify your deployments.
 

Fiber in the MDU Environment

A. Outside Demarcation Point
Most MDU scenarios will feature a demarcation point outside of the building. 

B. Inside the Basement
Medium- to large-sized buildings often have a dedicated splitter cabinet supporting anywhere from 32 to 864 living units. 

C. At the Floor
Riser cables feed terminals on the floor and serve as the transition point from riser to horizontal cabling. Some buildings require a dedicated terminal on each floor, whereas other buildings can utilize one terminal to service several adjacent floors. 

D. Inside the Living Unit
In large to mid-to-large MDUs, horizontal drop cables run down hallways, providing an access point for subscribers to connect. In small MDUs, drop cables home run to the cabinet/splitter terminal. 

Clearly faster. Clearly easier. Clearly better.

Clear Track Fiber Pathways

Clear Track Fiber Pathways

The Corning® Clear Track Fiber Pathways enable service providers to deliver virtually invisible Gigabit broadband connectivity for both inside-living-unit (ILU) and multidwelling-unit (MDU) applications. The solutions are smart and stylish. Installation is fast and easy. In fact, one person can do the job in hours, not days, with minimal noise and intrusion.

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