INCREASING TOTAL DATA CAPACITY IN OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS

An optical fiber cable comprises an inner tube with strength members that are located external to, and alongside of, the inner tube. Water-blocking material is also located external to the inner tube. A sheath surrounds the strength members and the water-blocking material. The cable further comprises an optical fiber with a core, a trench surrounding the core, a cladding surrounding the trench, and a coating applied over the cladding. The cable comprises a fiber arrangement with N optical fibers (with N being an integer (e.g., 16, 32, 48, 96, etc.), of which at least one optical fiber has: a maximum effective area (Aeff) of approximately seventy-five square micrometers (˜75 μm2) at a wavelength (λ) of approximately 1550 nanometers (˜1550 nm); a maximum mode field diameter (MFD) of ˜8.8 μm at λ of ˜1550 nm; a maximum cable cut-off λ of ˜1520 nm; and, a maximum attenuation of ˜0.180 decibels-per-kilometer (dB/km) at λ of ˜1550 nm.