24-Core Hybrid Fiber-Power Cable for 31 RRU Sites in Malaysia

In May 2026, a telecom infrastructure contractor prepared an LTE/5G upgrade covering 31 outdoor RRU sites in Malaysia. The original installation plan used separate optical fiber and DC power cables between the lower equipment area and each remote radio unit.

That approach was technically workable, but several existing sites had limited space on rooftop trays and tower cable ladders. Adding two more parallel cable runs would increase routing, fixing and maintenance work.

After reviewing the site routes, SOCTFiber proposed a 24-core hybrid fiber-power cable combining optical transmission and DC power conductors in one outdoor cable structure.

The final order covered 3.72 km of cable, packed on six wooden drums for deployment across the 31 sites.

Project Requirements

The cable was based on SOCTFiber's hybrid fiber optic cable platform, which integrates optical fibers and electrical conductors into one cable for telecom and infrastructure applications.

The Main Project Problem: Two Cable Runs on an Already Crowded Route

Most of the 31 locations were existing sites rather than newly built towers.

The contractor therefore had to work around cable ladders, trays, grounding conductors and communication cables that were already installed.

The initial plan required:

one optical cable + one DC power cable for each RRU route.

That meant two separate cables had to be routed, secured, identified and maintained along essentially the same path.

The hybrid approach changed this to:

one combined outdoor cable containing both the optical fibers and the copper power conductors.

For this project, the benefit was mainly installation efficiency rather than optical performance.

The hybrid design did not eliminate optical or electrical termination. Those functions were still separated at the equipment end.

What it reduced was the amount of physical cabling required between the lower equipment area and the RRU.

Why the Copper Conductors Changed from 6 mm² to 10 mm²

This became the most important engineering decision before production.

The contractor's initial RFQ specified:

24-core G.652D fiber + 2 × 6 mm² copper conductors.

If the cable had been quoted only according to fiber count and conductor size, production could have started with that configuration.

Instead, SOCTFiber requested the actual route information.

The site survey showed cable runs ranging from approximately 78 m to 146 m.

That changed the discussion.

For an RRU hybrid cable, conductor size cannot be selected independently of:

• DC operating voltage;
• equipment current or power;
• one-way cable length;
• conductor resistance;
• acceptable voltage drop;
• future equipment load.

The longest routes were the main concern.

After the contractor reviewed the electrical requirements against the measured cable distances, the original 2 × 6 mm² specification was changed to 2 × 10 mm² copper conductors before production.

Increasing the conductor cross-section reduced resistance along the longer DC power paths and provided more margin for the project.

This avoided one of the most expensive mistakes in hybrid cable procurement: discovering after installation that the optical link works correctly but the power conductor is undersized for the route.

For similar RRU projects, the conductor should therefore be confirmed from the electrical load and actual cable distance rather than copied from another site's specification.

SOCTFiber covers these selection factors in its hybrid fiber-power cable specification article for outdoor RRU sites.

Why 24 Optical Fibers Were Used

The project did not require all 24 fibers for active service on the first day.

The contractor deliberately included spare capacity.

Additional fibers were reserved for:

• future network expansion;
• redundant transmission paths;
• additional equipment;
• maintenance;
• replacement if an individual fiber became unavailable.

For an existing tower where access and cable routing are already difficult, leaving spare fibers inside the installed cable can be more practical than adding another optical cable later.

G.652D single-mode fiber was selected for the transmission portion of the cable.

The available SOCTFiber 24-core hybrid fiber-power cable for RRU architecture also allows the optical and electrical configuration to be adapted according to project requirements.

Final Cable Structure

Once the optical and electrical requirements were confirmed, the final cable construction was agreed as:

• 24-core G.652D optical fiber
• 2 × 10 mm² copper conductors
• FRP central strength member
• steel tape armored protection
• outdoor PE outer sheath

The sites included rooftop trays, vertical ladder sections and exposed tower routes.

Because some sections could experience mechanical contact during installation or later maintenance, the contractor retained the steel tape armored structure rather than using the lighter unarmored option initially discussed.

The PE outer jacket was selected for outdoor deployment.

The cable structure was therefore chosen around the actual route rather than simply specifying the strongest available construction.

Cable Length Was Based on Route Measurement, Not Tower Height

Another issue appeared during order preparation.

The preliminary cable schedule contained tower heights, but tower height does not equal installed cable length.

The actual route also included:

• the cable path from lower equipment;
• horizontal rooftop sections;
• changes in direction;
• vertical tower routing;
• RRU entry position;
• termination allowance;
• installation reserve.

After the contractor updated the route measurements, the individual cable runs ranged from approximately 78 m to 146 m.

This information was used to prepare the production quantity.

The final order was 3.72 km.

That additional planning reduced the risk of arriving at a site with a cable that was only a few meters too short—a small measurement error that can make an entire pre-cut cable unusable.

Production and Testing

Production was completed in 18 days after final specification approval.

Because hybrid fiber-power cable contains both optical and electrical elements, the inspection plan covered the complete cable rather than only the optical fibers.

Optical Checks

• fiber type and count;
• fiber identification;
• optical continuity;
• attenuation at the agreed test wavelengths.

Electrical Checks

• conductor specification;
• continuity;
• electrical resistance;
• conductor identification.

This step was particularly important because the conductor size had been changed from the original 6 mm² request to 10 mm² before production.

Cable Construction Checks

• FRP strength member;
• armor construction;
• PE sheath;
• cable diameter;
• surface condition;
• cable marking;
• production length.

The objective was to confirm that the delivered cable matched the final project specification rather than the customer's original RFQ.

Packing 3.72 km for 31 Different Sites

Supplying the full quantity on one large drum would have been inconvenient for field deployment.

The contractor planned installation in several site groups, so the cable was packed on:

6 wooden drums × 620 m

instead.

This made it easier for the installation teams to move cable between sites and allocate remaining lengths within each site cluster.

Each drum was identified before shipment with the relevant cable specification and length information.

The final shipment therefore contained:

• 6 wooden drums;
• 620 m per drum;
• 3.72 km total cable length.

The order was prepared for shipment to Port Klang, Malaysia.

Installation: One Cable Route, Two Functions

During the first site installations, the crew immediately noticed one practical difference between the hybrid cable and a normal small optical cable.

The copper conductors and armored construction made the hybrid cable heavier and less flexible.

The installation method was adjusted accordingly.

The team controlled:

• pulling direction;
• minimum bending radius;
• fixing intervals;
• vertical cable weight;
• routing around tower steelwork;
• breakout position near the RRU.

The cable was fixed progressively along the vertical route rather than pulling the entire length first and securing it afterward.

This helped avoid unnecessary mechanical stress on the optical section.

Fiber and Power Were Separated at the RRU

Although the two functions shared the same main cable, optical fiber and DC power remained separate systems.

At the planned termination point, the cable was opened and divided into:

optical section → fiber termination / connection

and

copper conductors → DC power connection

Adequate breakout length was reserved so both elements could reach their connection points without forcing the cable into a tight bend.

This was confirmed during installation planning rather than left for the field crew to solve on site.

For RRU and other mobile-network architectures, SOCTFiber also provides a base station fiber optic network solution covering optical connectivity around telecom base-station infrastructure.

Site Verification After Installation

The optical links were checked again after cable installation.

The field team used optical continuity and OTDR testing to verify the installed fiber paths before network commissioning.

The DC circuits were checked separately before the RRU equipment was powered.

The completed site checks showed no abnormal optical-loss issue associated with the cable installation.

The longer routes also benefited from the conductor revision made before production. The contractor did not need to replace the installed hybrid cable or add a separate larger DC cable because of the original 6 mm² proposal.

That pre-production engineering review was arguably more important to the project than the cable manufacturing itself.

Project Result

The 31-site upgrade was completed using:

• 31 RRU cable routes
• 3.72 km of hybrid fiber-power cable
• 24-core G.652D optical fiber
• 2 × 10 mm² copper conductors
• 6 × 620 m wooden drums
• FRP + steel tape armor + PE outdoor construction

The main result was a simpler cable route.

Instead of installing a dedicated optical cable beside a dedicated DC power cable, the contractor used one hybrid cable for the common run and separated the two functions only near the equipment.

Before vs Final Installation

The project also demonstrated why a hybrid cable should not be ordered only by product name.

The difference between a suitable and unsuitable cable came from the details: route length, conductor size, optical capacity, protection structure and termination method.

What Buyers Should Confirm Before Ordering an RRU Hybrid Cable

For similar projects, a quotation request should include more than:

Please quote 24-core hybrid fiber cable.

The most useful information is:

• number of optical fibers;
• fiber type;
• RRU or equipment power requirement;
• DC operating voltage;
• longest cable route;
• installation method;
• conductor requirement, if already calculated;
• mechanical protection requirement;
• total quantity;
• number of sites;
• delivery destination.

If conductor size is not yet confirmed, provide the electrical load and cable distance instead.

That gives the cable manufacturer enough information to review the electrical and mechanical design before production.

FAQ

Can optical fiber and DC power run in the same cable for an RRU?

Yes. A hybrid fiber-power cable places optical fibers and copper power conductors within one overall cable structure. The fiber and power functions share the main cable route but are separated at the termination points.

How is the copper conductor size selected for a hybrid fiber-power cable?

Conductor size should be checked against the equipment voltage, current or power demand, cable distance and allowable voltage drop. Longer routes or higher loads may require a larger conductor cross-section. Fiber count alone cannot determine conductor size.

Does an outdoor RRU hybrid cable always need steel tape armor?

No. Armor should match the installation environment. Exposed tower routes or locations with higher mechanical risk may benefit from additional protection, while protected tray or conduit routes may use a different cable construction.

What information is needed for a custom hybrid fiber-power cable quotation?

Provide the fiber count and type, equipment voltage and power requirement, route length, installation environment, required quantity and destination. If the conductor size has already been calculated, include that specification as well.

Order & Project Support

SOCTFiber supplies hybrid fiber-power cables for RRU, mobile base station and outdoor telecom infrastructure projects.

Cable configurations can be reviewed according to fiber capacity, electrical load, route length, conductor size, installation environment and mechanical protection requirements.

For a project quotation, send your:

fiber specification + equipment power data + longest route + installation method + quantity + destination

so the cable structure can be confirmed before production.