LS C&S to introduce new communication cables
A worker uses LS C&S's new SimpleWide PoE wire for the computerizing system at the firm's headquarters in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, June 8. Courtesy of LS C&S
By Kim Jae-heun
Cables are evolving together with the development of the telecommunication industry, where 5G, Internet of Things (IoT) and big data are no longer seen as way off in the future.
To keep up with emerging trends, LS Cable & System (C&S) is introducing various new cables, including carbon fiber wire, long-distance cables for Power Over Ethernet (PoE) and fiber-optic cables that can prevent cyberattacks.
LS C&S signed a deal recently with ADT Caps to supply PoE wires, which send electricity through LAN cables with no need for a separate power line and outlet. This helps the security company to easily install digital surveillance cameras at parks or in buildings.
The transmission distance of LS C&S's previous PoE wire only reached up to 100 meters. The cable manufacturer invented a new “SimpleWide” PoE cable that can transmit power to a maximum 200 meters, cutting construction costs by over 50 percent.
LS C&S is also ready to mass-produce fiber-optic cables that can prevent cyberattacks. It uses a special fiber to strengthen the coating around the wire to prevent illegal interception and leakage of data.
“Normal optical wires are often defenseless to cyberattacks that can steal any type of information transmitted through email, financial transactions and surveillance cameras. We expect firms in the fields of finance, defense, data centers and security to adopt our new fiber-optic cable,” an LS C&S official said.
The cable manufacturer has also commercialized lightweight wires. It uses carbon fibers for the shield material of the cable to reduce its weight by 10 percent to 20 percent. The carbon fibers are a next-generation material that can improve cable flexibility and durability by over 30 percent.
LS C&S first applied carbon fibers to LAN cables that are used in smart factories to manage their systems.
The company expects to sell its carbon fiber cables to companies in the mobility industry, including electric cars, railways, aviation and ships as well as for industrial robots and elevators.
LS started producing wires made with carbon fibers last year to improve quality compared to those made with copper or aluminum.
Its plan to commercialize the carbon fiber material for telecommunication cables was in line with the government's decision to foster the next-generation material.
In 2019, President Moon Jae-in said the government would foster the industrialization of carbon fiber, which is lighter and stronger than steel. He added it will become a key material in future growth businesses.