• Claron Fibreoptics plans to double annual optical-fibre cable capacity from about 150,000km to 300,000km over the next year
  • The Hyderabad-area manufacturer is targeting demand from BharatNet, FTTH and other telecom-network deployments

The fact

Claron Fibreoptics plans to double its annual optical-fibre cable production capacity over the next year. Managing director Niranjan Sharma told Wire & Cable India in an interview published on 5 September that the company currently has capacity for about 150,000km of cable a year and intends to raise that to roughly 300,000km.

The company manufactures optical-fibre cable near Hyderabad for telecom, internet, cable television and fibre-to-the-home networks. Claron linked its expansion plans to continued fibre deployment in India, including opportunities associated with BharatNet. The 300,000km figure is a future capacity target, not current production. Claron has not disclosed how much of its existing capacity is being used or the investment required to complete the expansion.

The assessment

Doubling capacity would give Claron more room to take larger cable orders, but the announcement does not yet show how much additional cable customers will actually receive. The company has disclosed the target, not the investment programme, completion date or expected utilisation of the expanded capacity.

Factory capacity and actual production are different measures. A plant capable of producing 300,000km a year only increases supply once the expansion is completed and customer orders are converted into shipments. For BTW readers, the next useful evidence is actual output rather than the headline capacity figure. Production volumes, new orders and delivery times will show whether Claron's expansion is keeping pace with the fibre projects it expects to serve.

What to watch

Watch for details of the manufacturing expansion, its completion date and Claron's realised annual output. Customer orders linked to BharatNet, FTTH or other fibre projects would show where the additional capacity is being absorbed, while delivery lead times would indicate whether the expansion is improving the company's ability to supply network builds.