These factors include the type of cable and conduit, temperature, and the straightness of the run – all affecting how far you can pull fiber through the duct. The problem is I have FOUR strands in each cable, so I have 4 SC connectors. If I position them so it's only 1 connector thick, and I have the connectors all taped together inline instead of side by side, and use cable grease, it should go through the conduit rather easily. The optical fiber elements are typically individually coated with plastic layers and contained in a protective tube. The cable that started the fiber optic revolution in the 1970s was the loose tube configuration, which isolated the optical fiber from the strains of installation by enclosing everything within fairly rigid protective sleeves or tubes. However, in real-world installations, whether underground, aerial, or in harsh industrial environments, fiber cables can and do fail. Understanding the common causes of. When pulling long lengths of cable in conduit or innerduct (up to approximately 3 miles or 5 kilometers in the outside plant, hundreds of meters in premises cabling), use proper lubricants and make sure they are compatible with the cable jacket.