Commonly referred to as figure 8 cable, figure 8 fiber cable, figure 8 aerial cable, self-supporting figure 8 cable, or simply figure 8 optical cable, this ingenious structure combines optical fibers with an integrated messenger wire in a distinctive “8” cross-section. This self-supporting design. How To "Figure 8" Cable for Intermediate Pulls in OSP Installations On very long OSP runs (farther than approximately 2. 5 miles or 4 kilometers), it may be necessary to use an automated fiber puller at intermediate point (s) for a continuous pull or pull from the middle out to both ends (midspan. Figure-8 fiber optic cable installation refers to a specific method of aerial installation for fiber optic cables. In this installation technique, the fiber optic cable is designed in the shape of a figure-8, resembling the number 8 when viewed from the side. The cable design provides easy and economical one -step installation and stable performance over a wide temperature range and is compatible with any telecommunication grade optical fibre. The cross-section of this cable type is 8-shaped.