Self-supporting fiber optic cable

A fiber optic cable comprising:

• a messenger section comprising at least one support member and a jacket surrounding said at least one support member;
• a carrier section comprising a tube having at least one optical fiber disposed within said tube;
• at least one strength member positioned proximate a water-blocking tape that substantially surrounds said tube;
• and a jacket surrounding said tube, said water-blocking tape, and said at least one strength member, a web connecting said jackets of said carrier section and said messenger section, said at least one strength member being generally positioned in a plane that also generally extends through said messenger section, said carrier section and said web thereby imparting a preferential bend characteristic to said fiber optic cable.

A fiber optic cable comprising:

• a messenger section comprising at least one support member and a jacket surrounding said at least one support member;
• a carrier section having an over-length with respect to said messenger section, said carrier section comprising a tube with at least one optical fiber disposed within said tube;
• a jacket surrounding said tube and said at least one strength member;
• and
• a plurality of intermittent webs connecting said respective jackets of said messenger section and said carrier section;
• said at least one strength member and said messenger section imparting a preferential bend characteristic to said cable whereby said carrier section preferentially bends in a plane generally orthogonally disposed to a reference plane that generally extends through said messenger section, said carrier section and said web.