Prysmian Group launches U.K. patent action against Emtelle
Prysmian SpA and its U.K. subsidiary have started legal proceedings in the U.K. High Court against Emtelle UK Limited (Emtelle) in a Prysmian fiber optic patent infringement case. They allege that Emtelle has infringed two key Prysmian patents covering fiber optic cable technology. This new case follows earlier patent enforcement actions that Prysmian filed in Europe.
Prysmian fiber optic patent infringement case against Emtelle
According to a recent press release, Prysmian and its U.K. subsidiary allege that Emtelle’s FibreFlow blown fiber products infringe the U.K. designations of European Patents EP (UK) 1,420,279 B1 and EP (UK) 1,668,392 B1. These patents protect Prysmian’s advanced fiber optic cable designs. So far, Emtelle has not publicly responded to these specific infringement claims.
For more information about Prysmian’s telecom and optical fiber portfolio, visit the Prysmian Group website at https://www.prysmian.com. To review Emtelle’s fiber and duct systems, see https://www.emtelle.com.
Prysmian fiber optic patent infringement and innovation
Philippe Vanhille, EVP of Telecom Business at Prysmian Group, emphasized the company’s long‑term focus on innovation and R&D. He noted that the Group has invested heavily in telecom cable technology and now offers solutions with record‑setting fibre count and density, supported by a large portfolio of patents in optical cables and related technologies. Therefore, Prysmian closely monitors the market and acts to protect its technology and investments against any unauthorized use of its patents.
Previous German patent litigation
Earlier, Prysmian filed a similar patent infringement action in Germany against a competing manufacturer. That case targets the alleged unauthorized use of European Patents EP 1,668,392 B1 (EP ‘392) and EP 2,390,700 B1 (EP ‘700). As a result, Prysmian now defends the same core optical cable innovations in multiple jurisdictions.
EP ‘392 ezMICRODUCT reduced-diameter patent
The EP ‘392 patent covers telecommunication optical cables and, in particular, a highly reduced‑diameter optical cable design. Prysmian uses this patent in its 288‑fiber ezMICRODUCT cable, which relies on 200‑micron fiber to achieve an outer diameter of only 8 mm. This design keeps the cable compact while still delivering high fiber density.
The cable layout arranges 24 fibers per tube. This configuration helps technicians identify fibers more easily and route them into standard splicing trays. In addition, the cable operates across a wide temperature range of -40°F to 158°F, which supports demanding outdoor telecom environments.
EP ‘700 optimized stranded cable design
The second patent, EP ‘700, covers optical fiber telecommunications cables that use an optimized stranded design with bundled cable units. This stranded architecture improves packing density and installation performance while it also controls overall cable diameter. Consequently, network operators can increase fiber capacity inside existing duct space.
By combining reduced‑diameter construction with optimized stranding, Prysmian offers microduct cables that deliver higher fiber density, easier installation, and better blowing performance. These features support modern high‑bandwidth optical networks that require more fibers without major civil works.
