Generally, standard steel-messengered figure-8 cables are designed for spans up to 50 meters (164 ft) in standard conditions, with specialized designs exceeding 80 meters. Always consult the manufacturer's specification sheet for span tables. The maximum distance for running fiber drop cables is influenced by several factors, including the type of fiber, signal attenuation, data transmission rates, and the quality of connectors and splices. One type of single mode fiber is known as “G. Attenuation First is the. Fiber optic cable can be run anywhere from 300 meters up to 80 kilometers (roughly 50 miles) depending on the cable type, transceiver used, and network standard. Here are some general guidelines: 1. Indoor Installations For indoor fiber optic cables, the maximum pulling distance typically ranges from 100 to 200 meters.