In installations where an optical fiber cable is exposed to contact with electric light or power conductors and the cable is terminated on the outside of the building, the non–current carrying metallic members shall be either grounded as specified in 770. 100, or interrupted by an. This Applications Engineering Note (AE Note) discusses conventional bonding and grounding practices for conductive fiber optic cable and hardware installations within the scope of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Any cable that includes any conductive metal must be properly grounded and bonded in conformance with the. Optical cable grounding is an important measure to protect optical cables and their connected equipment from lightning strikes, electrostatic discharge and electromagnetic interference. Proper grounding methods can significantly improve the stability and safety of fiber optic cable systems. It is found in outdoor cables and.