An optical cable component made up of an elongated flexible substrate, having first and second groups of plastic coated optical fibers, the first group being removably affixed to a first surface of the substrate and the surface opposite from the first group on its opposite surface being essentially unoccupied. The second group of plastic coated optical fibers are removably affixed to the second surface of the substrate and the surface opposite from the second group being essentially unoccupied. Between the first and second groups of plastic coated optical fibers, there is delimited an unoccupied portion on both surfaces essentially equal to the diameter of one of the plastic coated optical fibers. Each group of plastic coated optical fibers bear an indicia for identification purposes.