Abstract: A fiber optic ribbon is disclosed and includes a plurality of optical fibers extending along a first axis and arranged along an orthogonal second axis at a pitch P. Each optical fiber includes a core surrounded by a cladding surrounded by a buffer, the buffer has a nominal diameter D0 substantially equal to P. The buffer is stripped between a buffer-end location on the fiber and a free end of the fiber to form a stripped section. The buffer is distorted at the buffer-end location, such that at the buffer-end location, a width W of the buffer in the second axis is less than D0.