Abstract: Causes of optical cable freezing failures and impact of freezing on the performance of optical cables were introduced and analyzed. Setting a buffer layer in optical cables as a measurement was proposed to ensure stability and transmission performance of the internal optical unit in optical cables. Main factors affecting the selection of buffer layer materials and theoretical basis for setting buffer layer thickness were also described. A non-metallic optical cable with antifreeze function was designed. Besides, relevant protective performance and mechanical properties of the cable were verified. Test results showed that the maximum additional attenuation and residual attenuation of the optical fiber with a buffer layer met the application standards during freezing resistance test, and mechanical properties met the requirements of YD/T 901—2018.