Icky-pick or icky-pic is a gelatinous cable compound used in outdoor-rated communications cables, including both twisted-pair copper cabling and fiber-optic cabling.[1][2] "PIC" is the abbreviation for "plastic insulated cable". The cable is filled with an "icky" substance. The filled cable itself, therefore, is called an "icky PIC".
Icky-pick has two primary functions:
The actual icky-pick compound is a very thick petroleum-based substance e.g. petroleum jelly, and is only rated for outdoor use, frequently direct-buried in the ground. An outdoor cable spliced onto an indoor terminal block is prone to leak the gelatin, hence in many situations the icky-pic cable is spliced outside the building to a short run of normal cable which runs through a protective conduit into the building. The thick gel stains clothing and hands and is very difficult to remove.
When fiber-optic cables are to be spliced, the gel must be removed with solvents and swabs to prevent fouling of the splice. Paint thinner or charcoal starter is a frequently used and commonly available remover and clean-up agent.