An optical waveguide fiber with a fatigue resistant TiO2-SiO2 outer cladding including a cylindrical outermost layer with TiO2 concentration greater than 10.5 wt.% and thickness less than 3 .mu.m. The fiber may include a two layer outer cladding with higher TiO2 concentration in the outer layer. The outer cladding may ionclude a plurality of inhomogeneities dispersed in a TiO2-SiO2 matrix. A method of making an optical waveguide fiber with a fatigue resistant TiO2-SiO2 outer cladding, and a substantially glass blank for drawing into such fiber, wherein a glass soot TiO2-SiO2 outermost layer, with an initial TiO2 concentration greater than 10.5 wt.%, is deposited on a preform, and the preform is exposed to an atmosphere of chlorine at a high temperature, and the resulting TiO2 concentration in the outermost layer of the TiO2-SiO2 outer cladding of the substantially glass blank is less than the initial TiO2 concentration. In the glass blank form, the outermost layer includes a substantial volume percentage of crystalline phases and in the fiber form, the outermost layer includes inhomogeneities.