A fiber span comprising: a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber coupled to the first optical fiber, both fibers comprising the an inner core region with maximum refractive index delta, Δ0≦0.1% and an outer radius R1>4.5 μm, an outer core region with an outer radius R2 and a minimum refractive index delta Δ1 and alpha value α≧5, wherein Δ1 ΔR,MIN; the first fiber introducing differential mode delay DMD1 for wavelengths between 1525 and 1570 nm such that |DMD1|≦100 ps/km, and a first differential mode delay slope DMDS1; the second fiber introducing differential mode delay DMD2 for wavelengths between 1525 and 1570 nm such that |DMD2|≦100 ps/km, and a second differential mode delay slope DMDS2 that has an opposite sign from the first dispersion slope DMDS1; wherein total differential mode delay provided by the first fiber in conjunction with the second fiber is DMDtot=DMD1+DMD2, and −1.0 ps/km