An optical waveguide fiber comprising:(i) a Ge free core having an effective area of 90 .mu.m.sup.2 to 160 .mu.m.sup.2, at a 1550 nm wavelength, and .alpha. value 12.ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq.25, said core comprising:(a) a central core region extending radially outwardly from a centerline to a radius r.sub.0.ltoreq.2 .mu.m, and having a relative refractive index percent profile .DELTA..sub.0(r) wherein -0.1% .ltoreq..DELTA..sub.0(r) .ltoreq.0.1%, and wherein the central core region has a maximum relative refractive index, .DELTA..sub.0MAX,(b) a first annular core region surrounding and directly adjacent to the central core region and extending to an outer radius r.sub.1, wherein 4.8 .mu.m .ltoreq.r.sub.1.ltoreq.10 .mu.m, and having a relative refractive index percent profile, .DELTA..sub.1(r), and a minimum relative refractive index, .DELTA..sub.2MIN, and the relative refractive index measured at a radius r=2.5 .mu.m being -0.15.ltoreq..DELTA..sub.1(r=2.5 .mu.m) .ltoreq.0, and .DELTA..sub.0MAX .gtoreq..DELTA..sub.1(r=2.5 .mu.m);(c) a fluorine doped second annular region surrounding and directly adjacent to the first annular core region and extending to a radius 13 .mu.m .ltoreq.r.sub.2.ltoreq.30 .mu.m and having a negative relative refractive index percent profile, .DELTA..sub.2(r), with a minimum relative refractive index .DELTA..sub.2MIN being: .DELTA..sub.2MIN<.DELTA..sub.1(r=2.5 .mu.m), and -0.7% .ltoreq..DELTA..sub.2MIN.ltoreq.-0.28%; and(ii) a cladding surrounding the core and having a relative refractive index percent .DELTA..sub.c (r) in % measured relative to pure silica, and .DELTA..sub.c (r)=.DELTA..sub.2MIN.+-.0.3%;wherein the relative refractive index profile of the optical fiber is selected to provide attenuation of no more than 0.175 dB/km at the wavelength of 1550 nm.