Publication
of The Fiber Optic Association Inc. (FOA), the international non-profit
professional association of fiber optics and certifying body for fiber optics.
The State Of The Art @ OFC
Skeptics Question Fiber Starting Fires
Broadband Textbook Update and Fiber U Course
Seen On The Street - Photos Of Fibers
What To Do With Unused Equipment
"Ask Lennie" Intelligent Search Of FOA Website Classroom Resources For STEM Teachers
Trademarks:
The FOA logo and name, CFOT® (Certified Fiber Optic Technician) and
Fiber U® (the FOA online learning site) are
registered trademarks of the FOA.
To
keep your FOA certifications active, you need to
renew them when they expire every 3 years. You can use your credit card or
PayPal account or your credit card to renew your
certifications.
FOA
has 3 LinkedIn Groups FOA
- official page on LinkedIn - covers FOA, technology and jobs in the fiber optic
marketplace FOA
Fiber Optic Training - open to all, covers
fiber optic technology and training topics Grupo
de La Asociación de Fibra Óptica FOA (Español)
No
April Fools' articles this year - the real news is too good to have
fake news too. But if you like a good April Fools' joke, there is none
better than "Google TISP" from 2007.
The State Of The Art @ OFC
This
month the OFC (Optical Fiber Communications) Conference was held in Los
Angeles. This was the 51st anniversary for OFC - it began in 1975, when
the technology was in its infancy, around the time of the first field
trials. Attending OFC has provided an interesting snapshot of the fiber
optic industry; the development of the technology, the changing focus of
applications, the boom and bust cycles, the lifetimes of companies and
the careers of those involved in the industry.
This year, like last, the focus was on data centers to support AI. Fiber
manufacturers were offering hollow core fibers (HCF, see FOA NL 11/2025)
for faster connections outside the data center and multicore fibers
(MCF) and high density connectors to handle the increased density of
connections within the data center.
HCF & MCF
We covered HCF in the FOA Newsletter last Fall. MCF is just what it says, a fiber with 4 cores spaced around the cladding.
HCF is typically a larger fiber, but MCF is a 125 micron OD fiber just
like regular singlemode fiber but with 4 cores symmetrically spaced
around the core. It can fit regular connectors but requires a new
parameter for alignment for connection or splicing, rotational
alignment, which requires special equipment.
Here are some companies featuring HCF and MCF at the OFC exhibits.
Lightera
Lightera
had a spool of HCF on display with several plastic models of HCF
structure. The preform in the background is not a HCF preform. How HCF
preforms are made seems to be a well kept secret.
Lightera also had a spool of their DataSens(tm) fiber
optimized for sensing as well as data. They say it is 10 times as
sensitive for sensing but still has an attenuation of 0.3 dB/km and is
fully compatible with G.652 or G.657 fibers.
EXFO
EXFO had a large display on HCF including a live OTDR test of HCF. Below is the trace from the OTDR.
You can easily see the incredible difference in backscatter from the
conventional fiber launch cable to the HCF, and note the attenuation -
0.052 dB/km.
Corning
Inside the data center there are many, many connections to be made and density is a big issue. Corning showed their multicore fiber,
pointing out that you can save a lot of space over conventional fiber
optic cables. This display shows how much smaller a cable with 96 fibers
with 4 cores each for 384 cores or links, compared to a conventional 96
fiber cable. In an application note on MCF, Corning shows how a high
density cable with 3,456 fibers using 4-core MCF has 13,824 cores/links,
incredible density but exactly what data centers want.
US Conec In the booth next door to Corning, US Conec showed just how much patch panel space you can save with 4-core MCF and their MMC connectors.
They showed a patch panel with 4 options in the same space - 6 duplex LC
connectors with 1 fiber/connector for 12 fibers/links, 4 MPO connectors
(their model is called MTP) with 12 fibers/connector for 48 fiber
links, 4 MPO connectors with 24 fibers/connector for 96 fiber links and
on the right, 16 MMC connectors with 24 fibers where each fiber is a
4-core MCF for a total of 1,536 fiber cores/links.
That means that a row of MMC connectors
using Corning 4-core MCF could provide 6,144 connections - more than
many regular patch panel racks. And it would only take just over two
rows to connect the fibers in Corning's giant cable mentioned above.
MCF Transceivers
Of course to use the MCF fibers, you need transceivers. Rather than
break the 4-core MCFs into 4 single fibers, the solution being shown was
MCF transceivers. Here are a number of them from various manufacturers
at one booth.
These are 800G and 1.6T transceivers, all
made for MCF to use in data centers. And if that's not fast enough, we
saw transceiver manufacturers announcing 3.2T.
This high speed link demo was impressive for its demonstrated performance but was so messy.....
That's all for OFC 2026.
Skeptics Question Fiber Causing Fires
The photo we published last month's FOA Newsletter about the potential for fiber optic
cables starting fires received some skeptical responses. That's understandable, so we decided
to do a followup.
First, we wanted to show how easy it was for light to start a fire.
A magnifying glass on a sunny day makes it easy to burn paper. Most
inquisitive kids (and probably a lot of adults) have done this many
times.
Then we made a few calculations about power density in a singlemode fiber.
A singlemode fiber with a 10 micron diameter core has an area of 0.00007854 mm2
If the power in the fiber is 1W, possible with DWDM and fiber
amplifiers, power through the core has a power density of 12732 W/mm2. (That is twelve-thousand seven-hundred thirty-two watts per square millimeter!)
For comparison, we looked up the power used in laser cutting.
Cutting paper requires ~5W on a spot diameter of 0.1 mm = ~150 W/mm2 power
density
Cutting metal requires ~300-500W laser = ~9,000-15000 W/mm2 power
density
So at the exit, the singlemode fiber transmitting a dozen wavelengths
with fiber amplification is close to the power needed for cutting metal.
Of course the light exiting the fiber is in an expanding beam, so the
power density goes down as you get farther from the end of the fiber,
but the danger persists.
If you want to see how this was covered by IEC, you should read this document: IEC/TR 62547 Guidelines for the measurement of high-power damage sensitivity of single-
mode fibre to bends – Guidance for the interpretation of results
Broadband Textbook Updates and New Fiber U Course
FOA has been updating our references and courses for Broadband.
Update - 2nd Edition: The Fiber Optic Association Reference Guide To Broadband
A
new edition of the FOA broadband book is now available. It's updated
for new tech like LEO satellites and, at the request of our schools,
been expanded to include chapter questions and a comprehensive index to
facilitate using the book as a textbook for classes.
The new edition is aimed at teachers who want to include
communications technology in their classes. It is appropriate for a
module or semester course for engineering, science or even management
students. It is intended to be an introduction to
communications technology
appropriate for a communications course at almost any level (junior
high, high school or
college,) as well as for managers involved with broadband projects.
Paperback and Kindle versions available from Amazon or most booksellers.
Fiber U Broadband Self Study Program
FOA has added a new Fiber U self-study program
on Broadband, The course includes 10 lessons that cover the full scope
of broadband technologies. Like all Fiber U courses, its free, and after you complete the course
you can get a Certificate of Completion for a nominal cost.
The FOA website and the FOA Online Guide
include what is probably the
largest knowledge base in fiber optics. We provide links,
contents pages and a search engine, but the amount of content is
daunting. Ask Lennie is
now available to search the FOA website using AI.
Ask Lennie Lightwave is waiting to help answer your questions and find things on the FOA Website.
Classroom
Resources For STEM Teachers In K-12 And Technical Schools Here is the POF kit sent to teachers for demonstration.
Teachers in all grades can introduce their students to fiber
optic technology with some simple demonstrations. FOA has
created a page for STEM or STEAM (science, technology,
engineering, arts
and math) teachers with materials appropriate to their
classes. Fiber
Optic Resources For STEM Teachers.
Introducing CertLynk: A Talent Network for FOA Certified Technicians
BDI DataLynk, FOA School #208, has started CertLynk,
a dedicated job board and talent network built to connect FOA certified
technicians with employers across the fiber optic and broadband
industry in the United States. Here's how they describe it.
"As the demand for skilled fiber professionals continues to accelerate,
CertLynk provides a centralized platform where certified individuals can
showcase their credentials, training, and experience to companies
actively seeking qualified talent. Our team includes a Recruiting
and Job Placement Coordinator who works directly with industry leading
employers to align certified technicians with current hiring
opportunities, supporting both entry level and experienced
professionals.
Once you have completed your certifications, we encourage you to create your profile at: CertLynk. If you need assistance creating your profile or exploring opportunities, please contact: recruiting@bdidatalynk.com."
TAT-8, the world's first transatlantic fiber cable is being pulled up off the ocean floor and recycled
Recovered cable
TAT-8 was the eighth Trans-Atlantic Telephone system and the first to
replace copper transmission with single-mode optical fiber between the
United States, the United Kingdom, and France. TAT-8 was very successful
and reliable, operating from 1988 to 2002 when it was decommissioned
because the capacity of newer cables made it obsolete. Since then, it's
just been laying on the ocean floor.
The system used 1.3-micrometer single-mode fiber and optoelectronic
repeaters operating at roughly 280 Mbit/s. Repeaters were spaced every
few dozen kilometers, enclosed in long, pressure-rated housings tested
for depths approaching 8,000 meters, allowing the optical signal to be
regenerated across nearly 6,000 kilometers of seabed. This architecture –
pairs of glass fibers carrying light pulses and periodically amplified
inside sealed steel housings along a relatively thin cable – established
the template for nearly all long-haul submarine communication systems
that followed.
Recovered repeaters
The physical infrastructure that made TAT-8 possible is now being
dismantled by a new class of specialist vessels. Subsea Environmental
Services' Maasvliet is a dedicated cable-recovery ship equipped with
integrated cable-handling systems designed to lift obsolete fiber cables
from the seabed and deliver sorted material streams for recycling.
Operators rely on detailed route-positioning logs that document every
splice, repeater station, burial segment, and repair along a cable's
path, sometimes down to precise coordinates and cable type. To retrieve
TAT-8, crews deploy a flat grapnel known as a "flatfish" from the ship's
bow. The grapnel is winched back and the cable brought to the surface.
This hardware feeds into a different type of infrastructure: industrial
recycling focused on high-purity metals and polymers. Subsea
Environmental Services ships send recovered TAT-8 material to Mertech
Marine, a South African company that operates a vertically integrated
facility for dismantling retired submarine cables. Mertech's plants
mechanically strip and separate armor wires, copper conductors, polymer
insulation jackets, and repeater housings, returning copper, steel,
polyethylene, and other metals to the industrial supply chain.
Copper recovered from these systems is particularly valuable. The
material is high-grade, already drawn and stranded, and available in
very long continuous lengths. In a market where analysts warn of
tightening copper supply within the next decade, such volumes are
strategically significant.
Alphabet/Google sells partial stake in fiber business, becomes minority owner of new venture
Google said its fiber internet unit called GFiber is combining with Astound Broadband
and forming an independent provider, with Google remaining as a
minority shareholder. The new company will be majority owned by
investment firm Stonepeak and led by
the existing GFiber executive team, “utilizing their expertise in
high-speed fiber innovation to manage the combined network footprint,”
Google said in a press release. The transaction is expected to close in
the fourth quarter. (Read more - CNBC)
On Feb 5 Reuters had first reported that Alphabet plans to seek external
investment for GFiber, its business selling Wi-Fi and internet
connectivity in parts of the United States, the company told Reuters, as
it looks to ramp up its expansion to more cities. (Read more - Reuters)
The 2026 TeleGeography Submarine Cable Map is here!
TeleGeography has released the
2026 Submarine Cable Map—the 30th edition of their iconic annual telecom
map, depicting global subsea cable systems through beautiful design.
This printed work of art has been adorning the walls of corporate
offices, board rooms, university classrooms, and even living rooms for
decades.
This new edition depicts:
694 cable systems, with in-service and planned cables clearly denoted
1,893 landing stations
Ready-for-service date alongside planned cables
Stunning data visualizations on the lower portion of the map.
CRU Marketing: AI infrastructure drives structural demand growth
Global cable demand remains robust, supported by hyperscale and AI data
centre expansion. In the US, large-scale data centre deployments are
pushing hyperscalers to secure large volumes of optical cable, while
suppliers are dedicating more resources and capacity to serving this
demand.
As bandwidth requirements increase, hyperscalers are leveraging high
fibre count cable solutions and evaluating next-generation technologies,
including hollow-core fibre and multicore fibre. These developments
point to a structural increase in fibre intensity per AI data centre
rather than a cyclical uplift.
Demand strength is also evident beyond AI infrastructure. Rising A2
fibre requirements, including applications linked to fibre-tethered
drones, have added to global fibre consumption. At the same time, firm
export flows into North America have tightened fibre availability in
other regions. For now, these trends show limited signs of slowing,
though questions remain around how long current growth rates can be
sustained.
Quote Of The Month/Year (maybe Century!) (this is worth repeating)
Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia +
Technology Conference, AT&T’s CEO John Stankey said, “There’s a
fallacy to say there’s fixed networks and wireless networks. There are
only fiber networks with different access technologies on the end of
them. That’s where this is all going.”
Technical
Fiber optic
technology, standards, equipment, installation,
etc.
The FOA
Update Pagecovers the new technology
and applications we covered in this newsletter
recently. Now you can review all that new tech at
once.
Cross Reference To FOA Technical Reference Materials
The FOA has almost 1,000 pages of technical information on the FOA Guide,
100+ videos and two dozen online courses at Fiber U, all this can make
it difficult to find the right information.
To help this, we have created a cross reference guide to the textbooks,
Online Guide and Fiber U courses, all the FOA technical information.
Besides the textbooks, online Guide and Fiber U, each section of the
Guide also includes links to the 100+ FOA videos available. Cross Reference Guide to Textbooks, Online Guide and Fiber U
FOA Videos
We have also rearranged the 100+ FOA videos in similar categories on the
Contents Page of the Online Guide, making the videos, especially the
lectures, much it much easier to find a video on a particular
topic. FOA Videos Guide.
Want to know more about fiber optics? Study
for FOA certifications? Free
Self-Study Programs are on Fiber
U®
Manual and Mechanical Cable Pulling
Vladimir Grozdanovic
Optical cables in ducts can be installed by pulling or blowing. One
method of installing cables is manual or mechanical pulling into PE
ducts. These methods are applicable exclusively for standard cables
installed in ducts and are not recommended for microcables or high fiber
count cables, as they may be damaged by pulling tension. Manual pulling
is suitable only for short sections, with manholes spaced no more than
100 m apart. For longer sections, a powered capstan should be used.
Two readers sent us these pictures of traces on their OTDR asking what
we thought was the problem. We contacted our OTDR experts who said it
was probably a data transfer problem in the OTDR and the unit should be
sent back for repair.
This standard focuses on the
processes for installing a fiber optic project and provides guidance on
the design, installation and management of the project. The standard covers outside plant installations, both aerial and
underground, and premises cabling including the various installations
methods commonly used. It is an open source standard. Users choose the sections
that apply to their project and incorporate that into their documentation like the SOW (Scope of
Work) or other project paperwork. Provide copies to your
planners, designers, contractors, installers and suppliers.
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today
announced the release of a new video, “811- Call Before You Dig,” as
part of its efforts to promote safety awareness around underground
utilities and the critical importance of making 811 calls prior to
digging.
New VIAVI Fiber Testing Pocket Guide – Built for Techs in the Field
Designed with field techs in mind, this compact guide
from VIAVI is packed with essential fiber testing tips, quick-reference
checklists, and step-by-step insights that cover every stage of the
network lifecycle. It’s built to fit right in your pocket or tool bag,
so the info you need is always within reach.
Tech Notes And Articles From FOA's Worldwide Network Of Advisors
FOA has a worldwide network of technical advisors who
help us develop our knowledge base. This month we have contributions
fro several regular contributors, Eric Pearson, a founder of FOA, and
Vladimir Grozdanovic in Serbia. We provide an abstract here and a link
to read the entire article which will be added to the FOA Online Guide.
Ensuring
Reliability By Proper Fiber Optic
Installation
The goals of a fiber
optic installation should not be solely based on achieving the lowest
initial cost. Should lowest cost result in reduced reliability, lowest
initial cost may result in significantly increased lifecycle cost.
Eric Pearson does it all, educator, writer,
consultant, with a resume' going back to the beginning of fiber optics.
Here's advice from Eric on the way to ensure the long term reliability
of a fiber optic cable plant by proper installation.
FOA has rewritten the FOA OTDR Trainer around
Fiberizer OTDR software available for all types of devices. If you set
up Fiberizer,
you can complete the FOA OTDR Trainer lessons and then use the same
software to analyze other traces you may have, even from other brands of
OTDRs, as long as they are .sor files.
The FOA OTDR Trainer is ready to help you learn about OTDRs. Go to the OTDR Trainer page, choose your version of Fiberizer, download the FOA Traces and you are ready to go.
Learning Important Information From A Found Cable Scrap
While walking down the street near the FOA office, we found this cable
laying in the gutter. What a find! A short length of Corning Rocket
Ribbon 864 fiber cable left over from an installation by a contractor.
We brought the cable back to our office with the intention of opening it
up and creating a video about the construction of this modern high
fiber count cable, but something got our attention first. The cable had a
very
long line of printing on it with lots of interesting and useful
information. So before we started deconstructing it, we decided to
photograph the printed information and interpret it. That turned out to
be an important part of the information we learned from the cable. Then,
as you will see below, we dissected the cable and learned even more.
FOA received an inquiry about whether techs
working on restoring OSP links should be concerned about eye safety if
the link used fiber amplifiers. To answer this question, we had to do some research on fiber amplifiers.
The short answer is YES, you should be concerned. The long answer is
more technical and includes details that every OSP tech needs to know.
Recent articles from The FOA Newsletter
Fake OTDR Traces Submitted For Testing Documentation January 2023 Tech
Using OTDRs To Test Transoceanic Cables And PONs February 2023
POF - the Other Fiber March 2023
What Do Employers Expect From A Fiber Optic Tech? April 2023
Are Standards Ignoring The OSP? May 2023
FOA Has Proven Results In Fiber Optic Workforce Development June 2023
BEAD Funding For States Announced And Analyzed July 2023
Wisdom From The Street (Analyzing the printing on a fiber optic cable) July 2023
Focus On Disasters August 2023
FOA's Role In Education and Work Done By Fiber Techs September 2023
The Workforce: New US DoL Bureau of Labor Statistics Telecom Tech Category October 2023
How Many Telecom Techs Do We Need and How Big Is The Fiber Optic Market November 2023
Guidelines For Fiber Optic Project Planners December 2023
2023 Year In Review. Kentucky Shows The Value Of Fiber January 2024.
What is Broadband? History of the Cable Modem February 2024
It's Just Economics. Things you need to know. March 2024.
Fiber To The Shore - Undersea cables along the coast April, 2024.
The Future Of The Fiber Tech May 2024.
ISE Magazine: Opportunity Cost - FOA President Jim Hayes
examines how BEAD’s slow rollout, high costs, and fiber-first design
create hidden opportunity costs for providers, communities, and the
nation’s broadband future.
CABL® (cabl.com)serves
the business needs of the Broadband industry (including traditional
cable TV, fiber, telecom and satellite providers) with employment
listings, classified ads, discussion forums, and more.A contractor told us it's where they find lots of opportunities for subcontracting. ESRI has created an ebook on GIS location technology for telecom. Use the link to download the book. Google Video On Their Undersea Cables YouTube Slick but interesting video on how undersea cables are designed, built and used.
Worth Reading - Magazines, Websites and Newsletters
CABL® (cabl.com) serves
the business needs of the Broadband industry (including traditional
cable TV, fiber, telecom and satellite providers) with employment
listings, classified ads, discussion forums, and more. A contractor told us it's where they find lots of opportunities for subcontracting.
As
part of celebrating 3 decades serving the fiber
optic industry as its primary source of technical
information and independent certifying body, FOA
thought it appropriate to create a short history of
the organization and how it has developed to
help the fiber optic industry. We also wanted to
recognize the contributions many people have made to
the organization over the years that made FOA what
it is today.
The FOA history is on the FOA
website where you can read it or link to
it.
The First Transcontinental Telephone Line
began operation on July 29th in 1915 - 3400 miles between New
York and San Francisco - required over 100,000 telephone poles! Wonders
of World Engineering
"Who Lost Lucent?: The
Decline of America's Telecom Equipment Industry"
This is a MUST READ for managers in telecom or any
industry! Communications Systems Grounding
Rules: Article 800 provides specific
requirements by
Michael
Johnston, NECA Executive Director of
Standards and Safety in EC Magazine How
To Build Rural Broadband, Learning From History In the August 2021
FOA Newsletter, we published a lengthy article on
rural broadband and compared it to rural
electrification in America in the last century.
Much of the comparison was based on an article
written in 1940 by a USDA economist, Robert Beall,
called "Rural Electrification." If
you are interested in or involved in rural
broadband, we recommend you read the article "How
To Build Rural Broadband, Learning From History"
in the August 2021 FOA Newsletter and
read the Beall article also.
IEC 60050 - International
Electrotechnical Vocabulary - An
extensive dictionary for fiber optics in English and
French. Highly technical - this is one definition:
"mode - one solution of Maxwell's equations,
representing an electromagnetic field in a certain
space domain and belonging to a family of
independent solutions defined by specified boundary
conditions"
DIRT
Report On Damage To Utilities Common Ground
Alliance (CGA) annual DIRT report provides a
summary and analysis of the events submitted into
CGA’s Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) for
the year 2018. The complete report is available
for download here. In addition,
there is an interactive dashboard that
allows users to filter the data more by
factors contributing to damages. Fiber Trivia From
Corning.
VIAVI Books On
Fiber Optic Testing (2 volumes)
Besides
the FOA reference materials, two JDSU/VIAVI
textbooks, Reference Guide to Fiber Optic Testing,
Volumes 1 and 2, were used as references for
some of the FOA courses and are recommended for
instructors and students. The books are available
from VIAVI as eBooks and the everyone should
download them and recommend them to others.Download
yours now. Volume 1. Volume 2. Viavi Books
VIAVI Fiber Testing Pocket Guide – Built for Techs in the Field
Designed with field techs in mind, this compact guide
from VIAVI is packed with essential fiber testing tips, quick-reference
checklists, and step-by-step insights that cover every stage of the
network lifecycle. It’s built to fit right in your pocket or tool bag,
so the info you need is always within reach.
How OFS Makes Fiber
Interesting YouTube video on how fiber is made.
Perhaps a little too much "show biz" but
fascinating. If you have ever seen fiber
manufacture, look at this video. You will be amazed
at how big preforms have become! The True Cost of Telco Damages
(what backhoe fade or target practice can
cost)
Q&A
When readers ask us questions, we genrally refer them to FOA
resources where they can find the answer to their question and many
more. We first send them to the FOA Guide
which is the table of contents for the FOA technical resources. There
they can find pages indexed by topic and a search engine for the FOA
website. It also links them to FOA videos and courses on our free online learning site Fiber U.
The FOA
Fiber FAQs Page (FAQs = frequently asked
questions) gathers up questions readers have
asked us (which first ran in this newsletter)
and adds tech topics of general interest.
Good Question!
Tech
Questions/Comments From FOA Newsletter Readers
Tools For Training Q: What specific lab setups or tools do FOA-approved programs use to prep students for high-demand FTTH skills?" A: The answer is simple - the same tools used by technicians to install fiber optic cable plants.
How Long Do Fiber Optic Cables Last? Q: I work at a large industrial facility with several
buildings connected by fiber optic cables. The fiber cables run through
underground conduits between the buildings. Many of the fiber cables
were installed 20 to 25 years ago. Is there any general industry
guidance on when cables such as ours should be replaced solely based on
the age of the cable? A: The question you ask is one often asked. Usually it
refers to the outside plant cables that have been used for many years -
some now approaching 40 years like the optical power ground wire (OPGW)
used by electrical utilities and some telco cables installed in the same
era. Cable manufacturers are not very specific about cable lifetimes,
but the standard today is cables are designed to last 40 years or more.
Cable installed 20-25 years ago should be still serviceable for years to
come. Some cables may suffer from moisture migration which can cause
attenuation increases and fiber brittleness. Brittleness is generally
not a problem is the fibers are undisturbed but it is a good reason to
not disturb them. Most cable plants are not replaced unless they suffer
damage - weather and wildfires are a big problem for serial cables,
flooding and freezing for underground cables - or the owner is ready to
upgrade communications systems and needs more modern, higher performance
fibers.
Our advice would be to not disturb the cables you have if systems are
working properly. If you are in a “nonstop” environment that would be
badly harmed by loss of communications and you want to have a backup,
you could hedge your bets and install ducts for replacement. cables. If
there is space in the ducts, you can install microducts or fabric ducts
in the same conduits and install backup cables. You may read advice that
says cables need maintenance like cleaning connectors and testing
periodically. That’s bad advice; it’s more likely to damage the cables.
Our advice on cables is install them, lock them up and don’t worry. But
have a restoration plan. Have documentation on the cables, spares and be
prepared to repair or replace them quickly. See
https://foa.org/tech/ref/restoration/rest.html
Hybrid cable For Aerial Installation Q: Is there a hybrid cable (fiber + conductors (2 or 4)) that can be aerial lashed? A: Practically any outside plant cable can be installed
aerial if it is within the weight limits of the messenger being used.
Cables with fiber and copper conductors are used for connections to
remote electronics or cameras.
Gloves for Splicing?
Q: What’s the FOA’s (or your personal) stance on wearing gloves whilst splicing? A: Wearing gloves may recommended for
preparing metallic armored cables because of the danger of cuts. For
regular cables, gloves may be recommended for those who use knives to
open cables, a practice still used. However for splicing fibers where
some recommend them to prevent sticking yourself with fibers, it hampers
fiber handling and slows the work down. We do not recommend gloves
except for prepping certain types of cables.
Are Splices Too Close Together A Problem?
Q: When installing fiber in an plant. Is there a minimum distance that two splices should be apart? ; A: The recommendation in the past was to bot have splices close
together since slight reflectances at the splices could cause an
interference problem with laser systems. The recommendation was to keep
splices 30-100m apart. IT was especially noted if you had to splice in a
section of cable to repair a cable break. However we have not heard
this in recent history, perhaps because fusion splices are so good. We
asked a number of FOA's technical advisors for their opinions. Their
feedback is the problem of reflectance causing problems at closely
spaced splices seems to have disappeared. It’s a matter of better
splicing machines and more consistent fibers, and also a matter of
lasers being engineered to work better in links.
Copper Tech Wants To Learn Fiber Optics Q: I am originally from copper installations and faults
finding. I would like to get involved in Optic fibre faults and
finding, how do I go if there is a possible training it will be highly
appreciated, A: Just learn about fiber, especially fiber testing and troubleshooting. Fiber U has courses you can take for free.
OSP Installation Standards Q: I'm looking for standards for fiber optic OSP installation. A: The whole issue of OSP standards has been one FOA been
trying to get standards bodies interested in for years with little
success, probably because it is an enormous project. Right now there are
two documents that address OSP cable plant:
ITU-T Technical Report, TR-OFCS Optical fibres, cables and systems, (3 July 2015)
As you can see, the ITU document is almost 10 years old and a lot has changed in that time.
Is The FOA CFOT® A License?
Q: Can you use a CFOT certification to install fiber and charge for it? Or do you need other licenses as well? ;
A: FOA Certification is considered evidence of competence and
accepted worldwide by many companies, groups, etc. Licenses are a legal
credential required by local authorities to conduct business for
anything from a barber to a truck triver to contractors doing fiber or
other work. Most locales require a license as a contractor which may
require a fiber specialty. You need to investigate this with your local
authorities.
Updating FOA Courses And Reference Materials
Q: How often are FOA courses updated? And when they get updated, what happens to those who would have done a previous version?
A: The FOA certifications are updated as needed to stay current with
technology and applications. Updates are incremental and we do not
require current certification holders to retake courses or exams.
Fiber Optic Color Codes Reference Chart
Q: Has anyone made a fiber optic pocket reference chart that has cable
color orders, frequencies, or other commonly used info on it? A: The FOA has a page on its Online Guide that covers color codes
(https://foa.org/tech/ColCodes.htm). It is the most popular page in the
FOA Guide! It works great with a smartphone.
Free online
self-study programs on many fiber optics and
cabling topics are available at Fiber U, FOA's
online web-based training website. Free online training at
Fiber U
As FOA celebrates our 100,000th CFOT® certified technician,
introduces the FOA Microcredential In Fiber Optics for others working in the
field and adds new courses at Fiber U which offer a "Certificate of
Completion," it's a good time to explain the differences between them. FOA has created a page to explain the differences in certifications, certificates and badges.
All FOA
Certification Credentials Are Now Online
All FOA Certified Fiber Optic Technicians now have their certification
credentials online. if your FOA certification has not expired you should have been notified you have an
online credential. If you did not get notification it may be because
FOA did not have a valid email for you. Contact FOA to inquire about your certification credential.
The Types of Work Done By Fiber Techs And How It Affects Training
What is a fiber optic technician? What kinds of work
do they do? Those topics were the center of FOA discussions with the US
Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics that led to the new job
category of "Telecommunications Technician" on the BLS
website. The focus of this job category is primarily the
installation and operation of the fiber optic cable plant, but one
should not forget the cable plant must be designed also as part of a
more extensive communications network.
In our discussion with the BLS analysts, we pointed out the various
stages of a fiber optic communications network project and how techs
with various knowledge and skill sets are needed and involved in every
step. This web page on the fiber optic workforce describes how FOA defines these stages of a project and the skills
of the techs needed. This is not unique to FOA; it's what has been traditional
at telecom companies forever.
FOA Schools
FOA's roster of approved schools continues to grow as more organizations
recognize our expertise in workforce development and our comprehensive
support for getting new schools started. FOA has over 25 years
experience and over 100,000 certified fiber techs (with ~140,000
certifications). As a non-profit organization founded by the industry
specifically to develop a competent workforce, FOA provides the
consultation, curriculum and contacts to get schools started as a free
service to new schools.
Need A Fiber Optic Course Onsite? Invite an FOA School To Come To You
Here is the new Fiber U "Fiber Optic Safety" self-study program. Take the course and get your certificate of completion.
Fiber U MiniCourses: Got An Hour Or Less?
Learn Something New About Fiber Optics.
All these free courses and many more
are available at Fiber U.
What Fiber Techs
Don't Know -
These are some of the topics that
we have noticed are answered incorrectly more often
in FOA and Fiber U tests.
Most of the questions missed are on testing.
1. OTDRs - particularly what information is in the
OTDR trace.
2. The difference between dB and dBm
3. Loss budgets - both the concepts and doing the
math
4. Insertion loss testing - single-ended or double
ended for testing patchcords or cable plants, how to
set 0dB references
5. Units of measure - fiber is measured in microns,
wavelengths in nanometers, etc.
At FOA, we're working to add Fiber
U MiniCourses on these topics and working with
our schools to emphasize these topics in their
classes.
If you are going to be taking a FOA certification
course or test in the near future, these topics
should be on your final exam study list.
What We Learn From Hands On Labs
We learn about students performance in hands-on labs
from the feedback of our instructors and our own
experiences too. One big problem is the use of hand
tools. Growing up today, you learn how to use
keyboards, mouses and touch screens, but decades
ago, you also learned how to use basic hand tools.
This is big enough of a problem that we're
considering adding some video lessons on basic hand
tools to prepare students for cable prep,
termination and splicing that require the use of
hand tools.
FOA offers free online self-study programs at Fiber U.
Many users are preparing for FOA certification
programs - taking courses at our schools or using
the Direct Certification program. Some of our
schools are requiring Fiber U programs as
prerequisites for their classroom courses so they
can spend more time on hands-on activities.
Publications /
Resources
Cross Reference To FOA Tech Materials
FOA has so much technical reference material, we created a cross reference guide to the textbooks,
Online Guide and Fiber U courses, all the FOA technical information.
Besides the textbooks, online Guide and Fiber U, each section of the
Guide also includes links to the 100+ FOA videos available.
Update - 2nd Edition: The Fiber Optic Association Reference Guide To Broadband
A
new edition of the FOA broadband book is now available. It's updated
for new tech like LEO satellites and, at the request of our schools,
been expanded to include chapter questions and a comprehensive index to
facilitate using the book as a textbook for classes.
The new edition is aimed at teachers who want to include
communications technology in their classes. It is appropriate for a
module or semester course for engineering, science or even management
students. It is intended to be an introduction to
communications technology
appropriate for a communications course at almost any level (junior
high, high school or
college,) as well as for managers involved with broadband projects.
This standard focuses on the
processes for installing a fiber optic project and provides guidance on
the design, installation and management of the project.
It was created from the inputs of those in the industry,
especially the FOA technical advisors, who are highly experienced in
both doing the work involved and teaching it to others.
The standard covers outside plant installations, both aerial and
underground, and premises cabling including the various installations
methods commonly used. It is an open source standard. Users choose the sections
that apply to their project and incorporate that into their documentation like the SOW (Scope of
Work) or other project paperwork. Provide copies to your
planners, designers, contractors, installers and suppliers.
To help those new to fiber optic workforce development, FOA has created a web page we call "Fiber Optic Workforce Development."
In this page, we share what we have learned about the fiber optic
workforce, who they are and how they learn their trade. We discuss what
defines a fiber optic tech and how they should be certified.
Project Management Added To New Edition Of FOA Design Book And Fiber U Course
FOA
has published a new edition of its textbook on fiber optic network
design, an expanded version with new material covering project
management. Fiber optic network design and network management are
closely related topics, both highly important in the success of a fiber
project.
The new book is available as a paperback or Kindle book. You can buy it from Amazon or local booksellers worldwide. (ISBN: 9798262274611)
The Fiber U Design self study program has also been updated for project management.
New Edition of FOA's Basic Fiber Optics Textbook
It has been 5 years since we have updated the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics,
so it is certainly time for an update. The latest version is different
enough we call it a new edition. Many of the updates are for new
technologies which are reshaping the fiber optic industry like coherent
transmission, BI fibers, etc. We've also added a section on the fiber
optic workforce which has much relevance because this book is used to
train those entering the workforce.
We've also worked on making the book more readable, adding formatting that eases reading and a new comprehensive index.
The new edition of the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics is available from Amazon and booksellers worldwide.
Translations of FOA Textbooks
FOA is a very international organization and it works hard to
accommodate the language needs of everyone. We have been translating our
books and website into the languages most requested, and this month, we
add two more textbook translations. We also want to thank Jerry Morla,
FOA CFOS/I instructor and Director who has been doing the recent
translations into Spanish, his native language.
Here is a listing of all the FOA textbook Translations
Spanish Editions:
Guía de Referencia de la Asociación de Fibra Óptica (FOA) Sobre Fibra
Óptica: Guía de estudio para la certificación de la FOA Amazon
La Referencia de Cableado para Predios de la FOA: Guía para Certificación de la FOA Amazon
La Asociación de Fibra Óptica Manual de Fibra Hasta el Hogar : Para
Planificadores, Gestores, Diseñadores, Instaladores y Operadores De
FTTH Amazon
Guía de Referencia de la FOA sobre Diseño de la red de fibra óptica: Guía de Estudio para la Certificación de la FOA Amazon
And the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics: French Edition: Le
Guide de référence de la FOA pour la fibre optique et et
guide d'étude pour la certification FOA: Guide d'étude pour
la certification FOA Amazon Portuguese Edition: Guia de Referência sobre Fibra Óptica da FOA : Guia de Estudo para a Certificação da FOA Amazon The subject matter of these books is also translated in the FOA Guide online.
FOA Video
Lectures On YouTube
Did
you know YouTube will close caption videos in many
languages?
Sign in with Google to get translations for closed
captioning. Click on the settings icon (red arrow.)
Choose "Subtitles". English is the default
language. Click on the arrow after "English
(auto-generated) >". In the new window click on
"Auto-translate" and choose the language you
want.
FOA OTDR Trainer
FOA has rewritten the FOA OTDR Trainer around Fiberizer. The Fiberizer PC
software was the version we used for creating the Trainer, but the basic
techniques apply to all versions of Fiberizer. FOA provides a folder of
sample traces in 3 categories - Parameter Traces, Sample Traces and PON
Traces - around which we build the trainer. If you set up Fiberizer,
you can complete the FOA OTDR Trainer lessons and then use the same
software to analyze other traces you may have, even from other brands of
OTDRs, as long as they are .sor files.
The FOA OTDR Trainer is ready to help you learn about OTDRs. Go to the OTDR Trainer page, tech/ref/testing/OTDR/OTDRsimulator.html, choose your version of Fiberizer, download the FOA Traces and you are ready to go.
FOA wishes to thank VeEX
for permission to use their Fiberizer® software in our OTDR trainer.
And our compliments to them for making the ap available on multiple
platforms that ensure anybody can use it.
FOA Loss Budget
Calculator On A Web Page 5/2020
FOA
has written many articles about loss budgets,
something everyone involved in fiber optics needs to
know and needs to know how to calculate. We recently
discovered how to get a spreadsheet ported to a Web
page, so we created this web page that calculates
loss budgets. We have an iOS loss budget app, but
with this web page, you can calculate loss budgets
from any device, smart phone, tablet, laptop, or
desktop computer that has web browsing capability.
We are continually updating the Online Reference
Guide to keep up with changes in the industry and
adding lots of new pages of technical information.
When you go to the FOA
Guide Table of Contents to see the latest
updates - look for .
The FOA has it's own
reference books for everyone working in fiber
optics - contractors, installers and end users as
well as for use as textbooks in classes at
educational institutions. They are available as
printed books or Kindle at much lower prices than
most textbooks since we self-publish and sell
online, cutting out the middlemen. Click on the
book images for more information. The Reference
Guide To Fiber Optics is also available in
Spanish, French and Portuguese. The Design book is available in English
and Spanish.
Resources For
Teachers In K-12 And Technical Schools
Teachers in all grades can introduce their
students to fiber optic technology with some
simple demonstrations. FOA has created a page for
STEM or STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts
and math) teachers with materials appropriate to
their classes. Fiber Optic Resources For
Teachers.
Safety
On Safety
New Fiber U Course: Fiber
Optic Safety
Safety
must be the first concern of everyone involved in a fiber optic
project, including those planning, designing, managing or supervising
and of course those doing the installation.
FOA is often asked about safety for fiber optics. Some
inquiries ask where it's covered in the FOA Online Guide or textbooks or
if we have a course on safety at Fiber U. Almost all Fiber
U Courses have lessons covering safety, because
safety is important in every aspect of a fiber optic project.
This
new Fiber U course will focus on safety alone. There are two lessons in this course,
fiber optic construction and fiber optic installation. The dividing
line between the two courses is the installation of the fiber optic
cables. Construction leads up to and/or is completed when the cables are
installed. Installation begins when the fiber tech installs the cable,
then completes the splicing, termination testing and documentation. The
overlap between the two is the installation of the cables where both
construction personnel and fiber optic techs are involved.
Here is the new Fiber U "Fiber Optic Safety" self-study program. Take the course and get your certificate of completion.
The FOA is concerned about safety! FOA
considers safety an integral part of all our
programs, curriculum materials and technical
materials. We start all our textbooks and their
online versions with a section on safety in the
first chapter, like this: Before
we get started - Safety First!
The FOA is a, international non-profit
educational association chartered to promote
professionalism in fiber optics through education,
certification and standards.
Founded in 1995 by a dozen prominent fiber optics
trainers and leaders from education,industry and governmentas a professional society for fiber
optics and a source of independent certification,
the FOA has grown to now being involved in numerous
activities to educate the world about fiber optics
and certify the workers who design, build and
operate the world's fiber optic networks.
Want to know more about fiber optics? Study
for FOA certifications? Free
Self-Study Programs are on "Fiber U®."
Looking for specific information? Here's the largest
technical reference on the web: The
FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide.
Free online self-study programs
on many fiber optics and cabling topics are
available at Fiber U,
FOA's online web-based training website.
The
FOA has created a store on Zazzle.com offering lots
of new logo merchandise. It has lots of versions of
shirts and other merchandise with "FOA," "Fiber U,"
"Lennie Lightwave" designs and more so you should
find something just for you! See FOA on Zazzle.
Privacy Policy (for
the EU GDPR): The FOA does not
use cookies or any other web tricks to gather
information on visitors to our website, nor do
we allow commercial advertising. Our website
hosts may gather traffic statistics for the
visitors to our website and our online testing
service, ClassMarker, maintains statistics of
test results. We do not release or misuse any
information on any of our members except we will
confirm FOA certifications and Fiber U
certificates of completion when requested by
appropriate persons such as employers or
personnel services. Read
the complete FOA Privacy Policy here.
A
new edition of the FOA broadband book is now available. It's updated
for new tech like LEO satellites and, at the request of our schools,
been expanded to include chapter questions and a comprehensive index to
facilitate using the book as a textbook for classes.
The FOA OTDR Trainer is ready to help you learn about OTDRs. Go to the 
.
