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No AI Was Used In This Newsletter
Results Of July Survey
How Successful Are Govt., Broadband Programs?
Seen On The Street - Photos Of Fibers
Resources For STEM Teachers
What's New And Popular On FOA Website
News
Starkink Limitations
Small Maine Town Broadband Issues
New Rules For Fiber In Albuquerque
Data Centers Cause Utility Rate Hikes
Ohio Rules Data Centers Must Pay More
T-Mobile Launches Satellite Phone Service
FOA Courses in Amman, Jordan
Update On Cable Theft
"Copper" Thieves Cut Spectrum Fiber
Call For More Cable Repair Ships
POF Conference
Minnesota Underground Installer Certification
Technical
Analog Or Digital
Tech Contributions:
-BI Fibers
-3D Inspection
-Ensuring Reliability
-Horizontal Directional Drilling
-Splicing OPGW
What Technical Advisors Are Telling US
Updated OTDR Trainer
Worth
Reading Lots of interesting
articles to read, watch or listen to.
Q&A
Interesting questions from our readers
Workforce Training/FiberU
Types Of Work Done By Fiber Techs
FOA-Approved School News
Fiber U
MiniCourses
Resources
New FOA Technical Resources
Safety
About the FOA
FOA Certified Techs:
Time
To Renew Your FOA Certifications?
Jobs
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Web Page and FOA on
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- Using your FOA
Training/Certification to Find the Right Job
in Fiber Optics
Where
Are The Jobs In Fiber Optics?
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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.
Want to know more about fiber optics?
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.
FOA
Reference Books
Available Printed or eBooks
The fiber book is
available in Spanish and French
  
  
  
Click on any of
the books to learn more.
- Fiber
Optic Safety Poster to download and
print
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ideas, comments to <jim @ foa.org>
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Current Issue of FOA
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No AI Was Used In The Creation Of this Newsletter
However a lot of reading and investigation about AI was done for the
FOA Newsletter this month.
It all started when we first checked the results of
the survey from last month's Newsletter. At first we were surprised by
the number of responses, 984 after less than a week. But when we checked the answers only 42
respondents had answered the questions. The other 942 were hits from AI
bots. The service hosting the survey told us they too are being overrun
by AI bots and while they were looking for a solution to the problem,
they told us that open surveys were not defensible; they had to have
password protection.
It is believed that over 40% of all Internet traffic is comprised
of bot traffic, and a significant portion of that is malicious bots. Cloudflare
Then one day we had more than a dozen spams in our inbox, including
several from our own email addresses, and some were perfectly crafted
spoofs of emails from banks, PayPal, companies and government
agencies. We checked our Spam folder and found 92 more spam messages for that
day alone.
The newest cybercriminals are robots. They write with flawless
grammar and code like veteran programmers. They solve problems in
seconds that have vexed people for years. Bots and algorithms perpetrate
much of the world’s cybercrime. Con artists use them to generate
deepfakes and phishing scams. Want malware to steal someone’s data? A
chatbot can write the code. Bots also cook up disinformation. Malicious
emails used to be riddled with typos and errors, so spam filters could
spot and snag them. That strategy doesn’t work anymore. With generative
A.I., anyone can craft bespoke, grammatical scams. Since ChatGPT
launched in November 2022, phishing attacks have increased more than fortyfold. Deepfakes, which mimic photos, videos and audio of real people, have surged more than twentyfold. AI vs AI, NYTimes July 21, 2025.
We've all become used to talking to AI when we try to call some company
and now the volume of spam calls is increasing. Now even the AI
promoters are getting worried about audio "deepfakes" being used for
crime. Classic examples are impersonating a relative calling asking for
financial assistance or you calling a business contact or financial
advisor.
Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, said this week that he’s
worried about artificial intelligence-generated audio empowering crooks
to steal your money and commit other fraud. A fraudster might just need a
few seconds of your own recorded voice to make a soundalike impostor. Tech Friend Washington Post July 25, 2025.
It makes it important to not answer spam phone calls because the caller
only needs to record a few seconds of your voice to make a deepfake to
use for criminal purposes. And to double check if you get a suspicious
call from someone you know.
It makes one wonder; does IoT really stand for "Internet of Things"
or could it be Internet of Thieves, Internet of Tricksters, Internet of
Trash, Internet of Trolls or Internet of Truthiness?
Results from the July survey about OSP installation:
Here are the results of last month's survey questions, not including the bots.
The conclusion from this survey is that contractors and installers
are versatile, capable of adapting to most installation types. The
rising use of blowing cables into microducts is notable, but still has a
lot of growth to reach the level of traditional trenching with ducts.
For aerial cables, the use of OPGW and ADSS is also notable.
We'll resume the surveys when we have a better solution to handing the bots.
How Successful Are US Government Broadband Programs?
This diagram from the GAO report shows the overlap of some of the US programs promoting broadband.
While the US Government BEAD program has been the focus of the
discussion on broadband for several years now, it is not the ony federal
program created to help unserved or underserved areas get broadband.
According to a 2022 report by the GAO (Government Accountability Office) analyzed recently by the PEW Charitable Trusts,
in the time between 2015 to 2020 there have been 133 programs under 15
federal agencies covering broadband construction, affordabiity and
digital skills training, totaling $44billion - before the $65billion of
the BEAD program.
"The U.S. broadband efforts are not guided by a national strategy with
clear roles, goals, objectives, and performance measures." states the
GAO report. "Without such a strategy, federal broadband efforts will not
be fully coordinated, and thereby continue to risk overlap and
duplication of effort."
Read the reports here:
Broadband: National Strategy Needed to Guide Federal Efforts to Reduce Digital Divide GAO-22-104611
To Improve Broadband Deployment, Enhanced Data Collection Is Key, The Pew Charitable Trusts
Seen On The Street - This Month's Photos
Hungry Squirrels On Cape Cod
The reality of running a fiber network: You can design all the
redundancy, backup paths, and fail-safes your heart desires… but none of
that matters when a gang of rogue squirrels declares war on your
infrastructure.
Sometimes your Monday starts with chewed cables and chaos.
Massive kudos to our awesome team who jumped into action faster than a
squirrel on a fiber strand and got things back on track ASAP!
Steven Johnston, CEO at OpenCape Corporation, Cape Cod Massachusetts via LinkedIn.
Copper Is Out - Fiber Coming In - Seville, Spain
An FOA contact in Seville, Spain sent us this photo of a street with two
copper cables that have been pulled out of ducts. Two fiber
installation trucks were nearby waiting to install fiber.
Jump to News
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.
FOA
also has a YouTube
Video on "Careers
in Fiber Optics" and a "Careers
In Fiber Optics" Website.
What Is An FOA Credential?
As FOA celebrates our 100,000th CFOT® certified technician,
introduces the "FOA Badge 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.
And now, introducing a new FOA credential: The "FOA Badge In Fiber Optics"
An industry-wide credential for professionals working in fiber optics
Now available in Spanish - Ahora también disponible en español
 
FOA is best known as the certifying body for the nearly 100,000 FOA-certified fiber optic technicians
who build worldwide networks. FOA has been asked many times about credentials for other
professionals in fiber optics.
Besides the technicians that design,
build and operate the fiber optic networks the world uses for
communications, there are many other professionals that are essential
for the success of the fiber optic and cabling industries. These
professionals manufacture, sell and distribute fiber optic components or
plan and manage the projects that include fiber optics.
For everyone working in the fiber optic field. FOA now offers the new FOA Badge in Fiber Optics.
Go here for more information on the FOA Badge in Fiber Optics
or watch the YouTube video.
New Fiber U Course: Fiber
Optic Safety Covers Construction And Installation
This
new Fiber U course focuses on safety in fiber optic installation. 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.
Enhance your safety with the FOA Safety Vest.
 
We bought one ourselves - it's well made and distinctive.
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.
Inflation was an issue, but the price only goes up $2 to $29.95 for the paperback and $12.95 for the Kindle version.
The new edition of the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics is available from Amazon and booksellers worldwide.
New/Updated Web Pages
Index Of Articles On Fiber Broadband Networks From The Fiber Optic Association - dozens of articles on fiber broadband over the last 4 years.
FOA Credentials: the differences in certifications, certificates and badges.
Satellite Communications
OSP Aerial Construction Workmanship
Splices And Connections Of Regular to BI Singlemode FIbers.
Fiber Optic Safety - Installation and Construction.
Fiber Optic Network Troubleshooting.
Books
FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics, Second Edition, second edition of the basic fiber textbook.
The Fiber Optic Association Guide To Fiber Broadband Is A Hit With Broadband Planners Paperback ($12.95) and Kindle ($9.95) versions available from Amazon or most booksellers. Kindle version is in color!
New In The FOA Guide - Introduction To Broadband and Guidelines For Fiber Optic Project Planners
FOA Guide To The Fiber Optic Workforce
- what we've learned in developing the fiber optic workforce over more
than a quarter century and almost 100,000 certified techs.
Cross Reference Guide to Textbooks, Online Guide and Fiber U FOA Videos Guide.
FOA has a web page with resources on fiber broadband and the IIJA/BEAD funding programs.
FOA Newsletter
Sections
News
Technical
Worth
Reading Q&A
Training/FiberU
Resoures
Safety About
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News
Lots more news
in Worth Reading below
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Starlink Satellite Internet Works Great If Few Use It
A new analysis digs into the coverage of satellite internet: The more
popular it becomes, the worse speeds and reliability tend to get. That's
no surprise, as all networks slow down with more users, but the
threshold for Starlink is the surprise.
The research, led by telecommunications technology expert Sascha
Meinrath, is just a hypothetical scenario. But it supports some internet
policy veterans who believe that Starlink is a technology marvel and an
amazing internet lifeline, but limited in bandwidth.
Lead researcher Sascha Meinrath, Palmer Chair in Telecommunications at
Penn State University, analyzed the technical details of Starlink
coverage. The analysis says that within the geographic coverage area of a
single Starlink satellite – an estimated 62.9 square miles or roughly
the area of Tacoma, WA – hitting 419 Starlink customers could become a
problem. That’s an average 6.7 Starlink customers per square mile. At
that level of usage, they estimated that internet speeds for Starlink
customers in the area would fall below the government’s definition of
modern, reliable internet service for sending data out from your device.
Service could be unusable under some conditions, they said.
It’s in rural and remote areas, including ships and airplanes, where satellite internet can be the only good option.
Reported in the Washington Post. Read the research report here.
A small Maine town that built its own broadband network faces new competition
Don Hudson, an Arrowsic Broadband Authority commissioner, shows a
reporter cables on a utility line along State Route 127 on Tuesday, July
22, 2025. Photo by Daniel O'Connor.
Arrowsic, Maine — After national companies declined to extend internet
service to this small midcoast town, it built its own network. Now one
of those giants is moving in.
The Arrowsic Broadband Authority was formed at a special town meeting in
2020 to manage the system. In March 2024, the first of Arrowsic’s
roughly 500 residents got broadband service for the first time. It took
the town nearly a decade and more than $1 million in federal and private
funding.
This spring, locals started receiving mailers from Fidium, which offers
broadband in eight states, offering service at starting rates
significantly lower than those offered by the town. Fidium’s arrival has
flummoxed local officials, partly because its parent company,
Consolidated Communications, declined to build broadband infrastructure
in Arrowsic years earlier, said Don Hudson, another commissioner.
“It came as some surprise when all of a sudden we started seeing,
essentially, a duplicated system being built on top of ours,” he said.
“If it wasn’t actually happening, it would be laughable.”
Now, local officials are urging residents not to switch to maintain their business model.
“We are a very small network,” Vince Capone, a commissioner on the local
broadband authority, said. “We are literally on the edge of maintaining
that network because we have such a small customer base.”
Read more at the Maine Monitor.
FOA Courses Around The World
FOA has training organizations offering courses in
more than 40 countries around the world. Some of them send us photos of
their training and we are proud to share them!
FTTH Class in Amman, Jordan
Fibertech employees get their FOA FTTH Certification from Basil Omari, Arrow For Engineering Solutions, FOA Approved School in Amman, Jordan (3rd from right)
Congratulations to Fibertech’s technical team on
passing the international FTTH exam and earning their FOA membership,
joining over 103,000 certified professionals worldwide! This marks the
third consecutive year of the program, reflecting Fibertech’s commitment
to global standards and continuous team development.
Fibertech
is the leading wholesale provider of fiber infrastructure services for
internet service providers in Jordan. They have 13,000km of fiber and
cover 1.65 million residential and commercial units in Jordan.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, US Issues New Rules For Fiber Optic Installation Fiber
internet companies now have more rules to follow after the city of Albuquerque issued new rules.
Fiber optic construction is supposed to help with high-speed internet.
After Albuquerque citizens complained about the fiber optic construction
process, stating installers are leaving behind a mess in their yards,
breaking water lines and other concerns, the city issued new rules for
fiber optic installers.
The city's new rules are:
- Proof of clear written notice before work begins
- Written materials available in English and Spanish
- Mandatory identification on all contractor vehicles and outer clothing
- Reduced work hours for construction
- A support line monitored from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Strict deadlines to resolve complaints
- Stronger enforcement actions, including fines and stop-work orders for violations.
Going forward, the city should be using a more oversight of contractors.
KOAT TV, Channel 7 Albuquerque.
Data Centers Causing Utility Rate Hikes
This summer, electric rates in many US areas went up, about $20/month
on the average. The increase was traceable to the surging demand for
electricity by data centers. The data centers are being built by some of
the biggest and most profitable companies and many residents resent
being charged more for these companies expansion, especially in areas
where the companies are being offered incentives to build more data
centers.
One state has decided that data centers must pay their share of the costs. Washington Post.
Ohio Rules Data Centers Must Pay More For Electric Power
Ohio energy regulators, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO),
increased front-end electricity charges paid by Amazon, Google, Meta,
Microsoft and other data center developers. The decision could set a
precedent in other places grappling with soaring data center power
demands, as AI’s appetite for energy has raised concerns about rising
consumer electricity bills.
Surging power demand from data centers is on track to force utilities to
make expensive grid upgrades in Ohio and other states.The power company
said the increased charge was needed to help cover the
cost of expensive transmission-line upgrades required to serve data
center energy needs. AEP said demand from dozens of pending data center
customers was set to more than triple its previous peak load.
The Ohio showdown over data centers’ impact on energy infrastructure
started last year, when power company American Electric Power proposed
increasing a monthly charge on data centers in the state from 60 percent
of their projected consumption to 90 percent — regardless of their
actual usage.The tech giants supported a competing proposal that would
have been more lenient on them but risked passing the increased costs on
to consumers.
Read more in the Washington Post
T-Mobile Launches "T-Satellite" Service
T-Mobile is now offering direct satellite to phone service
to its customers. The service uses satellites from Starlink and offers
coverage in the continental US, Hawaii, parts of southern Alaska, and
Puerto Rico. For now, Starlink’s D2D capabilities are limited to text
and location services, with data services set to be added in October.
Voice and video services will need to wait for later generations of the
Starlink satellites.
The service is available with ~60 smartphones, and users are
automatically shifted to the satellite network when they enter an area
with no cellular coverage. ‘T-Satellite’ is currently offered for $10 a
month, with prices expected to then increase to $15 per month. In
addition, the service is included by default in a number of T-Mobile’s
premium plans.
Apple has offered free emergency satellite coverage since 2022, in a partnership with Globalstar
on iPhone 14 or later models. Apple invested $450million in Globalstar
for the expansion and enhancement of Globalstar ground stations in
Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Puerto Rico, and Texas to make the
service available.
Rogers is offering a similar service in Canada using Starlink. According to a CBC article, less than half of Northern Ontario province currently has cellular service available.
Update On The Epidemic Of Cable Theft
U.S. operators are concerned over rising fiber cable cuts. ISPs
reported over 5,700 instances of infrastructure damage in the second
half of 2024, about 30 incidents a day, with California and Texas the
leding states for incidents. The main culprit, according to operators,
is copper thieves who mistakenly target fiber-optic cables. Copper
fetches a high price on the market and vandals often sell it to metal
recyclers to make a quick buck. But fiber has no value. Read more at Fierce Telecom.
Spectrum says would-be copper thieves caused internet outage affecting L.A., Ventura counties
 LA Times
An attempted — and unsuccessful — copper theft in Van
Nuys caused a widespread internet outage Sunday affecting swaths of Los
Angeles and Ventura counties, a Spectrum spokesman confirmed to The
Times.
“This morning, our lines were cut due to vandalism in Van Nuys that also
affected our services in other parts of Los Angeles and Ventura,”
spokesperson Dennis Johnson said Sunday. In a Monday update, he added
that service was gradually restored — area by area — over the course of
Sunday, with repairs wrapping up Monday morning.
Johnson attributed the incident to copper wire thieves — who were looking for copper in a place where there was none.
Read more in the LA TImes.
TeleGeography makes calls for new submarine cable repair ship investments
TeleGeography forecasts that $3 billion worth of investment in
submarine cable repair ships will be required to sustain current service
levels and reduce repair delays for the undersea cables that carry
global internet traffic. While there’s a surge in submarine cable
infrastructure investment, maintenance and repair capabilities have
lagged.
In “The Future of Submarine Cable Maintenance,” a joint report by
TeleGeography and Infra-Analytics, the research firms forecast a 48% net
increase in total cable kilometers to be deployed in the world's oceans
by 2040, driven by rising bandwidth demands and the need for network
redundancy and resilience. However, by the same year, approximately
two-thirds of cable maintenance ships will have reached the end of their
service life, with about half of the global cable ship fleet also
approaching this milestone.
Listen to the Lightwave podcast discussing this report.
The 33rd International Conference on Plastic Optical
Fibers (POF 2025) will be held from October 29–31 at Boston University
Photonics Center in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The conference is
co-organized by the International Cooperative of Plastic Optical Fibers
(ICPOF) and Information Gatekeepers. It is the only technical conference
that addresses the latest advances in POF technology, applications and
industry progress each year.
In addition to the technical program, an
accompanying exhibit will allow companies to showcase their latest POF
products and technologies. We also invite you to show off your company's
technologies and products at the exhibition booths.
Call For Papers - Deadline July 25, Submit Your Abstract TODAY!
Sponsorship and Exhibitor Registrations OPEN NOW!
More information is available at https://pof2025.org
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 Page covers 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.
Cross Reference To FOA Tech Materials
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®
|
Analog Or Digital?
For the first century, phones worked essentially the same way. A
microphone converted sound into an electrical signal by varying
resistance in a current loop and a speaker converted the current back
into sound. The limitation of that system of analog transmission was the
limit on long distance transmission caused by electrical noise and, of
course, a current loop could only support a single user at a time.
In 1948 Bell Labs mathematician Claude Shannon published a paper called
“A Mathematical Theory of Communications.” Shannon’s paper said that the
solution to transmitting information farther and faster was to digitize
the information; convert the analog electrical signal to digital, a
series of “1s” and “0s,” binary data like used in digital computers.
If the signal is digitized by an analog-to-digital converter (A-D)
and transmitted as binary bits - 1s and 0s - the signal will still be
attenuated and can still pick up noise, but the noise will not affect
the ability of the digital-to-analog converter (D-A) at the receiving
end from converting the signal back to its original quality. So digital
signals have the advantage of being able to be sent over larger
distances and in noisy environments without signal degradation. And
techniques like time-division-multiplexing allows sending multiple
signals over a single fiber.
Two signals (red and blue) multiplexed
Digital telecom and fiber optics were made for each other. While digital
signals could be sent over copper wires or radio waves, the additional
bandwidth of fiber allowed multiplexing thousands of signals on one
fiber and the low attenuation of fiber allowed transmitting signals
further without needing repeaters.
Read more in the FOA Guide.
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.
Bend-Insensitive Fibers, Long Wavelength Testing And Loop Attenuators
In a recent discussion with several FOA tech advisors about testing at
long wavelengths with an OTDR to find stress points in fiber optic
cables, we learned something in addition.
Although most G.652 singlemode fibers are now equivalent to G.657.A1
fibers as bend insensitive fibers, there is still enough sensitivity to
bending losses that testing with an OTDR at 1625nm will still show
cables with excess stress. So it is worthwhile to continue testing
singlemode at 1310, 1550 and 1625 nm.
However, the loop style attenuator shown above may be obsolete. They
have been used for years to create attenuators without reflectance,
especially with patchcords at the receiver when signals need a small
amount of attenuation. But they are not very effective with today's bend
insensitive fibers, so optical attenuators must be used instead.
Thanks to Joe Botha, Triple Play in South Africa and Ian Gordon Fudge at FiberDK in Denmark for this information.
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.
Ensuring
Reliability By Proper Fiber Optic
Installation
Testing that Demonstrates, or Not, High Reliability
Interpreting Test Results (Coming soon)
3D Inspection and Precision Cleaning
Field Service and Production Line Considerations When Precision Cleaning and Inspecting Fiber Optic Surfaces by Ed Forrest. Ed has decades of experience in developing cleaning solutions for fiber optic connectors.
Vladimir Grozdanovic discusses why HDD is used and details procedures for using it safely.
Vladimir
Grozdanovic reviews how OPGW is used by electrical utiities to provide
communications in the same cables used for electrical power transmission
and distribution. With photos and descriptions from installer Eugene Reyes, he shows the procedures for splicing this special type of fiber optic cable.
What FOA's Instructors And Technical Advisors Are Telling Us
In the October 2024 FOA Newsletter we ran a long illustrated feature article offering
guidelines for aerial cable plant installation, illustrated by some
"excellent" bad examples. That article elicited quite a few comments,
especially from the instructors at some of our FOA schools around the
world, and led to some discussions with others in our field, including
manufacturers. Several topics seem to warrant further discussion, so we
thought it would be interesting to share some of our notes and encourage
more inputs before we cover the topics in detail in future issues of the
newsletter.
Here are some of the topics of the comments published in the November 2024 Newsletter. Some, we promise, are controversial! Feel free to comment.
Aerial Cable Plant Workmanship
Read the recently updated FOA Guide sections Aerial Cable Installation and Aerial Cable Plant Workmanship. and see FOA Guidelines for Aerial Cable Installation.
Is It Just The OTDR Or Is Singlemode Loss Really Directional?
Read the explanation of OTDR directional differences in the FOA Guide page on OTDRs.
A Quiet But Important Change In The Fiber Optic Cable You Buy
With so many cable designs today,
like microcables or high fiber count cables, requiring bend-insensitive
fibers, would it make sense to make all or most singlemode fibers as
bend insensitive fiber?
Two manufacturers (Corning and OFS) told FOA the industry is moving towards a G.657.A specification
in fiber, because the industry is moving towards smaller denser cables
in the network & the bend resilience is a requirement for the cable
design. So singlemode fiber is moving to being BI fiber, exactly what happened
with 50/125 laser optimized fibers a decade ago. With most new fiber,
compatibility is not an issue. But it is recommended to check with the
cable manufacturer if you are not sure what fiber is being used in the
cable you are purchasing.
Read the entire FOA report on compatibility of G.652 and G.657 singlemode fiber that includes this summary.
Jump to Worth
Reading
Updated 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.
How Good Are Your OTDR Launch/Receive Cables?
FOA received an inquiry about some OTDR traces that
showed failures. Quite a few fibers failed at the final connection to
the receive cable, indicating that there could be a problem with the
connection - dirt of a bad connector on the receive cable. Have you
checked the connectors on your OTDR - or OLTS - reference cables
recently? You should inspect and clean them regularly - every few
connections - to ensure they are good. If they are bad, they will cause
false failures on the cable under test.
NECA/FOA 301 fiber optic installation standard
withdrawn
 The NECA/FOA 301 fiber optic installation standard has been
withdrawn. It's almost a quarter century old and a decade since the
last update. It has been decided the standard needs to be replaced with a
more modern document covering current technology and written in a
format that allows easier updating.
In the meantime, there is lots of useful information in the standard and you can still download a free copy from FOA.
Download your free copy of ANSI/NECA/FOA-301
here (PDF)
FTTH Technical Papers
FOA contributor Vladimir Grozdanovic has created these technical papers based on his field experiences.
Construction Methods For Microtrenching
Fiber Optic Ducts And Microducts
Fiber Optic Tools
Optical Distribution Frames (ODFs) And Patch Panels
Using Fiber Identifiers
Testing The FTTH PON Network (new)
Troubleshooting PON Installations.
Installation of FTTH Active Equipment in the FOA Guide.
Optical Splitters in the FOA Guide.
Examples of poor installation of FTTH in the aerial outside plant and in the customer premises.
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.
Red more about what this cable marking tells you and what the cable looks like when you open it up to prepare for splicing.
Managing Fiber Optic Projects - The Gantt Chart
(With An Excel File To Make Your Own)
The most common way to track projects is the Gantt Chart, a
chart of activities that tracks the progress of projects along a
timeline. each activity is represented by a bar and the position and
length of the bar represents the starting date and duration of the
activity. This allows you to see what activities are needed for the
project, when the activities start and end so it can be used to track
the progress of the project visually. Here is what a Gantt Chart for a
fiber project might look like:
 You might remember an article in the FOA Newsletter in April 2022 or the FOA Guide page on Project Management about the timing of a fiber optic project where we showed the progression of steps in a project like this:
The Gantt Chart is simply this list converted to a Gantt Chart
using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. You can download a copy of the FOA Gantt Chart spreadsheet (xlsx file - 16kB)
and use it to create your own Gantt Chart for any project. All you have
to do is to input your own data and change the activity names as
necessary. You can also follow the directions from Microsoft to create your own version.
Help On Color Codes (Including Copper Cabling And Fiber Optics)
The FOA has created a print-your-own pocket guide to fiber
optic color codes. It has
color codes for fibers and buffer tubes, connectors and premises cables
inside and on the back, QR codes to take you directly to the FOA Guide
and Fiber U. The FOA
Guide page on Fiber Optic Color Codes is one of the most read pages on the FOA
website and the Fiber Optic Color Codes minicourse on Fiber U very popular also.
  
Here are the links to download your own FOA Guides to Fiber Optic Color Codes
FOA Guide to Fiber Optic Color Codes (print your own version) PDF
FOA Guide to Fiber Optic Color Codes (electronic version for your smartphone, tablet or PC) PDF
And Color Codes For UTP Cabling
FOA Guide to UTP Cabling Color Codes (print your own version) PDF
FOA Guide to UTP Copper Cabling Color Codes (electronic version) PDF
Warning For Techs Doing OSP Restoration
 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.
See "Fiber Amps And Restoration" in the FOA Newsletter Archives..
Try The FOA's Online
Loss Budget Calculator
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've
created a online Loss Budget Calculator that does
the work for you. Just input your cable plant data
and it calculates the loss budget. It works on any
device, especially smartphones and tablets for field
use and even allows printing the results.
Bookmark
this page (especially on your smartphone): FOA Loss Budget Calculator
Online
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Worth Reading
Each month we read
hundreds of newsletters and online articles. These
are the ones we think you will find "worth
reading."
FOA has a web page with resources on fiber broadband networks and the IIJA/BEAD funding programs.
Index Of Articles Fiber Broadband Networks From The Fiber Optic Association - dozens of articles on fiber broadband over the last 4 years.
Cross Reference Guide to FOA Textbooks, Online Guide and Fiber U
 AT&T PR photo from the mid 1970s
The FOA's History
Stories From The Past FOA Newsletters
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.
|
Worth Reading (And
Watching Or Listening):
June
MOOSE helps expand broadband in Maine. Maine Connectivity Authority
This Was Supposed to Be the Year China Started Catching Up With SpaceX. NYTimes
State-by-State “Benefit of the Bargain” Round BEAD Update - Telecompetitor
The gulf is not the place to build the world’s AI infrastructure. Washington Post Drone threats make the UAE and Saudi Arabia the wrong homes for critical AI data centers.
Previously:
The Entire Internet Is Reverting to Beta, The Atlantic. The
AI takeover is changing everything about the web—and not necessarily
for the better. The extent of the AI industry’s new ambitions—to rewire
not just the web, but also the economy, education, and even the workings
of government with a single technology—magnifies any flaw to the same
scale.
The A.I. Frenzy Is Escalating. Again. NYTimes. Companies like OpenAI, Amazon and Meta have supersized their spending on artificial intelligence, with no signs of slowing down.
10 Mind-Blowing Generative AI Stats Everyone Should Know About - Forbes
By some estimates, 90% of all online content will be AI-generated by the
end of 2026. At that point, it all becomes a loop of irrelevance.
Deep Dives (Takes a while to read but worth it)
Investing In Fiber Optic Networks -Hexatronic - not
like venture capital investing, but how financial decisions in network
design may have big effects on the total cost of a network.
VIAVI "NITRO" Fiber Sensing Solutions - VIAVI
is offering systems to use fibers as sensors for finding cabling
problems, structural monitoring and security. Focus is on electrical
power transmission, piplelines, and critical infrastructure. IT might
apply to your network.
Investing in Middle Mile Can Help Communities Achieve Broadband Equity. US Ignite
Quote of the month, May 2024: “Middle mile is like the
middle child that keeps getting ignored. If we continue ignoring it, at
one point in time, we will not be able to connect all of these new last
mile connections that we are planning on building in the next four
years.” Sachin Gupta, Director of Government Business & Economic Development
at Centranet.
Obstacles to Fiber Optic Workforce Training and Certification ISE Magazine
Recent Articles
Responsible Fiber Deployment: Strategies for Protection and Damage Prevention - Excavation Safety Alliance - YouTube video, 1hr.
Can Our Industry Develop Fiber Talent? ISE Magazine. Learn how states, schools and training organizations must work together to develop fiber field talent.
Landlines are dying out. But to some, they’re a lifeline. Washington Post Providers want to scale back landline service, but people with poor cell reception still rely on it for emergencies.
Pre-Excavation Safety Checklist (PDF) - Excavation Safety Alliance - essential steps before breaking ground for underground construction.
Fiber vs Wireless - Are You Kidding? ISE Magazine Of course we need both!
Developing a Fiber Workforce Really Does Take A Village - ISE magazine looks at the role of manufacturers' training in developing the fiber workforce.
How Many More Fiber Techs Do We Really Need? - ISE Magazine
Telegeography Submarine Cable Map 2023 - You can also buy copies - Telegeography
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.
Do You Believe In Magic? Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. ISE Magazine.
The Secret to Future Proofing, ISE Magazine
The 45 Year Old Overnight Sensation - ISE Magazine (Read the complete Nov/Dec issue of ISE Magazine here.
ESRI has created an ebook on GIS location technology for telecom. Use the link to download the book.
Conocimiento Esencial: ¿Por qué la fibra óptica? creado por FiberWizards
Recruiting And Training Today's Fiber Optic Workforce - Learn the fundamentals to recruit and train new fiber optics -ISE Magazine.
Google Video On Their Undersea Cables YouTube Slick but interesting video on how undersea cables are designed, built and used.
Construction Without Disruption - ISE Magazine
Fiber Optics Installed By The Lowest Bidder - ISE Magazine
Building Broadband During Component and Worker Shortages
- Broadband Communities - Completing broadband builds requires
competent fiber optic techs, but training them requires understanding
how they learn.
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.
The Institute for Local
Self-Reliance weekly newsletter has
lots of interesting articles and links.
Next Century Cities Newsletter
- News from cities around the US
including Detroit and New York plus small
Structured Cabling News
- a website and weekly newsletter about cabling
RTI Telecom Magazine from Brazil, in Portuguese. A revista RTI do mês de abril já está disponível online e recomendo a leitura de alguns artigos:
Worth Reading - History & Technical
FOA was founded in 1995 - FOA's History
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.
1983
Video of AT&T's First Test Of A Submarine
Cable System From the AT&T Tech
Channel archives (worth exploring!)
Richard
Epworth's Optical Fiber History from his work
at STL from 1966 with Charles Kao.
50th Anniversary of The
Development of Low Loss Fibers A history
of the development of low loss fiber, a fascinating
story by Jeff Hecht on the OSA (Optical Society of
America) website.
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.
Recycling Fiber Optic
Cable - Contact:
Steve Maginnis
LD4Recycle/ CommuniCom Recycling
(Visit
website)
sm@LD4Recycle.com
803.371.5436
Sumitomo's Ribbon
Splicing Guide - download from
one of the leaders in splicing.
OFS also has an excellent
website and blog of tech articles worth browsing.
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"
Restoration: If you are interested in restoration -
aren't we all? - you should also read this
article in dpPro magazine by FOA President Jim
Hayes: Damage Protection Requires
Looking Overhead As Well As Underground
- dpPRO Magazine - about the problems with
aerial cables. His previous article for the
magazine was New Techniques for Fiber
Optic Installation.
Universal access to broadband
is a cornerstone to a strong economy,
Achieving universal access will require
community partnerships. by Alfreda
B. Norman, Sr. VP, Federal Reserve Bank of
Dallas
FIBER TO THE FARM: The
co-ops that electrified Depression-era farms are
now building rural internet. Be sure to check out
the high-tech equine installation equipment.
Infrastructure Get Some
Respect, NY TImes "On Tech"
"The magic of the internet requires a lot of
very boring stuff behind the scenes. "
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) - They're back!
 
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
Ciena's Submarine Cable
Handbooks (4 to download)
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)
Rural Electric Cooperatives:
Pole Attachment Policies and Issues, June 2019.
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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
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.
The Other is the Telcordia Blue Book - Expensive but thorough
Telcordia Blue Book - Manual of Construction Procedures
Document Number SR-1421, Issue Number 07, Issue Date Jan 2023
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. Udates are incremental and we do not
require current certification holders to retake courses or exams. Some
of our updates are almost humorous. For example, over the last 20 years
the definitions of “hybrid” and “composite” cables have flipped twice in
several international standards. At the last time, we changed all
references to these cable types in all our materials to note the
confusion it creates, then purged all questions from our exams that
covered this confusing topic.
Past questions can be found on the FAQs page.
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.
The
word on the "Dig Once" program is getting out - FOA
is getting calls from cities asking us for
information and advice. Here are some links:
The DoT page on the administration’s Executive
Order: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/otps/exeorder.cfm
And the
one to download and hand out:
A “How To” Guide from The Global Connect Initiative:
https://share.america.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/6.-GCI-Dig-Once.pdf
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Training / FiberU
News and resources to help you learn more and stay
updated.
Learn about the fiber optic/ broadband workforce
Find a
listing of all the FOA-Approved schools here.
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
The FOA has >100
videos on |
What Is An FOA Credential?
As FOA celebrates our 100,000th CFOT® certified technician,
introduces the "FOA Badge 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.
More about FOA's network of approved training organizations.
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 School News
FOA's roster of approved schools is growing 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 nearly 100,000 certified fiber techs (with ~130,000
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.
Complete listing of FOA Approved Training Organizations
Need A Fiber Optic Course Onsite? Invite an FOA School To Come To You
FOA often gets inquiries from an organization that
has personnel that needs training in fiber optics. Recent inquiries have
included contractors, a manufacturer of high-reliability products using
fiber optics and a cable manufacturer. In many cases, where there are
several people needing training, FOA can recommend a FOA Approved School
and Certified Instructor who will come to their location to teach a
class. The advantage is of course the savings in travel costs if
the class comes to you, but it also offers the opportunity to customize
the course to fit your needs, even use your equipment or work on your
components, so the training is more relevant to those taking the class.
Contact FOA to discuss the idea of a custom, on-site class to see if it will better meet your needs.
Fiber U
On-The-Job Training (OJT) Program
The
FOA Fiber U OJT program for novices combines online study at
Fiber U with OJT with mentoring by experienced
co-workers and their supervisor to help new employees
develop into experienced FOA-certified technicians.
The FOA Fiber U “OJT-To-Cert”
program includes both fiber optics
and premises cabling (copper, fiber & wireless),
so it covers techs working in both outside plant and
premises jobs.
Like other FOA
programs, the OJT-To-Cert program is free. If you
and/or your company is interested in the FOA
OJT-To-Cert program,
contact FOA.
To explain how OJT
works and FOA's OJT-To-Cert program, FOA created a
short video: Lecture 62: On
The Job Training For Fiber Optics Using Fiber
U
FOA
Direct Certification Program For Experienced Fiber Optic Techs
Experience Plus
Online Study At Fiber U = FOA Certification
Experienced fiber optic technicians can become FOA Certified using
their experience in fiber optics and study for the
FOA certification exams online at Fiber U. Thousands of
industry professionals have applied to the FOA
directly for certification without the need for
classroom training, based on their knowledge and
skills developed working the field. Since FOA
certifications are based on KSAs (knowledge, skills
and abilities), current techs can show the
skills and abilities required through their field
experience. FOA provides free online self-study courses at Fiber U for the knowledge
part to prepare you for FOA certification exams
which you can also take online.
If you are an experienced field tech interested in
certification, and FOA is the internationally
recognized certifying body for fiber optics, you can
find out more about the FOA Direct Certification Program
here.
If you are already a CFOT, FOA also offers many
specialist certifications you can obtain based on
your experience as a field tech. See what's
available at Fiber
U.
Fiber U "Basic Fiber
Optics" Online Self-Study Course Now In SpanishCurso Básico de Fibra Óptica
de Fibra U en español.
New Fiber U Course: Fiber Characterization
Fiber
characterization is the process for testing long fiber cable plants for
its ability for carrying high speed communications. With so many
networks now operating at 100, 200, 400 or even 800 Gb/s, fiber
characterization is important, especially on older fiber optic cable
plants.The free Fiber U Fiber Characterization course is available in two forms, as a standalone Fiber U fiber Characterization Course with its own Fiber U Certificate of Completion and as a separate Lesson in the Fiber U Fiber Optic Testing course. This course is recommended for those studying for the FOA CFOS/FC Fiber Characterization certification.
Fiber U MiniCourses: Got An Hour Or Less?
Learn Something New About Fiber Optics.
FOA
has introduced a new type of Fiber U
course, the MiniCourse, a free online course you
could take in a short time, perhaps as you ate lunch
at your desk or took a coffee break. The
topics of these courses should explain what they are
about, and these are all very important topics to
fiber optic techs.
New Fiber U MiniCourse - Fiber Optic Jargon
There is a new MiniCourse at Fiber U - Fiber Optic Jargon.
Jargon is the most important thing you need to learn when you learn
about a new technology. This short Fiber U MiniCourse is intended to
introduce you to fiber optic jargon and make learning about fiber much
easier. It's aimed at novices but is a good refresher for even
experienced techs.
Fiber Optics In Communications
Fiber Optic Jargon
How Optical Fiber Works
Fiber Optic Network
Restoration
Fiber
Optic Connector Identification
Fiber U Color Codes
The Mysterious
dB of Fiber Optics
Fiber Optic Cable Bend Radius
Fiber Optic Link Loss And Power
Budgets
Fiber Optic Connector
Inspection And Cleaning
Fiber Optic Media Conversion
Fiber Optic Cable Midspan Access
Reading An OTDR Trace
Reference Cables For Testing
Fiber Optic Attenuators
The courses have two components, video lectures and
readings, that are complementary. As usual there is
a self-test to allow you to check your
comprehension. As with other Fiber U courses if you
desire, you can take a short test for a Fiber U
Certificate of Completion that costs
only $10.
All these free courses and many more
are available at Fiber U.
What Fiber Techs
Don't Know -
What We Learn From
FOA Certification Tests
As
FOA moves more testing over to our digital online
testing system at ClassMarker, we have access to
more data about our testing, including what
questions and topics on the tests are answered
incorrectly most often. Having this data gives us an
opportunity to evaluate the questions and how they
are stated, but more importantly it allow us to help
our instructors teach the subjects and us to change
our curriculum and online courses to emphasize these
particular topics. 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.
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Publications /
Resources
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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.
Cross Reference Guide to Textbooks, Online Guide and Fiber U
FOA Guide To Fiber Optic Workforce Development
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.
Read the FOA Guide To Fiber Optic Workforce Development online.
New Edition of FOA's Basic Fiber Optics Textbook
Just like they say in the product ads, it's new and improved!
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.
Inflation was an issue, but the price only goes up $2 to $29.95 for the paperback and $12.95 for the Kindle version.
The new edition of the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics is available from Amazon and booksellers worldwide.
New In Spanish - Nuevo en español
FOA Spanish Textbook And Online Guide Updated
The FOA Spanish textbook and Online Guide on basic fiber optics has just
been updated. The new version includes all the latest updates and is
intended for use with FOA CFOT certification classes presented in
Spanish. Both paperback and Kindle versions are available. The textbook and the updated CFOT class
curriculum are available now.
Libro de texto en español y guía en línea de FOA actualizados
Se acaba de actualizar el libro de texto en español y la Guía Online de FOA
sobre fibra óptica básica. La nueva versión incluye las últimas
actualizaciones y está diseñada para usarse con las clases de
certificación FOA CFOT presentadas en español. Están disponibles
versiones de bolsillo y Kindle. El libro de texto y el plan de estudios
actualizado de la clase CFOT ya están disponibles.
FOA Adds Fiber Optic Network Design in Spanish
The FOA Design textbook and course curriculum are available in Spanish also. The FOA CFOS/D curriculum in Spanish includes the necessary materials
for an instructor to present the course in Spanish and give thCFOS/D
certification exam in Spanish. The material is available to any
FOA-approved school. For more infirmation on becoming a FOA approved
school, go here.
El libro de texto de FOA Design y el plan de estudios
del curso también están disponibles en español. El plan de estudios de
FOA CFOS/D en español incluye los materiales necesarios para que un
instructor presente el curso en español y dé el examen de certificación
CFOS/D en español. El material está disponible para cualquier escuela
aprobada por la FOA. Para obtener más confirmación sobre cómo
convertirse en una escuela aprobada por la FOA, vaya aquí.
Best Seller: Fiber Broadband (Paperback and Kindle)
In less than half a century,
fiber optics has revolutionized communications and to a large extent,
society in general. Broadband, what many today call high speed Internet
access, has become a necessity for everyone, not a luxury. The
technology that makes broadband possible is fiber optics, connecting the
continents, cities, and just about everybody. Even fiber to the home
(FTTH) brings broadband to hundreds of millions worldwide.
How did we get from an era when communications was making a telephone
call or sending a telegram to today’s world where every piece of
information – and misinformation – is available at the click of a mouse
or touch on a screen? How did we get from a time when a phone was
connected on copper wires to being able to connect practically anywhere
on a handheld device with more computing power than was available to
scientists and engineers only decades ago?
How does broadband work? Without fiber optics it would not work.
This book is not the typical FOA technical textbook - it is written for
anyone who wants to understand fiber broadband or fiber optics or the
Internet. It's also aimed at STEM teachers who want to include
communications technology in their classes. This book will try to
explain not only how fiber broadband works, but how
it was developed. 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,) for managers involved with broadband projects, or for anyone
who just wonders how all this stuff works.
The Fiber Optic Association Guide To Fiber Broadband
Paperback ($12.95) and Kindle ($9.95) versions available from Amazon or most booksellers. Kindle version is in color!
More 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.
Planning A Fiber Optic Project?
The FOA Guide To Fiber Optic Projects includes this timeline and comments on project planning and implementation.
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 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.
Bookmark this page (especially on your
smartphone): FOA Loss Budget Calculator
Online
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  .
Fiber Optics (4 languages), Premises Cabling, OSP
fiber and construction, Network Design, Testing,
FTTH Handbook and our latest - FIber Broadband
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.
Click on any book for more information
about it.
FOA
has reprinted
"Lennie Lightwave's Guide"
on its 25th anniversary in a special print
edition.
Lennie
and Uncle Ted's
Guides are online.
Click on any of
the books to learn more.
- Fiber
Optic Safety Poster to download and
print
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.
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Safety
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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.
Enhance your safety with the FOA Safety Vest.
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!
There are pages on the FOA Guide on Safety
procedures Including Eye Safety and. Digging
Safely
And a YouTube lecture: FOA Lecture 2: Safety When Working
With Fiber Optics
In our OSP Construction Section, these pages cover
many safety issues including those related to the
construction of the cable plant: Project Preparation And Guidelines,
Underground Cable Construction,
Underground Cable Installation
and Aerial Cable Installation.
There is even a safety poster for the fiber
activities: PDF Safety Rules For Fiber Optics
Other Safety Resources:
There is a toll-free
"call before you dig" number in the USA: Dial 811. See www.call811.com
for more information in the US. Here is their map of resources by states.
In Canada, it's "Click Before You Dig.com" They also have a page of resources by US states and Canadian provinces.
The Common Ground
Alliance has an excellent "Best Practices Guide"
online
- The US Department
of Transportation has a website called "National
Pipeline Mapping System" that allows one
to search for buried pipelines.
Why We Warn You To
Be Careful About Fiber Shards
Photo courtesy Brian Brandstetter,
Mississauga Training Consultantcy
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FOA/About
About The FOA
- Contact
Us: http://www.foa.org
or email <info@foa.org>
FOA has a company page
and four LinkedIn Groups
FOA
- official company page on LinkedIn
FOA
- 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)
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What is The FOA?
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 government as 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.
Read More
FOA History
FOA Timeline of Fiber Optics
Contact
Us
The Fiber Optic Association Inc.
https://www.foa.org or email
<info@foa.org>
https://www.thefoa.org or email <info@thefoa.org>
Telephone/text: 760-451-3655
The
FOA Home Page
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.
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-
Contact Us
The Fiber Optic Association Inc.
The FOA Home Page
Fiber Optic Timeline
(C)1999-2025, The Fiber Optic Association, Inc.
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FOA Logo
Merchandise
New FOA Swag! Shirts,
Caps, Stickers, Cups, etc.
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.
-
Your
Name, CFOT® - It pays to advertise!
The FOA encourages
CFOTs to use the logo on their business cards,
letterhead, truck or van, etc. and provides logo
files for that purpose. But we are also asked
about how to use the CFOT or CFOS certifications.
Easy, you can refer to yourself as "Your Name,
CFOT" or "Your Name, CFOS/T" for example.
Feel free to use the
logo and designations to promote your achievements
and professionalism!
Contact
FOA at info@thefoa.org to get logos in file format
for your use.
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.
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