Electical Contractor

In the quiz (page 76), we ask some questions about choosing voice/data/video (VDV) cabling components for various applications. With so much changing in communications, cabling technology and standards, figuring out which components to use in a particular application can be tricky.

Here is one word of advice I offer to anyone asking about maintenance of fiber optic networks: DON’T! Some people have suggested fiber optic networks need periodic inspection of connectors, mating adapters and even testing or taking optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) traces.

Coupled with impressive growth in its broadband subscriber base, the Asia/Pacific region is standing at the forefront of the fiber to the home/node/business (FTTx) evolution, according to the high-tech market research firm In-Stat, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Multimode fiber testing gets international attention I almost feel obligated to apologize for writing about technical issues related to multimode fiber again.

Understanding TIA-568 can lead to more consistent loss measurements:

Proper OTDR parameter setup eases interpretation: The Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) is an essential instrument for characterizing long outside plant fiber optic cables; it is the only instrument capable of verifying inline splices on concatenated fiber optic cables and locating faults.

The Fiber Optics Association (FOA) certified its 20,000th Certified Fiber Optic Technician (CFOT) in October.

When considering a new service or product offering, most financial analysts will focus on the potential revenue from such; it proves to be an important job because if one tries to push technology too far too fast, profits can prove to imbalance with the costs.

Quiz