Jim Hayes

Last month, I wrote about a new class of fiber optic cables called microcables, which, as the name implies, are much smaller than regular fiber optic cables. They fit into much smaller ducts and even allow a unique installati...

Microcables are becoming very popular, and it’s important to understand their purpose, applications and installation. These smaller fiber optic cables are designed for applications where large numbers of fibers are required a...

I like to walk. Always have. It's low-impact, highly effective exercise that keeps you healthy and, if you keep your eyes open, helps you learn about what's happening in the world around you. Of course, I live in an area that...

While we have only a few types of optical fiber, we have hundreds of types of fiber optic cable. That’s because cable is designed to protect the fibers in the environment in which it is going to be installed and in the method...

Over the last year, fiber installations have grown so quickly that big companies are getting worried about the ability of industry to meet their needs for fiber and cable. Verizon made commitments recently for more than $1 bi...

After 15 years of rural living on a small farm in Southern California, my wife and I recently moved back into the city. Now, as we walk around our neighborhood, we are often reminded that we live in one of the smartest “smart...

Like many technology markets, telecom has always been a hotbed of hype. Somebody is always talking up the latest and greatest technology that will revolutionize the market. Not too long ago, it was fiber-to-the-home (FTTH). R...

Back in the early 1980s, when I first began working on standards committees for fiber optics, it was under the auspices of the Electronics Industry Association before they merged with the Telecommunications Industry Associati...

My introduction to fiber optics was a guided tour of the Bell Labs section where they were developing the technology being used for the first commercial networks. What I remember most was the office of Jack Cook, the engineer...

As I discussed last month, one of the most complicated problems electrical utilities face is integrating alternative-energy sources into the traditional grid. In addition to the traditional large electrical generation sources...

We are all aware fiber optics is the backbone of communications networks such as telecom, the internet, local area networks, cable television and more. It’s also the backbone of the electrical grid. For about three decades no...

In our technological world, we all know training is mandatory to successfully break into any new type of work. For more than 25 years, the Fiber Optics Association (FOA) has been involved with training courses for electrician...