Back in the late 1980s, when fiber was new and before structured cabling for premises applications became a TIA standard, I was working to train electricians in fiber optic installation. Electricians first became aware of fiber optics because electrical utilities were early adopters.

A brief history lesson

Fiber optics' ability to carry signals in hostile electrical environments solved many problems for electrical grid applications. Ground wires with fiber optics inside, called optical power ground wire, had been introduced in the mid-1980s and were rapidly adopted for grid management in electrical transmission and distribution. Fiber solved interference problems in substations. Fiber optic sensors were even used to measure voltage and current for grid control and management.

Electrical workers who knew how to install and maintain fiber optic networks were in demand. I was invited to Boston, New York and the Midwest to give training classes to help electrical workers understand this new technology and get started. Some started their own training programs. 

Training, training and more training

Before long, I met people from the NJATC and ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. We began working together to bring fiber optic training to the IBEW and NECA. Many electrical workers still remember the “Fiber U” training at trade shows in the 1990s. 

Today, about 40 JATCs use the FOA curriculum to train apprentices and journeymen in fiber optics. FOA has trained hundreds of JATC instructors at the National Training Institute run every summer by the Electrical Training Alliance (ETA). Those instructors have in turn trained more than 3,300 apprentices.

Electrical workers represent the second-­largest group of FOA Certified Fiber Optic Technicians (CFOTs), after those working for the largest telcos.

FOA has worked with some outstanding people. We first met several of them when they trained at the original Fiber U conferences. Now, we work with Jim Simpson, director of installer-technician and residential at the ETA. 

When the FOA reached the milestone of 100,000 certifications last year, Simpson sent us this note: ”Since 1995, the IBEW, NECA and the ETA have proudly partnered with the FOA to advance the training and certification of skilled technicians. Through this longstanding collaboration, many of our members have benefited greatly ... gaining the expertise needed to meet the demands of cutting-edge fiber optic technologies. The FOA’s focus on hands-on training, combined with its commitment to adaptability in an evolving industry, has been instrumental in preparing our technicians for success in a highly competitive and dynamic field.”

Tech is always evolving

Fiber optics is an evolving industry. During the 1990s, there was a lot of focus on premises cabling for corporate computer networks and industrial controls. The computer networks for PCs grew around TIA-568 structured cabling, mainly copper cables, with fiber optics limited to the corporate backbone. 

In the early 2000s, when Wi-Fi matured and smartphones and other mobile devices became ubiquitous, copper cables became obsolete. Now, fiber optic computer networks using the same technology as fiber to the home are the network of choice, but premises networks represent only a small percentage of the fiber optic market today.

Outside plant fiber optics, however, has taken over all communications, including wireless, which operates with fiber to the antenna. The electrical utilities rely on fiber optics for managing smart grids, microgrids, battery storage and integrating alternative energy sources. Cities are filled with fiber for communications, security cameras, intelligent traffic control, even monitoring and managing water and sewer systems. Broadband internet is driving fiber to the home. Data centers are enormous consumers of fiber optics (and electrical power).

Electrical power and fiber optic communications are two of the most important requirements in the modern world. As fiber optics expands into new applications, training curricula continue to be updated.

The FOA and ETA are working together to expand the programs for electrical workers to keep them up to date with today’s increasing market demands. Techs trained in electrical and fiber optic technologies are highly valuable.

jim hayes