Last month I described what I have been learning from talking to those around the country applying for government grants under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment programs. Specifically, how regional differences due to geography and historical precedents must be taken into account when building networks. I also learned that those with plenty of experience in the industry need to be more explicit when explaining what is involved in a fiber optic project to newer people.

Many people call fiber optic techs “splicers,” a holdover from the days when that was the top fiber job specialty in the phone companies. I’ve been in many meetings where they are described as such, leaving the impression that it’s all fiber techs do and the most important part of an installation.

I often interrupt these meetings to explain what is actually involved in a fiber optic project and how it may involve a half-dozen different jobs performed by techs with a variety of skills. Here’s my quick summary of the stages of a fiber optic project and the skills involved.

Concept: A project begins when there is an agreement that a communications system is needed and fiber optics will be required. Today, practically every communications project involves some fiber, even if it’s wireless. To define the concept requires someone who understands communications of all types, not just fiber or wireless, and can describe it to people who are nontechnical but control the project and budget.

Design: The tech who can design a fiber optic network understands how fiber optic communications networks function, knows the types of installations used in aerial and underground cable plants, can choose the right components and can combine everything into a feasible network project. Cable plant documentation is created at this stage so the construction and installation crews know what to build.

Construction: Unless a cable plant gets pulled into existing conduit or lashed to aerial cables, some construction will be required to prepare for the installation. Building underground cable plants may require using heavy equipment for digging, boring and burying conduit maintenance holes and handholes. Aerial cable plants may require placing new poles and installing messenger wires. This is not construction work unique to fiber optics. It generally requires personnel familiar with heavy equipment. Underground construction requires expertise in locating and avoiding any existing buried infrastructure. Construction may also involve building facilities and installing power and grounding for communications equipment, which requires the expertise of an EC.

Cable installation: After the route construction is completed, the fiber optic cable can be installed. This is where the specialized part of fiber optic installation begins. Techs must be trained how to handle the cable without damaging it and how to pull, blow or lash it while leaving a sufficient amount for the next stage of installation.

Splicing: While this stage may be called splicing, it really involves much more. The tech must prepare the cable for splicing, splice fibers, properly place them in splice trays in a splice closure, then stow the closure properly and secure service loops of excess fiber length. The processes and hardware are different for aerial and underground installations and vary according to the types selected.

Testing: When the splicer is finished, the cable plant is just about completed and it’s time to test. All fibers in every cable will be tested and data stored as part of the documentation. Failures will be sent back to the splicer to fix, or maybe the installer if the cable has been damaged.

Network equipment installation: When the facilities and cable plant are ready, specialized electronic techs install the communications equipment and turn up the network. Today, these are mostly software technicians who know how to configure the networking equipment.

Network operation: The techs operating the network are similar to those installing the equipment, except they work for the network operator instead of the equipment supplier. The operators are generally trained by the equipment installers to troubleshoot problems and for routine operation.

Some of these tasks can be done by a single contractor—often cable plant design, installation, splicing and testing. A few contractors also do construction, but not many get involved with communications equipment installation or operation.

Those divisions also describe the training and certification of fiber technicians through the Fiber Optic Association and its worldwide network of schools.

Header image: stock.adobe.com / deagreez