Facing a major shortage of competent fiber techs already, and with the federal government offering grants of billions of dollars to build broadband networks, it’s time for contractors to consider productivity. Getting more...
The connector is one of the most important components in the development of fiber optics. Connectors are necessary to patch fibers to create a link and connect fibers to equipment. Fiber has been mostly the same single-mode...
I’m continually surprised by the suggestion that fiber optics is a new technology. I hear or read it all the time now, from news articles talking about broadband to new techs working in the field. I guess some people don’t...
When the pandemic hit the world two years ago, people started working and studying at home, meeting using videoconferencing services such as Zoom and ordering everything they could online. Online data traffic grew...
What if you could double the bandwidth of your outside plant fiber optic network easily, or even multiply the bandwidth by 10, 20 or more? In high-speed links, it’s a common practice and accomplished using wavelength division...
In-flight connectivity has reached new heights for aircraft, including military jets and unmanned aerial vehicles. It’s not just about increased bandwidth from satellites—it’s also about leveraging lighter, faster fiber optic...
People often groan when they hear that their network needs to be upgraded for faster speeds or more users. Exactly what do they have to upgrade when change occurs—electronics, cabling or both? For premises cabling based on...
As gas prices soar and climate change concerns become more urgent, Americans are increasingly considering electric vehicles. While less than 1% of the cars on the road in December 2021 were electric and EV sales since 2010...
Long-awaited news of continued broadband deployment to rural communities came in May as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced authorization of nearly $200 million ($199,336,695, to be exact) to fund new...
Electricians are aware of the danger of arc flash incidents. What you may not know is that there’s a way to sense arc flash and shut down the equipment extremely quickly using fiber optics. I had never heard about it until an...
Construction is always dangerous. Much of our concern is focused on the workers, such as the issue of high-powered fiber amplifiers discussed last month in “Something New to Worry About.” Damage to infrastructure is also a...
When making any kind of test, it is important to set test conditions to make measurements that are relevant and reproducible. In fiber optics, we test fiber optic cables, especially the installed cable plant, with a test...
Recently, I became aware of a new safety issue that may affect fiber installations and cut fiber optic cable repair. It was brought to my attention by a field technician who had been splicing broken long-haul outside plant...
Several years ago, when the Fiber Optic Association (FOA) began online certification testing using a service called ClassMarker, we began getting better data on the results of the exams. That allowed us to evaluate our...
I closed the January year-in-review column with, “Like I say every year, it’s always good to invest in training.” High-tech fields such as fiber optics are always changing, and you have to keep up with technology or risk...
In 2020, we learned that internet and broadband connectivity were necessities, not luxuries. In 2021, we learned we’re not prepared to make it universally available. The problem is not technology; old technology and new...
A few years ago, an instructor from the Fiber Optics Association complained to me about an ad from a fiber optic instrument company. He was indignant that it said, “Our OTDR Is Smarter Than You Are!” I understood his...
In Calibrating Fiber Optic Instruments, I discussed calibrating fiber optic power meters, which measure optical power. This article will discuss calibration in measuring optical loss, the most common measurement in fiber...
Last month, I described the long-time use of fiber optics by electrical utilities for communications and grid management. Now, let’s look at current events and see how this long history with fiber might solve the rural...
The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill to spend $1.2 trillion on upgrading the nation’s infrastructure, including rebuilding roads and bridges, expanding internet access and other projects, on Nov. 5, 2021. It...
