- On The FOA Website:
Search the FOA website
New to the FOA?
Sign up to receive the FOA eMail Newsletter
Here's a guide to what the FOA has available to help you in your work.
If you are looking for technical information, start with the FOA Online Reference Guide
Download a safety poster from the FOA!
- Fiber Optic Training:
- FOA Approved Training Schools
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- Table of Schools
- Map of Schools
 Free Online Self Study
Fiber Optic News: - FOA Online Newsletter
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- Technical Information:
- FOA Online Reference Guide
- FOA "Tech Topics"
- User's Guide To Fiber Optics
- Getting Started
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- Learn More About The FOA
About the FOA
Membership & Certification
Welcome To The FOA For New Members
- FOA Certification Programs
- FOA Renewal Form (pdf)
- Corporate Membership
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- You can now renew with PayPal
- For Schools and Instructors
School Update/Renewal Form
Instructor Certification
Resources For Schools and Instructors
JATCs and Instructors
Requirements For Training Programs
Want To Become A FOA School?
New School Requirements and Application Procedures
School Affiliate Program
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- Show Your FOA Affiliation
- FOA Logo Merchandise
- FOA logos for member use
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- Links to other fiber optic sites
Need Help Finding Something on the FOA Website?
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- FOA is a member of:
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FOA Logo Merchandise on Zazzle
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Join FOA on   Contact Us
FOA Certifies 50,000th Fiber Optic Tech! Details In The October FOA Newsletter.
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Another FOA Milestone - 1 MILLION Views of the FOA YouTube videos.
Read The Latest FOA Online Newsletter:
January 2015
Looking Back at 2014 - The Industry
FOA in 2014
Zhone Passive OLAN at Washington State U
Cisco to Partner With Google Fiber in KC?
Obama Visits Iowa Touting Muni Broadband
TIA CEO Interviewed on Net Neutrality
How Fast Is DSL, Really?
More FOA YouTube Lectures - >100 total !
- All in the FOA online newsletter.
- Time To Renew Your CFOT? You Can Renew Online
Fiber U: New "Basic Skills Lab" and Certificates of Completion For "Basic Fiber Optics" and "Premises Cabling" Courses
FOA has been offering quite a few free online self-study programs on Fiber U, our online learning site.
The newest course is a "Basic Skills Lab" that uses hands-on videos and "virtual hands-on" tutorials to allow the student to use their own equipment and learn many of the processes used in fiber optic installation.
The basic fiber optic course and premises cabling course offer an option to take an online exam that will provide a "Fiber U Certificate of Completion." The course is still free but there is a small fee to cover costs to take the exam and get the certificate of completion.
Read more at Fiber U.
Join FOA on Pinterest. FOA has started a Pinterest page for fiber optics.
FOA Now Offers Online Fiber Optic Guide Web Pages In French and Spanish
FOA Now Offers Fiber Optic Textbook And Web Pages In Spanish
Guía de Referencia de la Asociación de Fibra Óptica (FOA) Sobre Fibra Óptica
Qué es la FOA (What Is The FOA, in Spanish )
Disponible desde CreateSpace, Amazon.com y muchos otros libreros
Available from CreateSpace, Amazon.com and many other booksellers
Léela aquí.
If you are teaching fiber optics in Spanish, contact us as we have translated the FOA CFOT training curriculum also.
How Fiber Works - Live!
Want to see how fiber works, how attenuation is wavelength dependent and what causes connector loss?
View our "Fiber Optics - Live!" YouTube videos.
- Corporate Memberships
FOA offers corporate memberships to companies involved in fiber optics as manufacturers, contractors, installers, etc. FOA Corporate Members get substantial discounts on membership/certification renewals and direct certifications. Other benefits include access to training and direct certifications.
Read more.
Sneak Preview! FOA is creating an online database of corporate members intended to be a worldwide guide to fiber optic companies. Here is the preview in table and map form.
FOA Jobs Website
- Where Are The Jobs In Fiber Optics? This new FOA YouTube Video talks about all the applications for fiber optics, what the jobs involve and the qualifications for the workers in the field.
- The FOA Jobs Web Page has been updated and a new page added on Using your FOA Training/Certification to Find the Right Job in Fiber Optics
We get many questions from CFOTs, students at FOA-Approved schools and others contemplating getting into the fiber optic business regarding jobs in fiber optics - and how to find them - so we’ve created a new web page to share some information we've gathered about jobs in our industry. The information is designed to help you understand what jobs are available in fiber optics, how to find them and apply for them.
If you are looking for a job in fiber optics, here is the FOA's guide to jobs.
The FOA Jobs Web Page has been updated and a new page added on Using your FOA Training/Certification to Find the Right Job in Fiber Optics
Look at the US Department of Labor Career OneStop website (below) also for good job information.
If you have job openings, let us post them on .
Cabling Project Management - FOA has created a new YouTube video on what's involved in a cabling project (copper/fiber/wireless) with advice for both the customer and the contractor involved in a cabling project. The intent of this video lecture is to help customer and contractor communicate effectively on a new project.
Is Counterfeit Cable Dangerous?
You bet it is! The US Consumer Product Safety Commission required Home Depot to recall $11,000,000 worth of it!
Watch the FOA YouTube Video: Counterfeit Cat 5 Cabling
QuickStart Guides
In our continuing quest to help people understand how to test fiber optic cable plants and communications systems, we've created three "QuickStart Guides to Fiber Optic Testing." They are simple, step-by-step guides on how to test fiber optic cable plants, patchcords or single cables, using OTDRs and measuring optical power in systems. They are as straightforward as it can get - what equipment do you need, what are the procedures for testing, options in implementing the test, measurement errors and documenting the results.
It can't get much simpler.
Testing Fiber Optic Cable Plants And Patchcords
Testing Fiber Optic Cable Plants With An OTDR
Measuring Optical Power In Communications Systems
FOA Standards For Contractors, Installers and Network Users
Most industry standards are written for manufacturers so they can build products that are interoperable to allow multiple sources in the marketplace. These manufacturers are responsible for interpreting these standards for their customers. FOA has been requested to create standards for contractors, installers and network users, providing a generic interpretation of these standards. We've created a few already on testing, one of the most confusing issues in fiber optics. Furthermore, we've provided them in a 1 page summary format, making understanding them much easier.
Go here for more information.
Free For FOA Members: NECA/FOA 301 Fiber Optic Installation Standard
Because of its importance to users, contractors and installers of fiber optic networks, The FOA and NECA have agreed to make the NECA/FOA 301 Fiber Optic Installation Standard available free to FOA members.
Standards usually cover components and systems and how to test them, but rarely get into installation issues. This standard is derived from FOA educational material put in standards form and approved by ANSI as an American National Standard. It's specifically written to be used in contracts to define "installation in a neat and workmanlike manner." FOA members can go here for instructions on how to download your free copy.
FOA Certifications Recognized By US Department of Labor
FOA Certifications have now been recognized by the US Department of Labor. The DoL reviews certifications and how they relate to job opportunities and training. The DoL Career OneStop website helps individuals explore career opportunities to make informed employment and education choices.
FOA Certifications are listed by the US Department of Labor - Occupational Outlook Handbook - See Licenses, Certifications and Registrations.
FOA iPad Apps
The FOA has just released its second APP for the iPad, a free "loss budget calculator," FOA LossCalc.
FOA LossCalc (FREE)
 FOA LossCalc estimates the optical loss of a fiber optic link. This will save time for the installer of a fiber optic link needing to know whether test results are reasonable and/or make a "pass/fail" determination. It can also help the designer of a link to determine if communications equipment will operate over this link.
By choosing the type of link (singlemode or multimode) and specifying the length of the fiber and numbers of connections and splices, it will calculate the end to end loss of the link. The app has default specifications for singlemode and multimode links or the user may create custom setups with specifications appropriate for any application. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foa-losscalc/id476262894?mt=8&ls=1
Self -Study in Fiber Optics
 Our first app is a self-study version of the FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics. The FOA APP builds on the FOA basic fiber optic textbook to create an interactive learning environment that builds on the iBook electronic version of the book to add a guide to use for self-study and real-time testing that provides feedback on what you have learned and correct answers to questions answered incorrectly.
The FOA APP is priced at only $9.99, same as the iBook, so the self-study program is free. Download it from the Apple APP Store with your iPad or iTunes.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foa-guide/id434354283?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
- FOA Videos
- The FOA has created a special FOA channel on YouTube, thefoainc, where we're posting instructional videos and lectures for everyone's use. We've got lectures on premises cabling and fiber optics and hands-on demonstrations about fiber optics and communications cabling - yes, even "Cat 5"!
FOA channel on YouTube, thefoainc
- Free Self-Study Programs
Lennie Lightwave and Fiber U are back! Learn the basics of fiber optics in preparation for taking a training course, refresh your knowledge or prepare for the CFOT exam online at Fiber U online.
New: Self-Study programs on outside plant (OSP) fiber optics and OTDRs (with a free OTDR simulator to download)
FOA has three LinkedIn Groups
FOA - covers FOA, technology and jobs in the fiber optic marketplace
FOA Fiber Optic Training - open to everyone, covers fiber optic technology and training topics
FOA School Instructors - a closed group for instructors and administrators at FOA-approved schools
FOA Reference Books (Printed or eBooks!)
  
The FOA now has it's own reference books to be used for training for FOA certifications and as reference books for contractors, installers and end users. They are available as printed books or ebooks on your iPad or Kindle at much lower prices than most textbooks since we self-publish and sell online, cutting out the middlemen. Click on the book images for more information.
- Looking For Fiber Optic Training?
- You can find a list of FOA approved schools that offer CFOT® certification here on the list of FOA approved schools. Our new sortable listing and Google Map make finding the right school for you easier!
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- Certification Renewal
- Members must renew each year to maintain your CFOT® or CFOS certifications as current. Please make sure we have your current address. Download the renewal form, or renew online.
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