"Ask Lennie" Intelligent Search Of FOA Website
Google AI Search
New FOA Installation Standard
New Edition Of FOA Design Book
Seen On The Street - Photos Of Fibers
Resources For STEM Teachers
What's New And Popular On FOA Website
Submarine Cable Network In Mediterranean Sea
Satellites Drive Fiber To The ArcticCan't Build Data Centers In Silicon Valley
Lasers For Space Communications
TIA Consolidating 3 Standards
What Is A PON Power Meter?
How Long Do Fiber Optic Cables Last?
Finding Cracks INSIDE A Connector
Smaller drop Cables
Changes In TIA Nomenclature
Call Before You Dig Video
Free VIAVI Testing Pocket Guide
What Technical Advisors Are Telling US Updated OTDR Trainer
Worth
ReadingLots of interesting
articles to read, watch or listen to. Q&A Interesting questions from our readers
Workforce Training/FiberU Types Of Work Done By Fiber Techs
FOA-Approved School News
Fiber U Courses Resources New FOA Technical Resources
Trademarks:
The FOA logo and name, CFOT® (Certified Fiber Optic Technician) and
Fiber U® (the FOA online learning site) are
registered trademarks of the FOA.
To
keep your FOA certifications active, you need to
renew them when they expire every 3 years. You can use your credit card or
PayPal account or your credit card to renew your
certifications.
FOA
has 3 LinkedIn Groups FOA
- official page on LinkedIn - covers FOA, technology and jobs in the fiber optic
marketplace FOA
Fiber Optic Training - open to all, covers
fiber optic technology and training topics Grupo
de La Asociación de Fibra Óptica FOA (Español)
The FOA website and the FOA Online Guide include what is probably the
largest knowledge base in fiber optics. There are almost a thousand
pages of technical information, hundreds of pages with information about
the FOA and the archive of over 200 FOA Newsletters.
With so much information, finding exactly what you want can be a
challenge. We have a very complete Table of Contents for the FOA Guide as
well as a dedicated search engine, but we have been looking for a
better way to help people find specific information.
We've been watching the AI LLMs (large language models) and they show
promise, but all have a problem. Most search the entire web, which means
they access all kinds of files, many of which are commercial or include
misinformation.
FOA decided to try a different approach, an AI LLM chat that was limited
to searching the FOA website. So what we have created is an intelligent
website search that answers your questions.
"Ask Lennie Lightwave" can search the FOA website to answer your questions about:
Fiber optic technology and communications
Technical references and standards
Installation techniques
Testing procedures and equipment
Fiber optic certifications (CFOT, CFOS, etc.)
Training programs
Here is an example of an "Ask Lennie" question:
Until we began beta testing Lennie recently, we were skeptical about AI
chatbots. We had read plenty about how they "hallucinate" and make up
data. But "Ask Lennie" shows that if an AI is properly trained with and
searches only trusted information, it can be a very useful tool.
Ask Lennie is
now available for everyone's use. We'll leave the search engine powered
by DuckDuckGo also so you will have two ways to find things on the FOA
Website. For technical topics, the Table of Contents of the FO Guide is also available and most pages about the FOA link you to topics covering FOA certifications and schools.
Ask Lennie Lightwave is waiting to help answer your questions and find things on the FOA Website.
And Google AI Impressed Us Too.
Is Hollow Core Fiber Becoming Mainstream?
If you missed this fascinating article in the November FOA Newsletter, you can read it there.
This standard focuses on the
processes for installing a fiber optic project and provides guidance on
the design, installation and management of the project.
It was created from the inputs of those in the industry,
especially the FOA technical advisors, who are highly experienced in
both doing the work involved and teaching it to others.
The standard covers outside plant installations, both aerial and
underground, and premises cabling including the various installations
methods commonly used. It is an open source standard. Users choose the sections
that apply to their project and incorporate that into their documentation like the SOW (Scope of
Work) or other project paperwork. Provide copies to your
planners, designers, contractors, installers and suppliers.
Project Management Added To New Edition Of FOA Design Book And Fiber U Course
FOA
has published a new edition of its textbook on fiber optic network
design, an expanded version with new material covering project
management. Fiber optic network design and network management are
closely related topics, both highly important in the success of a fiber
project.
The new book is available as a paperback or Kindle book. You can buy it from Amazon or local booksellers worldwide. (ISBN: 9798262274611)
The Fiber U Design self study program has also been updated for project management.
Classroom
Resources For STEM Teachers In K-12 And Technical Schools Here is the POF kit sent to teachers for demonstration.
Teachers in all grades can introduce their students to fiber
optic technology with some simple demonstrations. FOA has
created a page for STEM or STEAM (science, technology,
engineering, arts
and math) teachers with materials appropriate to their
classes. Fiber
Optic Resources For STEM Teachers.
FOA has certified over 100,000 CFOT® Certified Fiber Optic Technicians,
introduced the "FOA Badge In Fiber Optics" for others working in the
field and adds new courses at Fiber U which offer a "Certificate of
Completion," it's a good time to explain the differences between them. FOA has created a page to explain the differences in certifications, certificates and badges.
All FOA
Certification Credentials Are Now Online
All FOA Certified Fiber Optic Technicians now have their certification
credentials online. if your FOA certification has not expired you should have been notified you have an
online credential. If you did not get notification it may be because
FOA did not have a valid email for you. Contact FOA to inquire about your certification credential.
And now, introducing a new FOA credential: The "FOA Badge In Fiber Optics"
An industry-wide credential for professionals working in fiber optics
New Fiber U Course: Fiber
Optic Safety Covers Construction And Installation
This
new Fiber U course focuses on safety in fiber optic installation. There are two lessons in this course,
fiber optic construction and fiber optic installation. The dividing
line between the two courses is the installation of the fiber optic
cables. Construction leads up to and/or is completed when the cables are
installed. Installation begins when the fiber tech installs the cable,
then completes the splicing, termination testing and documentation. The
overlap between the two is the installation of the cables where both
construction personnel and fiber optic techs are involved.
Here is the new Fiber U "Fiber Optic Safety" self-study program. Take the course and get your certificate of completion.
We bought one ourselves - it's well made and distinctive.
New Edition of FOA's Basic Fiber Optics Textbook
The latest version is different
enough we call it a new edition. Many of the updates are for new
technologies which are reshaping the fiber optic industry like coherent
transmission, bend insensitive fibers, etc. We've also added a section on the fiber
optic workforce which has much relevance because this book is used to
train those entering the workforce. We've also worked on making the book
more readable, adding formatting that eases reading and a new
comprehensive index.
The price is $29.95 for the paperback and $12.95 for the Kindle version. The new edition of the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics is available from Amazon and booksellers worldwide.
FOA Guide To The Fiber Optic Workforce
- what we've learned in developing the fiber optic workforce over 30 years and more than 100,000 certified techs.
Africa and the surrounding areas remain very
active for submarine cable construction indicating the expectations for
growth in the African continent. MEDUSA is a cable connecting Europe
and Africa across the Mediterranean Sea. The MEDUSA website has a
timeline that shows the development of the cable, an excellent way to
show the long timeline to plan and build such cables. Their video
provides an overview of the cable network - 8,760 kilometers, connecting
11 countries (including Tunisia, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Malta,
Greece, Cyprus, Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Egypt) with 21 landing
points, 24 fibre pairs, 20 Tb/s with drops on all major cities on both
sides of the Mediterranean. Completion of the western segment is in 2025
and the eastern part should be completed in 2026.
Satellites Drive Rush To Build Fiber To The Arctic
Svalsat, the world’s largest satellite ground station, in Svalbard, Norway (LA Times)
Satellites are big news in communications today - launches of thousands
of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, communications between satellites
with lasers, and now satellites in polar orbit. Polar orbits are very
useful because they allow a satellite to cover every part of the planet
as the Earth rotates while satellites in inclined orbits cannot cover
latitudes above the angle of inclination of their orbit. With more
activity in the Arctic because of the melting ice cap, communications in
the region are becoming more important.
The problem with polar orbits is you must have
satellite ground stations toward the poles to prevent loss of
communications with the satellites when they pass over the poles. But
ground stations need high capacity communications links to connect the
satellites to ground-based communications. This means fiber optics
linked to the world communications links.
The need for satellite ground stations has created a rush to build in
the Arctic regions. Places like Deadhorse, Alaska are popular because
they already have fiber, installed because Deadhorse is the gateway to
the Prudhoe Bay oil fields. Pitea in Northern Sweden already has 35
ground stations. The Svalbard archipelago north of Norway is also
popular as it is connected with submarine cables. Canada is also
involved with Inuvik in the Northwest Territories already has about 13
ground stations. There are quite a few more locations.
This means more fiber needs to be installed to the north, both on the land and under the sea.
Why Can't Data Centers Get Built In Silicon Valley?
Two of the world’s biggest data center
developers have projects in Nvidia Corp.’s hometown that may sit empty
for years because the local utility isn’t ready to supply electricity.
In Santa Clara, Calif., where the world’s biggest supplier of
artificial-intelligence chips is based, data centers built as long ago
as 2019 are still awaiting completion. The city-owned utility, Silicon
Valley Power, is struggling to upgrade its capacity.
The fate of the two facilities highlights a major challenge for the U.S.
tech sector. While demand for data centers to support AI grows,
electricity is emerging as the biggest constraint. That’s largely
because of aging power infrastructure, a slow build-out of new
transmission lines and a variety of regulatory and permitting hurdles.
Lasers Can Communicate With Satellites In Deep Space
On July 7, ESA, the European Space Agency, successfully established
Europe’s first deep-space optical communication link with NASA’s Psyche
mission using a high-power fiber laser system from NKT Photonics. This
groundbreaking achievement, conducted with NASA/JPL’s Deep Space Optical
Communications (DSOC) demonstrator, marks a significant leap forward in
high-data-rate communication across vast interplanetary distances.
Satellites are valuable contributors to communications networks and
lasers are being used to communicate to satellites and between them.
This is important as communications needs increase since radio spectrum
is limited and other communications means, like optics, are a possible
way to expand networks.
The TIA TR-42 Telecommunications Cabling
Systems Engineering Committee is in the process of revising the
ANSI/TIA-568 standard. When the process is complete, the “F” revision of
568.1 standard for commercial buildings will include not only
information and specifications previously contained in the “E” revision,
but also content previously contained in the ANSI/TIA-568.0 standard
(covering customer premises) and the ANSI/TIA-862 standard (covering
intelligent building systems).
The existing standards in some cases use different terminology to
describe or define the same things—for example, “telecommunications
outlets” versus “equipment outlets” and “cabling subsystem” versus
“horizontal.” The consolidated document will eliminate ambiguity or
confusion that stems from these differences.
Quote Of The Month/Year (maybe Century!) (this is worth repeating)
Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia +
Technology Conference, AT&T’s CEO John Stankey said, “There’s a
fallacy to say there’s fixed networks and wireless networks. There are
only fiber networks with different access technologies on the end of
them. That’s where this is all going.”
Technical
Fiber optic
technology, standards, equipment, installation,
etc.
The FOA
Update Pagecovers the new technology
and applications we covered in this newsletter
recently. Now you can review all that new tech at
once.
Cross Reference To FOA Technical Reference Materials
The FOA has almost 1,000 pages of technical information on the FOA Guide,
100+ videos and two dozen online courses at Fiber U, all this can make
it difficult to find the right information.
Cross Reference To FOA Tech Materials
To help this, we have created a cross reference guide to the textbooks,
Online Guide and Fiber U courses, all the FOA technical information.
Besides the textbooks, online Guide and Fiber U, each section of the
Guide also includes links to the 100+ FOA videos available. Cross Reference Guide to Textbooks, Online Guide and Fiber U
FOA Videos
We have also rearranged the 100+ FOA videos in similar categories on the
Contents Page of the Online Guide, making the videos, especially the
lectures, much it much easier to find a video on a particular
topic. FOA Videos Guide.
Want to know more about fiber optics? Study
for FOA certifications? Free
Self-Study Programs are on Fiber
U®
What Is A PON Optical Power Meter?
The large scale adoption of PON along with the
need to simplify and speed up testing by FTTH techs has led to the
introduction of a new type of fiber optic power meter, a PON power
meter. A conventional optical power meter is able to measure a broad
range of wavelengths with manual calibration choices. A PON power meter
is a “selective” power meter which only measures at specific
wavelengths, those used in PON networks.
Photo by Vladimir Grozdanovic
A PON selective power meter is used in
single-mode fiber PON systems, where it allows simultaneous measurement
only at the specific wavelengths used by the system. PON meters can be
designed only for measuring optical power in the downstream direction —
so-called downstream PON meters — or as PON meters that allow
measurements in both downstream and upstream directions.
FOA contributor Vladimir Grozdanovic examines the differences in conventional and PON power meters.
Finding Cracks Or Faults INSIDE A Fiber Optic Connector
It's actually possible to find faults in the
fiber INSIDE a fiber optic connector, with an amazing 0.001mm (i
micron) resolution. The device is called an Optical Component Coherence
Reflectometer (OCCR) and it can find microcracks in singlemode fiber
connectors and other components that cannot be detected by conventional
insertion loss or reflectance testing.
Even Drop Cables Are Getting Smaller (And Tonable)
AFL has new drop cables that are even
smaller and include a copper wire to allow locating them with a
toner. Each cable includes tight-buffered fibers to simplify
field-installable connections and is offered with factory-terminated
connections on one or both sides. AFL Compact Drop Cable assemblies are
offered up to 5000ft long. This cable offers traditional flat drop cable
performance in a compact footprint with easier fiber access.
Contact your local AFL sales representative to learn more, or go here.
Changes in TIA Nomenclature - A Return To Things We Know
TIA is returning to the traditional
telecommunications terminology we all know and abandoning the new
generic terminology adopted in 2011 completely. One of our contacts on the committee provided us
with a table showing the generic terminology that is being abandoned and
the telecommunications terminology TIA is returning to.
TIA Project For >100 Meter Copper Cabling
TIA 568 structured cabling standards specifies a 100 meter channel
length for structured cabling using UTP cable. Recognizing that some
applications may exceed this 100 meter distance, the TIA TR-42.7 Copper Cabling Systems Subcommittee is
currently developing TSB-5073, tentatively entitled, “Guidelines for
supporting Extended Distance over 4-pair Balanced Twisted-Pair Cabling.” You can download a copy of the TIA white paper discussing the project here.
"Call Before You Dig" Video
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today
announced the release of a new video, “811- Call Before You Dig,” as
part of its efforts to promote safety awareness around underground
utilities and the critical importance of making 811 calls prior to
digging.
Watch AFL's latest webinar on the tools, techniques, and
real-world challenges of hyperscale fiber installation. This video
covers hyperscale data center growth, splicing i16 fiber cables, and
best practices for ribbon fiber prep and cleaning. Gain valuable
insights on using the Fujikura 90R, industry ribbon structures, and
achieving optimal splice results.
New VIAVI Fiber Testing Pocket Guide – Built for Techs in the Field
Designed with field techs in mind, this compact guide
from VIAVI is packed with essential fiber testing tips, quick-reference
checklists, and step-by-step insights that cover every stage of the
network lifecycle. It’s built to fit right in your pocket or tool bag,
so the info you need is always within reach.
Tech Notes And Articles From FOA's Worldwide Network Of Advisors
FOA has a worldwide network of technical advisors who
help us develop our knowledge base. This month we have contributions
fro several regular contributors, Eric Pearson, a founder of FOA, and
Vladimir Grozdanovic in Serbia. We provide an abstract here and a link
to read the entire article which will be added to the FOA Online Guide.
Ensuring
Reliability By Proper Fiber Optic
Installation
The goals of a fiber
optic installation should not be solely based on achieving the lowest
initial cost. Should lowest cost result in reduced reliability, lowest
initial cost may result in significantly increased lifecycle cost.
Eric Pearson does it all, educator, writer,
consultant, with a resume' going back to the beginning of fiber optics.
Here's advice from Eric on the way to ensure the long term reliability
of a fiber optic cable plant by proper installation.
A Quiet But Important Change In The Fiber Optic Cable You Buy
With so many cable designs today,
like microcables or high fiber count cables, requiring bend-insensitive
fibers, would it make sense to make all or most singlemode fibers as
bend insensitive fiber?
Two manufacturers (Corning and OFS) told FOA the industry is moving towards a G.657.A specification
in fiber, because the industry is moving towards smaller denser cables
in the network & the bend resilience is a requirement for the cable
design. So singlemode fiber is moving to being BI fiber, exactly what happened
with 50/125 laser optimized fibers a decade ago. With most new fiber,
compatibility is not an issue. But it is recommended to check with the
cable manufacturer if you are not sure what fiber is being used in the
cable you are purchasing.
FOA has rewritten the FOA OTDR Trainer around Fiberizer. The Fiberizer PC
software was the version we used for creating the Trainer, but the basic
techniques apply to all versions of Fiberizer. FOA provides a folder of
sample traces in 3 categories - Parameter Traces, Sample Traces and PON
Traces - around which we build the trainer. If you set up Fiberizer,
you can complete the FOA OTDR Trainer lessons and then use the same
software to analyze other traces you may have, even from other brands of
OTDRs, as long as they are .sor files.
The FOA OTDR Trainer is ready to help you learn about OTDRs. Go to the OTDR Trainer page, tech/ref/testing/OTDR/OTDRsimulator.html, choose your version of Fiberizer, download the FOA Traces and you are ready to go.
Learning Important Information From A Found Cable Scrap
While walking down the street near the FOA office, we found this cable
laying in the gutter. What a find! A short length of Corning Rocket
Ribbon 864 fiber cable left over from an installation by a contractor.
We brought the cable back to our office with the intention of opening it
up and creating a video about the construction of this modern high
fiber count cable, but something got our attention first. The cable had a
very
long line of printing on it with lots of interesting and useful
information. So before we started deconstructing it, we decided to
photograph the printed information and interpret it. That turned out to
be an important part of the information we learned from the cable. Then,
as you will see below, we dissected the cable and learned even more.
FOA received an inquiry about whether techs
working on restoring OSP links should be concerned about eye safety if
the link used fiber amplifiers. To answer this question, we had to do some research on fiber amplifiers.
The short answer is YES, you should be concerned. The long answer is
more technical and includes details that every OSP tech needs to know.
Recent articles from The FOA Newsletter
Fake OTDR Traces Submitted For Testing Documentation January 2023 Tech
Using OTDRs To Test Transoceanic Cables And PONs February 2023
POF - the Other Fiber March 2023
What Do Employers Expect From A Fiber Optic Tech? April 2023
Are Standards Ignoring The OSP? May 2023
FOA Has Proven Results In Fiber Optic Workforce Development June 2023
BEAD Funding For States Announced And Analyzed July 2023
Wisdom From The Street (Analyzing the printing on a fiber optic cable) July 2023
Focus On Disasters August 2023
FOA's Role In Education and Work Done By Fiber Techs September 2023
The Workforce: New US DoL Bureau of Labor Statistics Telecom Tech Category October 2023
How Many Telecom Techs Do We Need and How Big Is The Fiber Optic Market November 2023
Guidelines For Fiber Optic Project Planners December 2023
2023 Year In Review. Kentucky Shows The Value Of Fiber January 2024.
What is Broadband? History of the Cable Modem February 2024
It's Just Economics. Things you need to know. March 2024.
Fiber To The Shore - Undersea cables along the coast April, 2024.
The Future Of The Fiber Tech May 2024.
How a Quantum Internet Would Differ From Today’s Internet NKT
Photonics Imagine a quantum internet. Unlike today’s internet, where
information is transmitted as light pulses made up of billions of
photons, the quantum internet could encode information in the quantum
states of single photons.
CABL® (cabl.com)serves
the business needs of the Broadband industry (including traditional
cable TV, fiber, telecom and satellite providers) with employment
listings, classified ads, discussion forums, and more.A contractor told us it's where they find lots of opportunities for subcontracting. ESRI has created an ebook on GIS location technology for telecom. Use the link to download the book. Google Video On Their Undersea Cables YouTube Slick but interesting video on how undersea cables are designed, built and used.
Worth Reading - Magazines, Websites and Newsletters
CABL® (cabl.com) serves
the business needs of the Broadband industry (including traditional
cable TV, fiber, telecom and satellite providers) with employment
listings, classified ads, discussion forums, and more. A contractor told us it's where they find lots of opportunities for subcontracting.
As
part of celebrating 3 decades serving the fiber
optic industry as its primary source of technical
information and independent certifying body, FOA
thought it appropriate to create a short history of
the organization and how it has developed to
help the fiber optic industry. We also wanted to
recognize the contributions many people have made to
the organization over the years that made FOA what
it is today.
The FOA history is on the FOA
website where you can read it or link to
it.
The First Transcontinental Telephone Line
began operation on July 29th in 1915 - 3400 miles between New
York and San Francisco - required over 100,000 telephone poles! Wonders
of World Engineering
"Who Lost Lucent?: The
Decline of America's Telecom Equipment Industry"
This is a MUST READ for managers in telecom or any
industry! Communications Systems Grounding
Rules: Article 800 provides specific
requirements by
Michael
Johnston, NECA Executive Director of
Standards and Safety in EC Magazine How
To Build Rural Broadband, Learning From History In the August 2021
FOA Newsletter, we published a lengthy article on
rural broadband and compared it to rural
electrification in America in the last century.
Much of the comparison was based on an article
written in 1940 by a USDA economist, Robert Beall,
called "Rural Electrification." If
you are interested in or involved in rural
broadband, we recommend you read the article "How
To Build Rural Broadband, Learning From History"
in the August 2021 FOA Newsletter and
read the Beall article also.
IEC 60050 - International
Electrotechnical Vocabulary - An
extensive dictionary for fiber optics in English and
French. Highly technical - this is one definition:
"mode - one solution of Maxwell's equations,
representing an electromagnetic field in a certain
space domain and belonging to a family of
independent solutions defined by specified boundary
conditions"
DIRT
Report On Damage To Utilities Common Ground
Alliance (CGA) annual DIRT report provides a
summary and analysis of the events submitted into
CGA’s Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) for
the year 2018. The complete report is available
for download here. In addition,
there is an interactive dashboard that
allows users to filter the data more by
factors contributing to damages. Fiber Trivia From
Corning.
VIAVI Books On
Fiber Optic Testing (2 volumes)
Besides
the FOA reference materials, two JDSU/VIAVI
textbooks, Reference Guide to Fiber Optic Testing,
Volumes 1 and 2, were used as references for
some of the FOA courses and are recommended for
instructors and students. The books are available
from VIAVI as eBooks and the everyone should
download them and recommend them to others.Download
yours now. Volume 1. Volume 2. Viavi Books
How OFS Makes Fiber
Interesting YouTube video on how fiber is made.
Perhaps a little too much "show biz" but
fascinating. If you have ever seen fiber
manufacture, look at this video. You will be amazed
at how big preforms have become! The True Cost of Telco Damages
(what backhoe fade or target practice can
cost)
Q&A
When readers ask us questions, we genrally refer them to FOA
resources where they can find the answer to their question and many
more. We first send them to the FOA Guide
which is the table of contents for the FOA technical resources. There
they can find pages indexed by topic and a search engine for the FOA
website. It also links them to FOA videos and courses on our free online learning site Fiber U.
The FOA
Fiber FAQs Page (FAQs = frequently asked
questions) gathers up questions readers have
asked us (which first ran in this newsletter)
and adds tech topics of general interest.
Good Question!
Tech
Questions/Comments From FOA Newsletter Readers
How Long Do Fiber Optic Cables Last? Q: I work at a large industrial facility with several
buildings connected by fiber optic cables. The fiber cables run through
underground conduits between the buildings. Many of the fiber cables
were installed 20 to 25 years ago. Is there any general industry
guidance on when cables such as ours should be replaced solely based on
the age of the cable? A: The question you ask is one often asked. Usually it
refers to the outside plant cables that have been used for many years -
some now approaching 40 years like the optical power ground wire (OPGW)
used by electrical utilities and some telco cables installed in the same
era. Cable manufacturers are not very specific about cable lifetimes,
but the standard today is cables are designed to last 40 years or more.
Cable installed 20-25 years ago should be still serviceable for years to
come. Some cables may suffer from moisture migration which can cause
attenuation increases and fiber brittleness. Brittleness is generally
not a problem is the fibers are undisturbed but it is a good reason to
not disturb them. Most cable plants are not replaced unless they suffer
damage - weather and wildfires are a big problem for serial cables,
flooding and freezing for underground cables - or the owner is ready to
upgrade communications systems and needs more modern, higher performance
fibers.
Our advice would be to not disturb the cables you have if systems are
working properly. If you are in a “nonstop” environment that would be
badly harmed by loss of communications and you want to have a backup,
you could hedge your bets and install ducts for replacement. cables. If
there is space in the ducts, you can install microducts or fabric ducts
in the same conduits and install backup cables. You may read advice that
says cables need maintenance like cleaning connectors and testing
periodically. That’s bad advice; it’s more likely to damage the cables.
Our advice on cables is install them, lock them up and don’t worry. But
have a restoration plan. Have documentation on the cables, spares and be
prepared to repair or replace them quickly. See
https://foa.org/tech/ref/restoration/rest.html
Hybrid cable For Aerial Installation Q: Is there a hybrid cable (fiber + conductors (2 or 4)) that can be aerial lashed? A: Practically any outside plant cable can be installed
aerial if it is within the weight limits of the messenger being used.
Cables with fiber and copper conductors are used for connections to
remote electronics or cameras.
Gloves for Splicing?
Q: What’s the FOA’s (or your personal) stance on wearing gloves whilst splicing? A: Wearing gloves may recommended for
preparing metallic armored cables because of the danger of cuts. For
regular cables, gloves may be recommended for those who use knives to
open cables, a practice still used. However for splicing fibers where
some recommend them to prevent sticking yourself with fibers, it hampers
fiber handling and slows the work down. We do not recommend gloves
except for prepping certain types of cables.
Are Splices Too Close Together A Problem?
Q: When installing fiber in an plant. Is there a minimum distance that two splices should be apart? ; A: The recommendation in the past was to bot have splices close
together since slight reflectances at the splices could cause an
interference problem with laser systems. The recommendation was to keep
splices 30-100m apart. IT was especially noted if you had to splice in a
section of cable to repair a cable break. However we have not heard
this in recent history, perhaps because fusion splices are so good. We
asked a number of FOA's technical advisors for their opinions. Their
feedback is the problem of reflectance causing problems at closely
spaced splices seems to have disappeared. It’s a matter of better
splicing machines and more consistent fibers, and also a matter of
lasers being engineered to work better in links.
Copper Tech Wants To Learn Fiber Optics Q: I am originally from copper installations and faults
finding. I would like to get involved in Optic fibre faults and
finding, how do I go if there is a possible training it will be highly
appreciated, A: Just learn about fiber, especially fiber testing and troubleshooting. Fiber U has courses you can take for free.
OSP Installation Standards Q: I'm looking for standards for fiber optic OSP installation. A: The whole issue of OSP standards has been one FOA been
trying to get standards bodies interested in for years with little
success, probably because it is an enormous project. Right now there are
two documents that address OSP cable plant:
ITU-T Technical Report, TR-OFCS Optical fibres, cables and systems, (3 July 2015)
As you can see, the ITU document is almost 10 years old and a lot has changed in that time.
Is The FOA CFOT® A License?
Q: Can you use a CFOT certification to install fiber and charge for it? Or do you need other licenses as well? ;
A: FOA Certification is considered evidence of competence and
accepted worldwide by many companies, groups, etc. Licenses are a legal
credential required by local authorities to conduct business for
anything from a barber to a truck triver to contractors doing fiber or
other work. Most locales require a license as a contractor which may
require a fiber specialty. You need to investigate this with your local
authorities.
Updating FOA Courses And Reference Materials
Q: How often are FOA courses updated? And when they get updated, what happens to those who would have done a previous version?
A: The FOA certifications are updated as needed to stay current with
technology and applications. Updates are incremental and we do not
require current certification holders to retake courses or exams.
Fiber Optic Color Codes Reference Chart
Q: Has anyone made a fiber optic pocket reference chart that has cable
color orders, frequencies, or other commonly used info on it? A: The FOA has a page on its Online Guide that covers color codes
(https://foa.org/tech/ColCodes.htm). It is the most popular page in the
FOA Guide! It works great with a smartphone.
Free online
self-study programs on many fiber optics and
cabling topics are available at Fiber U, FOA's
online web-based training website. Free online training at
Fiber U
As FOA celebrates our 100,000th CFOT® certified technician,
introduces the "FOA Badge In Fiber Optics" for others working in the
field and adds new courses at Fiber U which offer a "Certificate of
Completion," it's a good time to explain the differences between them. FOA has created a page to explain the differences in certifications, certificates and badges.
All FOA
Certification Credentials Are Now Online
All FOA Certified Fiber Optic Technicians now have their certification
credentials online. if your FOA certification has not expired you should have been notified you have an
online credential. If you did not get notification it may be because
FOA did not have a valid email for you. Contact FOA to inquire about your certification credential.
The Types of Work Done By Fiber Techs And How It Affects Training
What is a fiber optic technician? What kinds of work
do they do? Those topics were the center of FOA discussions with the US
Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics that led to the new job
category of "Telecommunications Technician" on the BLS
website. The focus of this job category is primarily the
installation and operation of the fiber optic cable plant, but one
should not forget the cable plant must be designed also as part of a
more extensive communications network.
In our discussion with the BLS analysts, we pointed out the various
stages of a fiber optic communications network project and how techs
with various knowledge and skill sets are needed and involved in every
step. This web page on the fiber optic workforce describes how FOA defines these stages of a project and the skills
of the techs needed. This is not unique to FOA; it's what has been traditional
at telecom companies forever.
FOA Schools
FOA's roster of approved schools continues to grow as more organizations
recognize our expertise in workforce development and our comprehensive
support for getting new schools started. FOA has over 25 years
experience and over 100,000 certified fiber techs (with ~140,000
certifications). As a non-profit organization founded by the industry
specifically to develop a competent workforce, FOA provides the
consultation, curriculum and contacts to get schools started as a free
service to new schools.
Need A Fiber Optic Course Onsite? Invite an FOA School To Come To You
Here is the new Fiber U "Fiber Optic Safety" self-study program. Take the course and get your certificate of completion. Fiber U MiniCourses: Got An Hour Or Less?
Learn Something New About Fiber Optics.
All these free courses and many more
are available at Fiber U.
What Fiber Techs
Don't Know -
These are some of the topics that
we have noticed are answered incorrectly more often
in FOA and Fiber U tests.
Most of the questions missed are on testing.
1. OTDRs - particularly what information is in the
OTDR trace.
2. The difference between dB and dBm
3. Loss budgets - both the concepts and doing the
math
4. Insertion loss testing - single-ended or double
ended for testing patchcords or cable plants, how to
set 0dB references
5. Units of measure - fiber is measured in microns,
wavelengths in nanometers, etc.
At FOA, we're working to add Fiber
U MiniCourses on these topics and working with
our schools to emphasize these topics in their
classes.
If you are going to be taking a FOA certification
course or test in the near future, these topics
should be on your final exam study list.
What We Learn From Hands On Labs
We learn about students performance in hands-on labs
from the feedback of our instructors and our own
experiences too. One big problem is the use of hand
tools. Growing up today, you learn how to use
keyboards, mouses and touch screens, but decades
ago, you also learned how to use basic hand tools.
This is big enough of a problem that we're
considering adding some video lessons on basic hand
tools to prepare students for cable prep,
termination and splicing that require the use of
hand tools.
FOA offers free online self-study programs at Fiber U.
Many users are preparing for FOA certification
programs - taking courses at our schools or using
the Direct Certification program. Some of our
schools are requiring Fiber U programs as
prerequisites for their classroom courses so they
can spend more time on hands-on activities.
Publications /
Resources
Cross Reference To FOA Tech Materials
FOA has so much technical reference material, we created a cross reference guide to the textbooks,
Online Guide and Fiber U courses, all the FOA technical information.
Besides the textbooks, online Guide and Fiber U, each section of the
Guide also includes links to the 100+ FOA videos available.
To help those new to fiber optic workforce development, FOA has created a web page we call "Fiber Optic Workforce Development."
In this page, we share what we have learned about the fiber optic
workforce, who they are and how they learn their trade. We discuss what
defines a fiber optic tech and how they should be certified.
Project Management Added To New Edition Of FOA Design Book And Fiber U Course
FOA
has published a new edition of its textbook on fiber optic network
design, an expanded version with new material covering project
management. Fiber optic network design and network management are
closely related topics, both highly important in the success of a fiber
project.
The new book is available as a paperback or Kindle book. You can buy it from Amazon or local booksellers worldwide. (ISBN: 9798262274611)
The Fiber U Design self study program has also been updated for project management.
New Edition of FOA's Basic Fiber Optics Textbook
It has been 5 years since we have updated the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics,
so it is certainly time for an update. The latest version is different
enough we call it a new edition. Many of the updates are for new
technologies which are reshaping the fiber optic industry like coherent
transmission, BI fibers, etc. We've also added a section on the fiber
optic workforce which has much relevance because this book is used to
train those entering the workforce.
We've also worked on making the book more readable, adding formatting that eases reading and a new comprehensive index.
The new edition of the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics is available from Amazon and booksellers worldwide.
Best Seller: Fiber Broadband (Paperback and Kindle)
This book is not the typical FOA technical textbook - it is written for
anyone who wants to understand fiber broadband or fiber optics or the
Internet. It's also aimed at STEM teachers who want to include
communications technology in their classes. This book will try to
explain not only how fiber broadband works, but how
it was developed. It is intended to be an introduction to
communications technology
appropriate for a communications course at almost any level (junior
high, high school or
college,) for managers involved with broadband projects, or for anyone
who just wonders how all this stuff works.
Paperback ($12.95) and Kindle ($9.95) versions available from Amazon or most booksellers. Kindle version is in color!
Translations of FOA Textbooks
FOA is a very international organization and it works hard to
accommodate the language needs of everyone. We have been translating our
books and website into the languages most requested, and this month, we
add two more textbook translations. We also want to thank Jerry Morla,
FOA CFOS/I instructor and Director who has been doing the recent
translations into Spanish, his native language.
Here is a listing of all the FOA textbook Translations
Spanish Editions:
Guía de Referencia de la Asociación de Fibra Óptica (FOA) Sobre Fibra
Óptica: Guía de estudio para la certificación de la FOA Amazon
La Referencia de Cableado para Predios de la FOA: Guía para Certificación de la FOA Amazon
La Asociación de Fibra Óptica Manual de Fibra Hasta el Hogar : Para
Planificadores, Gestores, Diseñadores, Instaladores y Operadores De
FTTH Amazon
Guía de Referencia de la FOA sobre Diseño de la red de fibra óptica: Guía de Estudio para la Certificación de la FOA Amazon
And the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics: French Edition: Le
Guide de référence de la FOA pour la fibre optique et et
guide d'étude pour la certification FOA: Guide d'étude pour
la certification FOA Amazon Portuguese Edition: Guia de Referência sobre Fibra Óptica da FOA : Guia de Estudo para a Certificação da FOA Amazon The subject matter of these books is also translated in the FOA Guide online.
FOA Video
Lectures On YouTube
Did
you know YouTube will close caption videos in many
languages?
Sign in with Google to get translations for closed
captioning. Click on the settings icon (red arrow.)
Choose "Subtitles". English is the default
language. Click on the arrow after "English
(auto-generated) >". In the new window click on
"Auto-translate" and choose the language you
want.
FOA Loss Budget
Calculator On A Web Page 5/2020
FOA
has written many articles about loss budgets,
something everyone involved in fiber optics needs to
know and needs to know how to calculate. We recently
discovered how to get a spreadsheet ported to a Web
page, so we created this web page that calculates
loss budgets. We have an iOS loss budget app, but
with this web page, you can calculate loss budgets
from any device, smart phone, tablet, laptop, or
desktop computer that has web browsing capability.
We are continually updating the Online Reference
Guide to keep up with changes in the industry and
adding lots of new pages of technical information.
When you go to the FOA
Guide Table of Contents to see the latest
updates - look for .
The FOA has it's own
reference books for everyone working in fiber
optics - contractors, installers and end users as
well as for use as textbooks in classes at
educational institutions. They are available as
printed books 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. The Reference
Guide To Fiber Optics is also available in
Spanish, French and Portuguese. The Design book is available in English
and Spanish.
Resources For
Teachers In K-12 And Technical Schools
Teachers in all grades can introduce their
students to fiber optic technology with some
simple demonstrations. FOA has created a page for
STEM or STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts
and math) teachers with materials appropriate to
their classes. Fiber Optic Resources For
Teachers.
Safety
On Safety
New Fiber U Course: Fiber
Optic Safety
Safety
must be the first concern of everyone involved in a fiber optic
project, including those planning, designing, managing or supervising
and of course those doing the installation.
FOA is often asked about safety for fiber optics. Some
inquiries ask where it's covered in the FOA Online Guide or textbooks or
if we have a course on safety at Fiber U. Almost all Fiber
U Courses have lessons covering safety, because
safety is important in every aspect of a fiber optic project.
This
new Fiber U course will focus on safety alone. There are two lessons in this course,
fiber optic construction and fiber optic installation. The dividing
line between the two courses is the installation of the fiber optic
cables. Construction leads up to and/or is completed when the cables are
installed. Installation begins when the fiber tech installs the cable,
then completes the splicing, termination testing and documentation. The
overlap between the two is the installation of the cables where both
construction personnel and fiber optic techs are involved.
Here is the new Fiber U "Fiber Optic Safety" self-study program. Take the course and get your certificate of completion.
The FOA is concerned about safety! FOA
considers safety an integral part of all our
programs, curriculum materials and technical
materials. We start all our textbooks and their
online versions with a section on safety in the
first chapter, like this: Before
we get started - Safety First!
The FOA is a, international non-profit
educational association chartered to promote
professionalism in fiber optics through education,
certification and standards.
Founded in 1995 by a dozen prominent fiber optics
trainers and leaders from education,industry and governmentas a professional society for fiber
optics and a source of independent certification,
the FOA has grown to now being involved in numerous
activities to educate the world about fiber optics
and certify the workers who design, build and
operate the world's fiber optic networks.
Want to know more about fiber optics? Study
for FOA certifications? Free
Self-Study Programs are on "Fiber U®."
Looking for specific information? Here's the largest
technical reference on the web: The
FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide.
Free online self-study programs
on many fiber optics and cabling topics are
available at Fiber U,
FOA's online web-based training website.
The
FOA has created a store on Zazzle.com offering lots
of new logo merchandise. It has lots of versions of
shirts and other merchandise with "FOA," "Fiber U,"
"Lennie Lightwave" designs and more so you should
find something just for you! See FOA on Zazzle.
Privacy Policy (for
the EU GDPR): The FOA does not
use cookies or any other web tricks to gather
information on visitors to our website, nor do
we allow commercial advertising. Our website
hosts may gather traffic statistics for the
visitors to our website and our online testing
service, ClassMarker, maintains statistics of
test results. We do not release or misuse any
information on any of our members except we will
confirm FOA certifications and Fiber U
certificates of completion when requested by
appropriate persons such as employers or
personnel services. Read
the complete FOA Privacy Policy here.
Photo by Vladimir Grozdanovic
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