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Women Who Splice - Free Progarm
College Trains 500 CFOTs and Including A Successful Woman in Fiber
Telecom/Broadband Art
Feedback From A FOA CFOT
FOA Broadband References Updated
"Ask Lennie" Intelligent Search Of FOA Website
What's New And Popular On FOA Website
Cellular Joint Venture For Satellite To Device
Bird's Nest Of Fiber
CRU Monitors Fiber Prices
Fiber Market Pressures In Europe
$16B Planned For Submarine Cables
Manual and Pneumatic Piercing Tools
OSHA-10 Training Course
New Mass Fusion Splicer With Smarts
Training for Installing HCF and MCF
Comments from an Industry Insider on SOCs
Worth
Reading Lots 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
Safety
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FOA School Creates Free Program To Introduce Women To Splicing
 A highly experienced FOA instructor at an FOA approved school in Canada has begun a training
program to recruit more women to become fiber optic technicians and
train them for careers in the field. The program has been created by Jane
Bailey of Fiber Optic Training Consultants (FOTC), FOA approved school
#366 located in Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada in partnership with
VistaCare Communications.
Women Who Splice is a free 3-day pilot program for women in Nova Scotia,
Canada who are interested in learning more about fiber optic splicing
and telecommunications careers. This program will provide realistic
exposure to the technical and professional expectations for a career in
fiber optic splicing, and provide the opportunity to learn new skills in
a supportive environment.
To tell you about the program, we let Jane Bailey describe the program she has started herself:
I am Jane Bailey, owner, and FOA-Certified instructor for FOTC. Being a
woman working in the field of fiber optics since the late 1990s, I
recall working on sites for multiple companies and never met more than a
handful of other women over the two decades I have been in the field.
The women I did meet were excelling in the craft, yet there were so many
challenges - obstacles ranging from social to safety, with very
little support systems at the time to help women navigate these issues
and support each other.
 I
fell into fiber optics by chance and at the time I had no understanding
of the craft and the bright future it would provide me.. As a Fiber
Optic splicer, I had backstage passes to places that so few of the
world’s population even gets to see. The cool factor can be through the
roof! The other benefits that intrigued me were getting to travel for
work, having a company vehicle, health benefits, a pension plan,
training, all while being well compensated fairly for hard work.
Today many employers, colleges, and other stakeholders talk about a
workforce that is failing to grow at the pace of our industry, and my
mind keeps thinking of all the women like me out there who have no idea
how rewarding and fun this career can be. With my new, free program
Women Who Splice, I am hoping to pass on my knowledge, experience, and
access to the women who are eager for the opportunity to explore fiber
optic splicing as a career.
The idea for Women Who Splice has been on my mind for years, however I
never could quite find the time needed to make it work. Luckily now,
with good partners I am able to offer this exciting new free program.
Women Who Splice is a 3-day long program and emphasizes typical skills
needed by everyday technicians. This program’s intent is to expose
women to the physical, technical, and environmental realities of the
work while reinforcing the importance of attention to detail and
quality. The basic fundamentals, with hands-on exposure, allows them to
leave on the third day with the question answered, “Is this a career
path I wish to pursue?”
Most of us in this Industry found out about Telecommunications as a
career path, from a friend, family, or neighbour. It was always a
word-of-mouth industry, however that path no longer seems practical or
sufficient to meet the demand. Women Who Splice intends to bridge the
gap by raising awareness that this craft exists for the other half of
the population. I believe that for our industry to effectively meet the
demand we must make a conscious effort to reach, include, and support
women interested in exploring this career path. This program seeks to
reach women who are interested in that opportunity, to explore our trade
and learn from a fellow tradeswoman.
My hope with this program is to improve both recruitment and retention
by ensuring that those entering the field are informed, prepared, and
genuinely interested. Early observations from pilot sessions have
revealed consistent patterns: Participants quickly adapt to the
precision needed for fiber work. They were mindful of the processes and
disciplined in their execution. Confidence increased significantly once
tools were in their hands.
It was incredibly enjoyable watching the
cable get prepped, watching that first single splice, and then a ribbon
splice. Watching them make their own ribbon. Building the closure
quickly and with a great attention to details. Shooting the LFI over the
network and tracing out the issue and then repairing and testing. Here
is the best part, they really were enjoying it, feedback was positive!
Equally as important as providing opportunities - the program helps
filter out mismatches early too. Not everyone is suited to this career,
and that is OK, because the best technicians we can hope for want to be
in the industry. The industry does not have a talent shortage problem;
it has an access and exposure problem. The success of fiber networks
depends on the people building them. Expanding who has access to this
work is not just an inclusion effort it is a practical solution to an
industry wide labour shortage.
 Women Who Splice will help expand the talent pipeline, introduce new
entrants to fiber careers, support workforce diversification, network
women together, and reinforce quality standards through structured
training pathways.
If you are interested in knowing more details or would like to partner
on this effort, reach out to Jane Bailey at info@fotc.ca or
782-641-6426. You can also learn more at online at https://www.fotc.ca/women-who-splice
Photos by Jane of her students on the ladder and splicing during class.
The Fibre Training photo showing Jane teaching is from the website.
More Women Are Being Trained To Become Fiber Techs
“As
a woman, I thought there would be more barriers than there are. But
I’ve gotten the same opportunities as my male coworkers.” Maegan Gillreath a former student at Central New Mexico Community College
FOA school BDI Datalynk told us
that one of their partner schools where they give their "boot camp"
courses for FOA certification, Santa Fe Community College (SFCC),
had reached a milestone - 500 students achieved their CFOTs through
SFCC workforce development programs. We report on that partnership below. But the SFCC
program was covered by an article in a local newspaper, The Santa Fe New Mexican,
that grabbed our attention. The graduate of the BDI course at SFCC was
also a woman. We wanted to share the story about her in its entirety, with emphasis added in
bold by FOA.
Approximately a year ago, Maegan Gillreath received an email that changed her life.
A former student at Central New Mexico Community College, Gillreath said
the message from Santa Fe Community College alerted her to the
institution’s broadband industry training programs, a career option she
hadn’t previously known about. But the email was enticing enough to
check it out.
“I wanted to find out what it was all about,” she said Friday while
standing in the lobby of the Santa Fe Higher Education Center during
SFCC’s second annual broadband/networking job fair.
Gillreath learned she could enroll in the college’s noncredit
fiber-optic technician program, earn three certifications and enter a
booming career field with no shortage of opportunities.
That’s exactly what she did, graduating from the program
in May and going to work for Oso Communications in September. Now, eight
months later, she’s already in line to move up to the position of lead
technician at Oso.
Gillreath said her decision to enroll the program and
pursue a career in the broadband industry turned out to be a very good
one.
“Actually, it’s more than I thought it would be,” she
said. “As a woman, I thought there would be more barriers than there
are. But I’ve gotten the same opportunities as my male coworkers.”
‘It worked out’
Friday’s event at the college was designed to help current students and
recent graduates of the school’s broadband industry programs make
connections with employers, possibly finding jobs. Gillreath was there
to represent Oso Communications and perhaps serve as an example of how
quickly even someone with no inclination for that kind of work can carve
out a career in the industry, which features many thousands of job
openings nationwide.
“Stick it out,” Gillreath advised people who are considering entering the program.
She said she doubted a broadband job was for her initially, but it didn’t take her long to change her mind.
“I thought I may not have fit into this industry,” she said. “But it worked out overwhelmingly.”
School officials say one of the best things about the broadband job
training programs SFCC offers is that they are free. The state picks up
the tab for anyone 18 or older with a high school diploma or equivalent
certificate. The program is funded through the New Mexico Government
Results and Opportunity Program.
The fiber optic technician program is not the only broadband training
program SFCC offers, but it is the largest and serves as the most direct
route to employment. The “boot camp” program runs eight hours a day for
five days, just 40 hours total, and by the end of that time, graduates
earn three certificates and are qualified to begin working in the field,
where entry-level pay averages $25 an hour.
Article in The Santa Fe New Mexican
And here is how we heard about Maegan:
Santa Fe Community College Partners With FOA School BDI Datalynk To Graduate 500 Certified Fiber Optic Technicians -
Santa Fe's Mayor Garcia presented the keynote speech at SFCC's 2nd
Annual Broadband Networking and Job Fair event supporting our Broadband
Pre-Apprenticeship (FIBER PA) program offered in partnership with NMDWS.
The event had over 200 attendees. The Mayor shared his vision for
economic development and internet accessibility with our community, and
the Santa Fe New Mexican wrote the article about the event quoted above.
Here is a flier for the next Certified Fiber Optic Technician (CFOT)
bootcamp being presented by BDI Datalynk in Gallup, New Mexico, June
8-12, 2026. This five-day bootcamp is offered in partnership with UNM
Gallup's Community Education and Workforce Development Office, under the
leadership of Sr. Operations Manager and Director, Ashlee Velasquez. We
are excited to be able to offer this opportunity to our employer
partners and workforce agencies in West-Central New Mexico. More Santa
Fe-based CFOT bootcamps are coming up this fall.
The SFCC - BDI Datalynk partnership has certified 500 FOA CFOTs with
their 5-day boot camp programs through the Office of Continuing
Education and Workforce Development at Santa Fe Community College.
Dean Kris Swedin and Monique Anair, Director of Workforce Development,
at SFCC have created a short video about how SFCC has been working with
BDI Datalynk to create a trained and certified fiber optic workforce in
New Mexico.
Watch the Santa Fe Community College Video about their workforce development program partnering with BDI Datalynk.
Seen On The Street: - Telecom/Broadband Art
Painters and photographers often capture the
infrastructure of broadband and fiber optics in their work. Sometimes it
makes the scene look more realistic like this painting we saw in a
gallery recently:
But sometimes that same infrastructure takes on a more surrealistic
look. A gallery in Los Angeles recently showed works from local artist
Krista Machovina that caught our eye.
We asked Krista about her inclusion of all the aerial cables in her painting of the sky and this is her reply:
The powerline series came about after I had been painting clouds--
figuring out how capture different colors or textures. The reference for
one particularly dramatic cloudscape included a web of powerlines in
front of it, which I didn't include in the composition. Then,
after looking at the reference for a while, I realized the lines were
interesting in themselves. The patterns they made, the contrast
between their hard edges and geometric shapes and the organic amorphous
shapes of clouds.
I started thinking of them in many metaphors-- like in literature man vs
nature (and how nature usually wins), the lines and clouds represented
relationships how we try to box people up, or tie them down like an
anchor to a hot air balloon. In thinking about the
actual lines themselves, they are connections from one home to a power
source, phone lines, cable lines, internet representing lines of
communication. Some of these connections look like they go from
house to house or business to business, and despite our independence
from one another, they give a sense of broader connection and
community.
The title of the show Entanglement Theory plays on the quantum mechanics
concept of how once connected particles maintain connections even when
separated at a distance, which to me extrapolates to the bonds we make
with others, that maintain their significance even if our paths only
briefly crossed. Having lived without power in Florida for weeks post
hurricane, I am especially cognizant of the important of what actually
courses through those lines and how it impacts how we live.
Here are more of Krista's paintings that include cables.
 
To see more of Krista Machovina's art including the cables series, go to her website https://www.kristamachovina.com/new-gallery-2.
At another gallery, we saw a work by Renée Reizman which was a
commentary on rural broadband. She did a Fellowship at the Blue Sky Center in rural California
that led to the creation of this artwork. Here is her story:
 Signals
From the Cuyama Valley features excerpts from conversations with people
who live and work in the Cuyama Valley, a region of roughly 1,000
people in Central California. In 2024, the Blue Sky Center selected me
as a Cuyama Action Fellow, and invited me to spend three weeks in New
Cuyama. There, I spoke to 35 community members about broadband access,
and learned that poor infrastructure has impacted their ability to
pursue work, education, and leisure.
These testimonials are paired with my drawings of satellite dishes and
antennas I saw around town, a combination of old and new equipment used
for microwave, satellite, and cell phone reception.
The Cuyama Valley region is supposed to be investing in high-speed
fiber, but the project has been slow and stalled. While the community
waits for better broadband, residents must choose between expensive and
unreliable service providers.
The individual pictures are created from comments from the students and educators she worked with, for example:
"Our communities don't have a lot of digital access. The digital divide is so clear."
"There are many other ranches where the landline wasn't maintained
because they weren't using it. They were all using cell phones."
"For school I can't really do much, because of the Internet. If I want
to use my laptop, it's really hard becasue it disconnects and sometimes
it erases all my stuff."
"Mst of our curriculum has an Internet part to it. What ends up
happening is, out of the whole class of possibly 20, we can get two or
three on at a time. They don't assign anyone homework that's Internet
based."
"We don't have someone out there that's a tech person. So if we run into
problems, it's all people with different backgrounds who have to figure
it out. And none of us can do that. The district doesn't have a tech
person and the Internet that we have out there is bad."
"My Starlink doesn't go down. It's a satellite and it's really
reliable...they're giving Internet to people in very rural places."
The comments included in this work of art show the importance of broadband to rural communities.
You can see all the pictures and comments on the website of Renée Reizman at
https://reneereizman.com/Cuyama-Action-Fellowship .
Always nice to hear from a FOA CFOT. This is from LinkedIn:
Broadband Textbook Updates and Fiber U Course
FOA has been updating our references and courses for Broadband.
Update - 2nd Edition: The Fiber Optic Association Reference Guide To Broadband
A
new edition of the FOA broadband book is now available. It's updated
for new tech like LEO satellites and, at the request of our schools,
been expanded to include chapter questions and a comprehensive index to
facilitate using the book as a textbook for classes.
The new edition is aimed at teachers who want to include
communications technology in their classes. It is appropriate for a
module or semester course for engineering, science or even management
students. 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,) as well as for managers involved with broadband projects.
The Fiber Optic Association Guide To Fiber Broadband
Paperback and Kindle versions available from Amazon or most booksellers.
Fiber U Broadband Self Study Program
FOA has addef a new Fiber U self-study program
on Broadband, The course includes 10 lessons that cover the full scope
of broadband technologies. Like all Fiber U courses, its free, and after you complete the course
you can get a Certificate of Completion for a nominal cost.
The Fiber U self-study program about Broadband.
Jump to News
The FOA website and the FOA Online Guide
include what is probably the
largest knowledge base in fiber optics. We provide links,
contents pages and a search engine, but the amount of content is
daunting. Ask Lennie is
now available to search the FOA website using AI.
Ask Lennie Lightwave is waiting to help answer your questions and find things on the FOA Website.
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
also has a YouTube
Video on "Careers
in Fiber Optics" and a "Careers
In Fiber Optics" Website.
FOA Newsletter
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News
Technical
Worth
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Resoures
Safety About
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News
Lots more news
in Worth Reading below
NEW AT FOA:
Standards
FOA Standard For Installing Fiber Optic Cable Plants
Credentials
About FOA Credentials
Badge in FIber Optics
New/Updated Web Pages
Cross Reference Guide to Textbooks, Online Guide and Fiber U FOA Videos Guide.
Index Of Articles On Fiber Broadband Networks
FOA Guide To The Fiber Optic Workforce
FOA Credentials: the differences in certifications, certificates and badges.
Books - new editions
FOA Reference Guide To Network Design And Project Management, second edition - adds project management to design
FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics, Second Edition, second edition - update of the basic fiber textbook.
The FOA Reference Guide To Broadband second edition -update - popular with broadband planners
Fiber U
Broadband
Safety
New In The FOA Guide
Introduction To Broadband
Guidelines For Fiber Optic Project Planners
Cross Reference Guide to Textbooks, Online Guide and Fiber U FOA Videos Guide.
Satellite Communications
OSP Aerial Construction Workmanship
Splices And Connections Of Regular to BI Singlemode FIbers.
Fiber Optic Safety - Installation and Construction.
Fiber Optic Network Troubleshooting.
|
Quote of the month:
About BEAD
An on-stage game of Family Feud* offered a look at how 100 network
providers in attendance really view the government (BEAD) program. The top
answer on the board for “If you could redefine what the letter B in BEAD
stands for” was Bureaucratic. The teams playing guessed Boondoggle
(nope) and Bullshit, which was close enough to the #3 answer of
Bad. Rounding out the top five answers were Broken and “Backhaul.”
*Family Feud is a US TV game show.
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Form Joint Venture to Expand Satellite Connectivity and Eliminate Wireless Dead Zones
AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have reached an
agreement in principle to establish a joint venture (JV) focused on
expanding wireless connectivity across the United States, particularly
in rural and underserved areas. The initiative aims to reduce wireless
dead zones by pooling limited spectrum resources, improving network
capacity, enhancing customer experience, and creating a unified platform
that enables satellite providers to reach more customers.
Existing carrier-satellite agreements will remain in place, while the
joint venture seeks to foster broader industry innovation and
competition
A unified satellite access framework is expected to
simplify interoperability across providers, accelerate service
enhancements, and improve consistency for end users. Standardized specifications would create a more
seamless and consistent user experience across devices, applications,
and networks. Standardized technical frameworks would also enable operators to deploy satellite-enabled services more rapidly. Shared access and coordinated deployment strategies
are expected to improve the use of scarce nationally licensed spectrum
resources.
For more information , read the article in ISE Magazine.
 A bird’s nest incorporating fiber optic cable is a
striking sign of how much debris from fiber-guided FPVs now litters the
landscape of Ukraine. Other images show fields glittering with fibers
like spiderwebs where dozens of drones have passed overhead.
Most FPV attack drones rely on a radio link to the operator, which can
be an Achilles’ heel. Fly too low, or behind a hill and the connection
may be lost. More commonly though, FPVs are lost to jamming, up to 75%
of them. Fiber drones, an idea DARPA developed for its Close Combat
Lethal Recon drone in the early 2000’s but never fielded, solve the
radio reception problem. The drone pays out a fiber-optic communication
cable as it flies and is immune to jamming. And while other FPVs may be
detected by their radio emissions, fiber drones give no such warning.
The Russians were the first to field fiber drones, barely more than a
year ago, first in small numbers and then at scale. Ukraine has been
working hard to catch up.
From Forbes Magazine, June 6, 2026.
CRU introduces monthly optical fibre price reporting in response to market volatility
Hyperscalers and high costs drive historic price surge
Through 2023 and early 2024, global optical fibre prices
languished at multiyear lows, weighed by subdued demand, aggressive
price competition and oversupply. The turning point came around
mid-2025, when the CRUofpi Global Index, which tracks G.652.D bare fibre
spot prices across China, India, Europe and the US, began to recover
after more than two years of decline. What followed was a steady climb
through the second half of 2025, culminating in a historic surge in
early 2026. The chart below illustrates this trajectory of the index
vividly.
 From CRU
In March 2026, the market experienced an unprecedented triple-digit
jump, propelling the index to 263.0, the sharpest rise since CRU began
monitoring in 2017. This surge was not confined to one geography – it
was a truly global phenomenon, with every region pulled into the rally.
Read more about fibre pricing and reports from CRU.
Fibre rollout plans under pressure in Europe
The model underpinning the Fibre to the Home (FTTH) expansion in many
European markets is coming under strain. Discussions at the FTTH
Conference Europe 2026, held in April in London, continued to highlight a
more complex phase for fibre rollout plans, shaped not only by demand,
but also by changing economics, market structure and policy. FTTH
remains a critical driver of fibre demand regionally and globally, but
the conditions that supported its rapid expansion have changed.
In Europe, several markets are now approaching maturity and FTTH growth
is slowing as coverage reaches high levels. However, this shift is not
merely due to saturation. It increasingly reflects the limits of the
current network investment model. Now, slower customer take-up is
weighing on investor returns, and overbuild in some markets is
intensifying competition and diluting value. Investors are responding by
becoming stricter and more disciplined with their funds, placing
greater emphasis on telcos’ monetisation strategies rather than
continued footprint expansion. In Europe, the challenge is no longer
just building networks, but making them commercially viable in a
fragmented market.
Global FTTH demand is diverging. As highlighted in the CRU Optical Fibre and Cable Market Outlook, Europe is moving to a more constrained FTTH phase, but globally demand is evolving in different ways.
Read More From CRU Group.
More than $16 billion planned for submarine cable construction
More than $16 billion. That's the value of new submarine cables planned
to enter service between 2026-2029, according to new data from the
Telegeography Transport Networks Research Service. Here are a few
reasons for the boom:
Scarcity of potential capacity: Despite current utilization levels, the
steady rise in data demand necessitates new construction to prevent
total capacity exhaustion. This fundamental lack of future headroom is a
primary catalyst for industry growth.
Ownership economics: Large content providers are shifting from leasing
bandwidth to investing in their own systems to secure massive blocks of
fiber at cost. This transition allows them to control infrastructure
directly rather than relying on limited availability in the legacy
leasing market.
Route diversity: Network operators invest in geographically diverse
routes to build resilient "mesh" networks. This strategy ensures high
availability, keeping the internet stable even if a specific cable
system experiences a failure.
Reducing equipment costs: Newer cables with massive capacities allow
operators to achieve significantly lower unit costs for data
transmission. These modern systems are far more cost-effective to scale
than older, lower-capacity legacy infrastructure.
Replacing aging cables: While cables have a 25-year design life, they
are often retired early when they become economically uncompetitive
compared to modern technology. Replacing these aging assets is essential
to maintain a modern, efficient global network.
Read more about new submarine cable investment here.
Quote Of The 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.”
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Technical
Fiber optic
technology, standards, equipment, installation,
etc.
Ask Lennie Lightwave, the FOA AI that answers your questions on fiber optics
The FOA
Update Page covers 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®
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Formation of an Underground Horizontal Channel Using Manual and Pneumatic Piercing Tools
Vladimir Grozdanovic
There are several types of machines that can be used to form underground
horizontal channels beneath roads, parks, railways, water surfaces,
etc. These include manual, pneumatic, and hydraulic machines that create
underground horizontal channels by drilling and compacting the
surrounding soil.
Unlike trench excavation, these techniques do not require subsequent
landscape restoration. Two working pits (entry and exit) are formed in
the ground, along with an underground channel, which allows for pipe
installation. The process takes place in three phases:
- inspection of the terrain for the presence of underground utilities before work begins,
- formation of a horizontal channel, i.e., drilling, and
- pulling the PE pipe through the formed channel.
The simplest machine for horizontal drilling is the manual piercing
tool. It uses only physical force, where the technician operates a
manual lever to push or rotate a rod with a drilling tip. The next
commonly used machine for horizontal drilling is the pneumatic piercing
tool. It is a pneumatic machine where compressed air is supplied to the
drilling tool – the piercing tool – using pneumatic hoses and
connectors.
Continue reading this application note in the FOA Guide.
OSHA-10 Construction Course for Broadband Technicians
CWA is offering a free OSHA-10 Construction course to schools and
employers that are training broadband technicians. This
broadband-targeted OSHA-10 Construction training is taught by CWA
OSHA-Authorized Trainers for Construction. The CWA OSHA-authorized
trainers work for major telecommunications companies. Each trainer has
many years of field and safety experience in Broadband and related work,
so they know the job and the work conditions.
Every attendee who successfully completes the OSHA-10 Construction class
will receive an OSHA-10 card issued by the U.S. Department of Labor,
which verifies completion of the class. Many construction job sites
require workers to have OSHA-10 Construction cards to perform work on
the site, so an OSHA-10 Construction card can be a necessity.
Safety First is Good for Workers & for Business
OSHA-10 Construction training can prevent injuries and save lives!
When you invest in safety and health education, your bottom line will
benefit as well. OSHA estimates that for every $1 you invest in safety
training, there is a $4-$6 return!
More details on the OSHA-10 Construction course.
AFL Introduces Fujikura 100R Mass Fusion Splicer with Intelligent Alignment Controls and CT60 Fiber Cleaver
AFL has announced the new Fujikura 100R Mass Fusion Splicer with
Intelligent Alignment Controls. The 100R delivers more uniform splices
by automatically correcting fiber placement, end-face gaps, and axis
alignment across all fibers, delivering consistently low-loss splices so
your team can work faster without sacrificing quality.
100R has Intelligent Alignment Controls:
- Auto Placement Correction corrects improperly seated fibers before
fusion by automatically lifting the clamp and adjusting fiber
positioning in the V-groove. No more manual adjustments.
- In as little as one second, Gap Alignment Correction automatically
and continuously adjusts end-face gaps until every fiber hits the
target range.
- Axis Offset Correction automatically reduces fiber axis position
offsets across all fibers prior to fusion, improving splice uniformity
while applying corrections only as needed to preserve cycle times.
- Splice Coach built-in guidance, customizable splicer setup with intuitive menus and visual diagrams,
The newly announced CT60 Fiber Cleaver offers motorized blade rotation
and Bluetooth connectivity for seamless integration with the 100R.
Designed to support both single and ribbon fibers, it delivers
consistent cleave quality with minimal maintenance and an impressive
blade life.
More information on the AFL website.
Good Question: Training For Installing And Splicing Hollow Core Fiber (HCF) And Multicore Fiber (MCF)
Q: I’m reaching out to inquire about upcoming developments in
hollow core fiber, as we understand this technology will begin seeing
broader deployment in the near future. We’re looking to stay ahead of
the curve and ensure our team is properly prepared as it becomes more
widely adopted. Specifically, I wanted to ask if your organization
currently offers — or plans to offer — any splicing or handling training
related to hollow core fiber.
A: Good question and timely. FOA has spent a lot of time talking to people in the fiber business about this recently.
For background, FOA has covered hollow core fiber (HCF) and another type
of fiber, multicore fiber (MCF) in recent FOA Newsletters:
In the April FOA Newsletter, we reported on our visit to the OFC conference in LA in March wher eHCF and MCF were featured by all the fiber manufacturers.
In the FOA Newsletter last November, we ran a feature on HCF that explained why it is being used.
MCF is easier to see the advantages, 4 links in one fiber.
Both share a similar problem in splicing; they require not only X-Y
alignment like other fibers, but also require rotational alignment. In
HCF, it is needed to match the structure. In MCF it is to match the
cores. HCF has an additional problem; the fiber OD is ~200 microns and
the core is complex, so fusing is tricky.
The only splicer currently available is the FITEL S185EVROF and it is
pricey. Sumitomo tells me they are working on new splicer for these
fibers too. Since the applications of HCF focus on data centers and the
high-frequency stock traders, it will be seen if other manufacturers
join the market too.
If you want to get trained on working with these fibers, your best bet
is to contact FITEL or Lightera (OFS) to see what they are doing about
training.
Both EXFO and VIAVI are offering info on testing HCF . EXFO contributed to the FOA Newsletter last November and in the May FOA Newsletter we have an article in the Technical section about testing and connecting MCF with fanouts.
Comments From Industry Insiders - SOCs
In recent conversations with a knowledgeable person in the industry, we
picked up some interesting information on splice-on connectors:
- SOCs are now being used in about equal numbers to pigtails
- Fusion SOCs are preferred over mechanical splice SOCs because of cost
- SOCs should have a failure rate of 1-3%, but it can be higher - up to 10% which makes some splicers prefer pigtails
- The high failure rate for SOCs is mostly sloppy cleaning and poor
alignment care before fusing. Some don't recommend auto fusing mode when
doing SOCs.
The New FOA Installation Standard
Available as a free download or purchase printed or Kindle versions online at Amazon.
 This standard focuses on the
processes for installing a fiber optic project and provides guidance on
the design, installation and management of the project. 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.
More information and a Table of Contents.
Download a free copy of The FOA Standard For Installing Fiber Optic Cable Plants. (PDF 1.6MB)
Purchase printed ($14.95 US) or Kindle ($9.95 US) versions online at Amazon.
TIA Guide To Networks
TIA has a guide to many standard networks like Ethernet and the specs
for their use on numerous standard cabling systems. Want to know how far
Ethernet 100GBASE-LR4 can go (30 km) or how much link attenuation is OK
(6.3 dB), this publication will tell you.
Download your copy from TIA 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 the video on YouTube,
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.
Request your free VIAVI Fiber Testing guide now.
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.
Ensuring
Reliability By Proper Fiber Optic
Installation
Testing that Demonstrates, or Not, High Reliability
Interpreting Test Results (New November 2025)
3D Inspection and Precision Cleaning
Field Service and Production Line Considerations When Precision Cleaning and Inspecting Fiber Optic Surfaces by Ed Forrest. Ed has decades of experience in developing cleaning solutions for fiber optic connectors
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.
Read the entire FOA report on compatibility of G.652 and G.657 singlemode fiber that includes this summary.
Jump to Worth
Reading
Updated FOA OTDR Trainer
 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.
FOA wishes to thank VeEX
for permission to use their Fiberizer® software in our OTDR trainer.
And our compliments to them for making the ap available on multiple
platforms that ensure anybody can use it.
FTTH Technical Papers
FOA contributor Vladimir Grozdanovic has created these technical papers based on his field experiences.
Formation of an Underground Horizontal Channel Using Manual and Pneumatic Piercing Tools
Alternatives For Installation of Optical Cables in Urban Areas
The Differences Between Conventional and PON Optical Power Meters
Fiber Optic Color Codes with Cross Reference
Splicing Optical Power Ground Wire OPGW
Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD)
Construction Methods For Microtrenching
Fiber Optic Ducts And Microducts
Fiber Optic Tools
Optical Distribution Frames (ODFs) And Patch Panels
Using Fiber Identifiers
Testing The FTTH PON Network (new)
Troubleshooting PON Installations.
Installation of FTTH Active Equipment in the FOA Guide.
Optical Splitters in the FOA Guide.
Examples of poor installation of FTTH in the aerial outside plant and in the customer premises.
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.
Red more about what this cable marking tells you and what the cable looks like when you open it up to prepare for splicing.
Help On Color Codes (Including Copper Cabling And Fiber Optics)Here are the links to download your own FOA Guides to Fiber Optic Color Codes
FOA Guide to Fiber Optic Color Codes (print your own version) PDF
FOA Guide to Fiber Optic Color Codes (electronic version for your smartphone, tablet or PC) PDF
And Color Codes For UTP Cabling
FOA Guide to UTP Cabling Color Codes (print your own version) PDF
FOA Guide to UTP Copper Cabling Color Codes (electronic version) PDF
Not all international color codes are the same. Here is a cross reference to various color codes.
Warning For Techs Doing OSP Restoration
 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.
See "Fiber Amps And Restoration" in the FOA Newsletter Archives..
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