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December 2019


    
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In This Issue - (INDEX)

Click on "RETURN TO INDEX " after each section to return you to this INDEX so you can find things easier.

Features

A New Hazard In Fiber Construction
Fiber Is A Good Investment
Wireless/5G Controversy Continues
What Does Mismatched FIber Look Like?
Conferences:
OFC
CCGA Symposium

FOA Advisors 20 Years Ago
Still Talking On A Phone

Worth Reading - News Summary
SUMIX Microscope For MPOs and All Other Connectors
10GPON Update In FOA Guide
Testing Multimode Fiber With BI Fibers - Update
Not Much Future For Cat 8 and Wideband MMF (OM5)
Need More Ethernet?
Can You Learn Skills Online?
Lennie's Guide - 25th Anniversary Edition
FOA Guide Updates
FOA School Offers Toolkit With Online Training

More

FOA Certifications: 

CFOT Total

Sections 

FOA Facts - about the organization

FOA Resources  
Fiber U - free online self-study courses
Publications: FOA Textbooks, NECA/FOA 301
 "Quickstart Guides"
 videos FOA YouTube Videos
Online Reference Guide: Many new pages
Certification. Updated:  FOA OSP Certification
FOA Schools: New schools and programs
Q&A: What technical questions you asked the FOA?
FOA Fiber FAQs Page
Product News - New stuff
Worth Reading: News from around the world



DIG SAFE - Call 811 before you dig!


Jobs
See FOA Jobs Web Page and FOA on FOA on LinkedIn
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

Where Are The Jobs In Fiber Optics? FOA talks about all the applications for fiber optics, what jobs involve and the qualifications for the workers in the field in this YouTube video.

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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.

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Free online self-study programs on many fiber optics and cabling topics are available at Fiber U, FOA's online web-based training website.


 FOA Reference Books
Available Printed or eBooks
The fiber book is available in Spanish and French

FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics book FOA Reference Guide to Premises Cablng book FOA Reference Guide to OSP Fiber Optics book FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics book
FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optic Network Design book FOA Book on Fiber Optic Testing FOA Outside Plant Fiber Optics Construction Guide  Lennie Lightwave

Lennie and Uncle Ted's Guides are now also available as free iBooks on iTunes.
Lennie Lightwave's Guide To Fiber Optics   Uncle Ted's Guide to Premises Cablling
Click on any of the books to learn more.
Fiber Optic Safety Poster to download and print


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FOA Newsletter - Features


A Potential Hazard In Fiber Optic Installation We Bet You Never Thought About

We all know there are hazards associated with fiber optic installation - traffic around workers, digging or directional boring around other utilities and hitting underground utilites, working on poles especially near power lines, but now we've heard of a new one.

On Thursday March 30, 2017 a massive fire under an overpass on I-85 in Atlanta caused sufficient damage to the roadway to make a 92 foot (28m) section of the overhead highway collapse. I-85 is a major artery through the city with traffic of ~250,000 vehicles a day and the chaos caused by this fire was massive. Two miles of the roadway was closed for 6 weeks while repairs costing ~$15million were completed.

Atlanta fire

News photos courtesy of WXIA "11Alive" NBC TV in Atlanta. Go to this link and be sure to watch the videos!


Atlanta fire

The fire burned so hot that a section of the roadway collapsed.

Atlanta Fire

The roadway collapse required closure of one of Atlanta's busiest roads.

The question that everyone was asking was what caused the fire. Images of the fire showed some ghostly wire frames under the roadway.

Atlanta fire

Afterwards, someone got the idea to look on Google Street View at the road under the elevated road that collapsed. This is what
Google Street View showed:

Atlanta fire

Yes,those are reels of fiber ducts - 76 of them.

Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said that construction materials had been stored in the area under the bridge where the fire started for years. McMurry identified the specific conduit as HDPE. McMurry admits that the material was flammable, but said it wasn't dangerous enough to move. Dr. Lauren Stewart, an engineering professor at Georgia Tech, said that it doesn't combust easily, "but if under high temperature environment, it can combust and I believe it burns relatively hot.”

Why did the ducts catch fire? It appears that transients under the bridge set fire to the ducts.

More details came from the National Transportation Safety Board report on the incident.
Seventy-six reels of high-density polyethylene conduit and nine racks of fiberglass conduit were stored under the bridge span. The materials were intended for use in an earlier project on SR-400, but the contractor defaulted.GDOT had originally stored the unused reels of high-density polyethylene conduit and racks of fiberglass conduit at a site along Sidney Marcus Boulevard. On January 10, 2012, GDOT moved the materials to the area under the I-85 bridge. GDOT chose this location because it offered shelter from the sun; and it was state-owned, fenced, and adjacent to another GDOT facility on the opposite side of Piedmont Road.5 The materials remained under the I-85 bridge for more than 5 years, up to the time of the collapse.

The fiber optic cable was stored separately from the conduit material and was not located under the I-85 bridge.

HDPE is used for most fiber ducts and is flammable. If this material is stored, it should be carefully secured because it burns fiercely and can cause a lot of damage.


Fiber Is A Good Investment

How fiber is a good investment has been discussed many times in this newsletter, whether we're talking about fiber vs copper, fiber for smart cities, fiber for future wireless systems, etc. We've even discussed the idea that privately-built networks should be valued as highly or higher than CATV companies that have sold for prices over $5,000 per subscriber.

We were recently surprised - pleasantly - at this article:

Flush with Cash and Ready to Buy, Investors Take Aim at Fiber-Rich Operators (Video)

"Major infrastructure funds have been acquiring mid-sized fiber transport operators to gain exposure to the telecom market. Investors are now turning their attention to smaller regional/rural operators with strong cash flows, fiber assets, and attractive organic growth prospects. Given all of the money chasing a finite number of companies, it should remain a sellers’ market for the foreseeable future."

The source of this article is CoBank. CoBank is a national cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states.

Coincidentally, another announcement in the last month adds emphasis to the CoBank article. Remember Netly, the Southern California company we talked about last month in the newsletter that was building an open access fiber network and had signed a major ISP as a client. Well, this press release showed up on too:

Ubiquity Completes Investment in San Diego’s First-Ever, Open-Access Fiber Network
Potential to Reach $250million in Total Investment Size

"Ubiquity Partners, LP (“Ubiquity”), which invests in critical communications infrastructure throughout the United States, announced today it recently completed a $40-million investment with Netly, LLC (“Netly”) to develop open-access, fiber-optic networks throughout California, including North County, San Diego.

Netly will begin development in Solana Beach, CA immediately and later expand to surrounding communities. Ubiquity’s partnership with Netly has the potential to grow to $250 million in overall capital commitments."

Who is Ubiquity? "Ubiquity is a private infrastructure investment platform that seeks to invest, develop and manage critical communications infrastructure throughout the United States. Ubiquity partners with wireless carriers, technology companies, broadband providers, developers and municipalities to deliver infrastructure solutions. Ubiquity’s mission is to build communications infrastructure to empower communities for the future and create value for investors in the digital age."

With so many private fiber optic projects going on, what FOA describes as "do-it-yourself" projects as opposed to carrier deployments, it is exciting to see investors looking at these as potential for future growth. Perhaps we're seeing the start of something big - local fiber, like CATV systems, being something investors see big potential in.



Wireless And 5G "Fact or Fiction" Controversy Continues

We've been covering the controversies over claims about 5G for a long time now, with one big article in the July FOA Newsletter covering some of the more contentious claims. Well, if anything, the controversy has gotten more contentious and many rebuttals are appearing. Here are a few recent ones with FOA's emphasis in bold letters.


This one is from Marketplace, the daily radio show on business on America's National Public Radio.

5G could change the world. 5G is also marketing hype.

5G is 80% marketing and 20% technology,” said Gigi Sohn, a senior fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy. “The hype around this technology is enormous, and also the hype around needing to win a so-called race around 5G.”

A T-Mobile spokesperson told reporters those ultrafast speeds are only going to be 20% faster on average than what customers have now.

Telecom companies and politicians are pushing the claim that the U.S. needs to beat China to 5G. But Phillip Berenbroick, policy director at the telecom advocacy group Public Knowledge, said a lot of the country isn’t wired with the fiber optic cable needed for 5G.

“If you live in an area that doesn’t have access to 4G LTE right now, you’re not getting 5G anytime soon,” Berenbroick said.


The NY Times devoted an entire Sunday Magazine to the Internet but mentioned 5G

So the internet didn’t turn out the way we hoped.
For now, “5G” doesn’t mean much. The fastest cellular network — beefy enough to stream movies from a bus stop — has taken hold in just a handful of countries worldwide, thanks to hardware struggles in many cities. The networks all call themselves 5G, but different carriers use different technologies, resulting in vastly different speeds. ‘‘The whole industry is kind of building the plane in midair,’’ says Adriane Blum, a spokeswoman for Ookla, a firm that monitors mobile and broadband speeds worldwide.


These 2 from Light Reading

Carriers' 4G Maps Are Rubbish, but FCC Chief Proposes $9B for 5G Anyway

The FCC's chairman proposed on Wednesday to distribute $9 billion over the next decade to carriers to build 5G networks in rural areas. But the agency is doing so only after finding out that Verizon, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular wildly overstated their 4G coverage.

"The Commission dispatched Enforcement Bureau field agents to conduct speed tests of the Verizon, U.S. Cellular and T-Mobile networks," the FCC wrote in its 66-page report.


T-Mobile Quietly Moves Its 5G Goalposts

T-Mobile is informing reviewers and customers that its new lowband 5G network will be on average 20% faster than its 4G LTE network. That's noteworthy considering the operator promised just this summer that "5G speed will be up to 10x faster, compared to LTE."

None of this is all that surprising, however, mainly because not all 5G is the same. Some iterations of 5G offer blazing fast speeds but are only available across a few city blocks, while other types cover vast stretches of the US but aren't much faster than 4G.

Ultimately, regular consumers will be left to figure all this out for themselves.

"I'm thinking of this form of 5G as maybe 4.9G," wrote PCMag, adding that "4.9G is better than what you're getting now."



This article from the UK seems to have a disconnect between its title and what it really says.

5G Infrastructure Alliance Best Hope for Driverless Application

It is because, while 5G lobbyists will constantly trumpet the technology’s strengths over existing 4G, such as a bandwidth that allows ten-times the current speed of data transfer, they seldom mention its main weakness. Well, less a weakness than a very serious frailty because of its use of wavelengths that are tiny compared to older cellular generations.

In essence, this means that while a 4G wave can, in perfect conditions, travel up to ten miles, a 5G millimeter wave will reach a mere 1,000 feet.

 This means that, in theory, a 5G communications infrastructure comprehensive enough to cover the estimated 262,300 miles of the UK’s road network would require more than half a million new 5G transmitters installed.


And AT&T recognizes this limitation, so:

AT&T Rolls Out 5G on Multiple Frequencies

AT&T announced last week that they will roll-out their 5G mobile service in select markets this year using low-band 850 MHz spectrum. AT&T has offered guidance that its low-band 850 MHz 5G can reach about 2 miles, and the 5G+ in comparison, has a range of roughly 1,000 feet.



SPECIAL OFFER - Save 1/3 On Your Certification Renewal Cost

In the near future, there will be a requirement for continuing education to renew your FOA certifications. We'll explain why soon, but for now FOA is testing an option for renewals where you take a short Fiber U online self-study course with certificate of completion exam and pay for renewal when taking the exam. 

If you would like to help FOA test this option, you can save 1/3 the cost of your renewal.  Go here to take the Fiber U CFOT Renewal Course:



Looking For A Job?

Did you know that FOA has a lot of information on the website about where the jobs are in fiber optics and how to get one of them? One of the topics is how to use job search sites to find fiber optic jobs. We just added a new site to the link, ZIPRECRUITER.COM, that you should check out. They even have some good information on what fiber optic jobs pay, based on their listings.



There's more below....

.. plus some really interesting technical questions discussed in depth





New:

The FOA Update Page covers all the new technology and applications we covered in this newsletter in 2018-19. Now you can review all that new tech at once.

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.

This months "Good Questions" has some unique questions from our readers.


How Do You Know You Have Mismatched Fiber In A Link? Look At An  OTDR trace

Mismatch
Segments of gainers like this (6 > 7, 9 > 11)indicate some mismatched fibers.

CGA COnf 2020

Registration is now open!

The CGA 811 Excavation Safety Conference & Expo is the premiere international event in the damage prevention industry. This event has featured education to help all stakeholder groups, and opportunities to network with industry peers, learn safe practices, and lower costs associated with underground damages.

Put this conference on your calendar - the focus is safety in construction. FOA will be talking about "New Construction Techniques In Fiber Optics."

Want to submit a paper yourself? Go here




OFC 2020

March 8-12, Exhibits 10-12, San Diego California

With nearly 15,000 attendees from 65 countries and more than 700 exhibits, OFC is the year's largest conference for the optical communications and networking industry. It is the premier event where you can learn about the latest research breakthroughs, innovations and see the newest commercial products. Admission to the exhibits is free, but be sure to look at all the conference sessions and educational courses.

Register for Free Exhibit Pass and conference sessions at the OFC Exhibition.



Recognize Anybody Here?

This is the FOA Board of Advisors 20 years ago, meeting to work on FOA certifications.

FOA Directors 1999


Yes, Some Of Us Do Still Talk On "Phones" (Update)

We started this last month and then found this article in Vice:

Scams Are Killing the Phone Call - VICE

As North American governments struggle to fight it, the robocall epidemic could already be changing how we use our phones. If you've stopped picking up, you're not alone.

The sheer amount of spam calls people are getting in North America has become a problem telecom companies can’t seem to solve.

According to a 2018 report by global communications platform First Orion, spam phone calls accounted for 29.2 percent of all mobile phone calls in the U.S. in 2018, up from just 3.7 percent in 2017, and the trend is continuing.

While North American governments in Canada and the United States have procedures for reporting spam calls and reporting fraud attempts, their approach and reporting system feels almost as antiquated as landlines. No regulatory board or law enforcement can seem to keep up with the scams as they change frequently, and oftentimes happen outside Canadian or American borders. Most recently, the US Congress passed a bill that will fine robocallers up to $20,000 for each time they make calls using unauthenticated numbers, but whether it makes a dent remains to be seen.


From last month:

Yes, Some Of Us Do Still Talk On "Phones"

Just not as much or very well.

Everyone has a smart phone today, it seems. We use them for all sorts of things that we used to do on a computer but no so much as phones. In 2012, 94% of phone users said they talked to someone on their phone in the prior week, but in 2019, that dropped to 45%. Talking was the least popular way of communicating using the phone, behind texting, email, posting to social media and using chat apps.

Direct vocal communications is not dead, since there are app developers and investors developing new ways to communicate vocally over a phone. One developer of a chat app said "Calling is fundamentally broken." But how many times a day do you see someone walking along the street talking into a phone or sitting in a car in traffic carrying on a conversation? How many times a day do you do this yourself?

Why is it that we can do all sorts of things digital on a smart phone but at least half all the phone calls we attempt end in dropping the call or being unintelligible? Sometimes we  can move around the room or go out on the street to be able to have a conversation.

Undoubtedly phone makers and service providers have abandoned or ignored voice calling. If you think about it, the "phone" has evolved with the applications into a mobile multimedia device.

1G Analog phones, all voice
2G Digital, text added
3G First Internet access
4G Optimized for data, first video
5G Aimed at video?

Do technology developers, device manufacturers and service providers ever use their phones to talk to someone? Do CEOs Stephenson of AT&T, Vestberg of Verizon, Claure of Sprint or Legere of T-Mobile ever talk to anyone on their mobile phone? Are they satisfied with the service?

Are service providers focusing on satisfying Wall St. and investors instead of customers?

Is this just a US phenomenon? How bad is voice service around the world? Send us your comments.

Worth Reading - News Summary

New Fiber Optic Cleaning Videos From Sticklers
This three-part training video series covers some of the most important practices to consider when cleaning fiber.

Want a White-Collar Career Without College Debt? Become an Apprentice (NYTimes)
Apprenticeships probably began with the first jobs, where young people work under experienced craftspeople to learn a trade. In the last century, they became more organized under labor unions like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, one of the FOA's oldest and biggest approved school systems. Today, apprenticeships are expanding as young people look at viable alternatives to loading themselves with debt while attending college.

Google's Curie subsea cable set to transmit to Chile, with a pit stop to Panama (Google blog)
Equipped with four 18 Tbps fiber-optic pairs and running from the United States to Chile, Curie is 10,500 kilometers long and delivers 72 Tbps of much needed bandwidth to South America.


This California town has the slowest internet in the U.S (The Californian).
Drivers cruise by on Interstate 80 — a busy artery that cuts across Northern California — never knowing they passed through the town of Newcastle. The unincorporated rural community tucked into the foothills a half-hour drive from Sacramento is home to more than 1,200 people and several fruit orchards. Even though it is mere hours from Silicon Valley — Newcastle has the slowest internet in the country. https://www.satelliteinternet.com/resources/high-speed-internet-for-rural-areas/#map


Kentucky Wired, state’s high-speed fiber optic cable network, activated its first site in Owenton (KY Wired)
KentuckyWired, The Commonwealth’s high-speed fiber optic cable network, activated its first site Thursday, December 5, when the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) office in Owenton transitioned their services to the KentuckyWired network.

FOA schools are training workers for this project since it began. FOA hosted a Workforce Summit in 2016 to kick off the program. Here is the project website.

KY
What is "easy-to-use"?
Smartoptics in Norway created this short and amusing video to show how easy setting up their equipment could be. But there are lessons to learn here - follow the directions and clean every connector!

Two articles worth reading but on the Internet itself:

So the internet didn’t turn out the way we hoped.
The NY Times devoted an entire Sunday Magazine to the Internet but mentioned 5G
And also from the NYTimes, from Tim Berners-Lee: I Invented the World Wide Web. Here’s How We Can Fix It.


In Case You Missed These From Past Issues:

"Show Great Georgia Jobs" TV Features Southern Fiberworx

Southern Fiberworx

Southern Fiberworx was one of the first "Do-It-Yourself" FTTH networks which FOA worked with to help get started. Greg Turton's company has been amazingly suffessful and is recognized here for it's accomplishments. This is a video worth watching!  

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!

State Legislative Initiatives to Restrict Low-Voltage Contractors and Integrators From Installing Equipment, Cabling and Infrastructure




The True Cost of Telco Damages (what backhoe fade or target practice can cost)

Rural Electric Cooperatives: Pole Attachment Policies and Issues, June 2019.

Ckearfield-FOA Certification Training Clearfield is now offering their customers an FOA CERTIFICATION course. This course provides a basic understanding of fiber optic technology, as well as Clearfield product knowledge and how Clearfield’s integrated product systems work together in a fiber network.

Substandard Contractors - Fiber Optic Knowledge Doesn't Always Trickle Down  (EC Mag)

Another Source Of Articles On Fiber

FOA President and editor of this newsletter Jim Hayes has also been writing a column in Electrical Contractor Magazine for almost 20 years now. Electrical contractors do lots of fiber work and this column has covered some topics they are interested in including installation processes, network design, fiber applications and a lengthy series on dark fiber - what it is, how's its used and how it benefits the growth of communication. A recent web site redesign makes it easier to browse all these articles - just go to http://www.ecmag.com/contributing-authors/jim-hayes and you can see all of them.



A Long Range Low Speed Wireless Network For IoT - From Amazon?

Yes, Amazon has gotten into the wireless network and IoT market with a wireless network called "Sidewalk" based on a different assumption. Rather than copy cellular wireless and WiFi which are focused on providing more and more bandwidth, or Bluetooth which is for limited range, Amazon has created a network for larger areas and using lower power which is more appropriate for IoT.

Both cellular 5G and WiFi are focused on providing more bandwidth, primarily for video, but that's not what IoT needs. IoT devices are slow devices and accommodating more devices inexpensively is important. Sidewalk uses unlicensed 900 MHz spectrum, where the lower frequency provides longer distance coverage and penetrates walls easier. Amazon, of course, sells the Alexa and Echo home connection products and acquired Ring, a maker of home video security and convenience devices in 2018. Some of those devices already use this technology. Using the lower frequency communications allows covering a large area. Amazon reportedly conducted a test with a network of over 700 devices in a neighborhood using this technoogy.

Amazon will publish specifications for Sidewalk that allows vendors to build compatible devices. Interested parties should sign up here to be notified of the program.

Read more about Amazon Sidewalk
  

Power Meter Math

An industry contact recently sent us this question:

I’ve been reading some of your articles relating to optical power meters, I’m struggling a bit with the maths relating to dBm. For example, if I apply -20dBm to an OPM and it’s accuracy spec is +/- 5%, then I would expect it to read between -21dBm and -19dBm. Similarly if the spec was +/-0.5dB then I would expect it to read between -19.5dBm and -20.5dBm. I’m not sure that is correct though, because dBm is logarithmic, I’m not sure you can add/subtract 5% or 0.5dB to it. Is there a way to work this out correctly ?
 
Another one I’m struggling a bit with is linearity. Often the OPM manufacturer will express linearity as  +/- 0.2dB. To me that means that if -20dBm is applied, and the OPM reads -19.8dBm then at -30dBm it should read -29.8 +/- 0.2dB (not -30dBm +/-0.2dB). One thing I’ve read about is least squares linear regression. I’m not entirely sure about this.


FOA Response:

It seems that this is an industry that is “math challenged,” especially when it comes to logarithms, with a top company writing articles saying that loss is a positive dB when it’s mathematically negative, and OTDR manufacturers all - ALL - have loss as a positive number. What drives us crazy is they also have gainers as negative numbers. We’ve written several articles about this already.

Lets look at some examples:

+/-5% of 20dB can be interpreted as +/-1dB. But 20dB represents a multiplier of 100 so +/-5% could also mean +/-5% of 100 or 95 to 105. That turns out to be 19.78 dB ti 20.21dB or about +/-0.2dB. However 19dB = 79.4 and 21dB = 125.9 or about 25%.

It can get even worse at other dB levels. At 30dB, +/-5 is 28.5 to 31.5 or a factor of 707 to 1412, almost a factor of two! That's understandable since +/-1.5dB is a range of 3dB which is a factor of two!

I have seen many articles, even a few standards, that would say that a spec of +/-5% applied to dB would be +/-0.5dB at 10dB, +/-1dB at 20dB, etc. But of course that’s bad math; 0.5dB = ~12% and 1dB=~25%. Of course 5% in power difference is ~0.2dB and that holds no matter what the power level.

FOA created a simple spreadsheet that calculates dB and linear power which allows you to play with numbers yourself and see the results.

When it comes to linearity, the same applies. I believe that most will say a linearity of +/-0.2dB means about +/-5% and so 20dB is going to be 20dB+/-0.2dB, 30dB is going to be 30dB+/-0.2dB, etc. or actually ~5%. See the section on linearity toward the end of this page on optical power.

There are several pages in the FOA Guide that cover this:
https://foa.org/tech/ref/testing/test/dB.html
https://foa.org/tech/ref/testing/test/power.html
And this very technical one from an FOA instructor with a degree from MIT.












10GPON Update In FOA Guide

FOA has updated its page on FTTH PON protocols to include the latest standards for 10GPONs. There are three standards, NG-PON2, XG-PON and XGS-PON. As is common with all communications networks, work on upgradeing network capability and speed starts as soon as a network is introduced and PONs are no exception. GPON has been the most widely used PON scheme for both FTTx netowrks and passive optical LANs (OLANs) and GPON has been upgraded to several versions with higher transmission speeds and higher power budgets to allow greater distance, higher split capability, or both. The assumption is that a fiber network has a lifetime of up to 40 years, so upgrades to GPON have assumed that they will use the same passive optical network architecture and fiber type (G.652 singlemode.)

Furthermore, upgrades have been designed around coexistence with current GPON networks. By utilizing different wavelengths, it is possible to have these newer, faster networks sharing the same passive optical network as the original GPON system, allowing offering higher speeds to users while continuing to serve current users without disruption. Some commercial users can take advantage of higher speeds while typical consumers are well served by GPON. One of the big advantages of the PON upgrade standards is the ability to overlay networks. Thus a city could operate one regular GPON network for consumer FTTH use and have another, faster network operating on the same cable plant independently, offering a higher level of service and security.

More on PON Protocols in the FOA Guide.


Testing Multimode Fiber With BI Fibers - Update Below

FOA sent a contribution to the last TIA standards meeting looking for clarification on the use of bend-insensitive (BI) fibers for testing, as well as what fibers to use when testing BI MM fibers. It seems to be a bit odd to be discussing this topic since BI fibers were introduced a decade ago, but this issue remains unresolved.

The problem is as follows:
1. Most standards say do not use BI MMF for reference test cables. This is because standards call for launch cable mode conditioning (mandrel wrap or encircled flux) that is ill-defined for BI MMF. Except one standard. FOTP-171B has one section saying no BI MMF (Sec. 3.6.1) but another (A.3.2) says to use the same type of fiber for reference cables as in the cables you are testing.
2. Manufacturers are mostly making BI MMF today. OFS is the one manufacturer that says they continue to make non-BI MMF.
3. As far as anyone knows, nobody marks on the jacket of cables whether the fiber is BI or non-BI. There seems to be consensus that is should be marked, but no standard exists to require it.
4. Many test equipment vendors provide non-BI MMF for test cords. Nobody else was identified as a supplier.
 
Conclusion? We're about where we were a decade ago.

Update - Real Test Data

FOA received a technical inquiry from SYLEX Fiber Optics in Slovak Republic regarding insertion loss differences in test results when using OM2 and OM4 fiber for launch cables. They used rigorous controls on the test conditions to ensure the data is valid, so we feel this is some of the best data we've seen on testing with BI fiber launche cables vs. non BI fiber.

The inquiry included lots of data including this table:

BI fiber losses

Note the same cable under test (DUT) showed much lower loss when tested with an OM2 launch cable than with an OM4 launch cable (-the same test source was used.) The OM4 cable, based on the photo below, is BI fiber, had higher modal fill and gave much higher loss.

OM4 BI fiber


SYLEX also shared this graph of tests done with OM2 and OM3 BI fiber as launch cables and you can really see the differences.

BI fiber tests

This data shows that using BI fiber for a launch cable will give much higher losses even on testing patchcords.

It also brings up an interesting philosophical question. Is it more valid to test a cable with a non-BI fiber and get lower losses or with a BI fiber and get higher losses - but probably more realistic losses since most patchcords in the field will be BI fiber? That's one to be argued out in the standards committees - probably for years!


Not Much Future For Cat 8 and Wideband MMF (OM5)

TIA's FOTC - Fiber Optic Technology Consortium - shared data at their fall meeting recently that is highly instructive. Based on feedback from viewers of several of their webinars, when asked if they planned to use two components, the results were:

Cat 8 - 1%

Wideband MMF (OM5) - 1% (with a further 16% maybe in the future)

It does not seem like those components have a real future.


Need More Ethernet?

Here is a standards committee that stays busy! Bob Metcalfe, the co-inventor of Ethernet once said "The wonderful thing about standards is we have so many to choose from."

IEEE 802.3ca: 25 and 50 Gb/s PON Ethernet
IEEE 802.3cm: 400 Gb/s over MMF
IEEE 802.3cn: 50/200/400 Gb/s > 10 km SMF
IEEE 802.3cp: Bidi 10/25/50 Gb/s over single SMF ≥ 10 km
IEEE 802.3cp: Bidirectional 10/25/50 Gb/s over single SMF ≥ 10/20/40 km
IEEE 802.3cs: Increased-reach Ethernet optical subscriber access (SuperPON) (SMF)
IEEE 802.3 Multi-Gb Automotive Optical PHY Study Group
IEEE 802.3cg 10 Mb/s Single Pair Ethernet (copper)
IEEE 802.3ch:  Multi-Gb Automotive Ethernet PHY (copper)


Can You Learn Skills Online?

That's a tough one. Learning skills requires "hands-on" practice and that requires tools and components to practice with. But FOA has a course on Fiber U called "Basic Fiber Optic Skills Lab" that introduces you to the tools and equipment then takes you through cable prep, splicing, termination and testing. If you have completed the Basic Fiber course and already have a set of fiber tools, this course will help you to learn how to use the tools and learn basic fiber installation practices which you can practice using your own equipment.

basic skills lab

What About Safety?

That's the subject of a future FOA Newsletter



Introducing Lennie Lightwave's Guide - 25th Anniversary Edition

FOA has reprinted "Lennie Lightwave's Guide" on its 25th anniversary in a special print edition.

Lennie 25th Anniversary  


Many of you have used the current online version of Lennie's Guide on the FOA website. Now you can have a slick printed version - real paper - you can hold in your hand and read. Leave a copy on your desktop to impress your friends, or on the table in your company's reception area instead of out-of-date magazines. Give them to your customers and employees to help them learn fiber optics. Use it to prepare for FOA certifications. FOA will be giving them away at conferences like the IMSA Annual Conference in New Orleans later this summer.

You can get your own copies of
Lennie Lightwave's Guide at Amazon.com, only $9.95US.



Another Look At Connector Contamination

Brian Teague of Senko Advanced Components sent us the results of an interesting experiment he ran to show an unusual effect of the contamination on a connector. He started with a clean SC/UPC singlemode jumper, shown in the 400X image to the left. Then he connected it to a 1310nm laser test source and measured the power out of the fiber with a fiber optic power meter. Then he disconnected the connector from the meter, touched the end to his finger, contaminating the end of the ferrule as you can see in the image on the right.

But then he connected the dirty connector to the meter and measured the power again. The power was decreased by 0.22dB. Yes, the contamination on the connector acted as an attenuator to reduce the power considerably. Think what would happen if you them mated it to another connector. Not only would you see the attenuation caused by the contamination, you will probably see even more loss caused by the gap created by the flakes of skin.

That's why you should inspect, clean and inspect again to ensure all connectors are clean before testing or making connections.
contamination of fiber optic conector


FOA Guide

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 New.


PON Protocols in the FOA Guide. 10GPON Update In FOA Guide

Basic Fiber Optic Jargon, OSP Fiber Optic Jargon and Fiber Optic Jargon for managers.

FOA has a new page on Restoration
 
The updated Fiber Characterization page in the FOA Guide goes in to more depth on why fiber characterization is important, what tests need performing and how to interpret results.

Practically every page in the section of the FOA Guide on Fiber Optic Testing has been reviewed and updated, much of it based on the new FOA textbook on testing. This includes pages on measuring power, fiber attenuation, connector or splice loss and cable plant loss. Browse through the testing section and see what's new.

We've started with a page in the FOA Guide on Fiber Optic Network Management that describes what our advisors think is important and created a page to introduce them to the language and technology of fiber optics which we call "Fiber Optic Jargon - Illustrated." Over time, we'll be expanding this section and create a Fiber U self-study course also.

FOA has created a new section of the FOA Guide on OSP Construction.

Inspecting and Cleaning Connectors.
Dirty connectors are one of the major problems in fiber optics, causing high connector loss, high reflectance and contaminating transceivers. Network operators claim that 15-50% of all network problems can be traced to dirty connectors causing connection problems.
FOA Guide section on inspecting and cleaning connectors.

Go to  The FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide.

FOA School Offers Toolkit With Online Training

Slayton tool kit

Slayton Solutions (FOA Approved School #156) is offering a simple fiber optic tool kit that includes a 29-piece set of fiber optic tools and a power meter along with training videos and online instruction for only $499. 29 Piece Kit includes all tools and devices a technician needs to install fiber optic connectors and test optical power.  Information on the kit is available on YouTube. You can contact them for more information at  slaytonsolutions@sbcglobal.net or https://www.fiberopticsinstitute.com



New FiberNext Job Board And Savings Club For CFOTs

FiberNext
FOA Approved School FiberNext has created an online job board for fiber techs and a special "savings club" for CFOTs.

Job Board
The Job Board was designed to help connect employers with fiber technicians and other fiber optic professionals. It is a place where employers in the fiber optic market can post job openings and a place where fiber optic professionals can post that they are looking for employment. Please feel free to post an opening or browse for your next job or employee. https://fibernext.com/job_board.php

Savings Club
FiberNext, besides being an FOA approved school is also a distributor. FiberNext invites FOA CFOT®s to join the “FiberNext CFOT®  Club to get special savings on selected fiber optic products.  Visit https://fibernext.com/cfot_club.php to sign up today ”


Recycling Fiber Optic Cable

We received this note from Steve Maginnis, LD4Recycle/ CommuniCom Recycling on recycling fiber optic cable:

We have 3 Processors gearing up to accept fiber optic cable (FOC). As we all know, all FOC is not the same. Several truckloads of “typical” FOC scrap from FOC mfgrs and “typical” FOC and Coax cable have been studied and tested.

Therefore, today you can begin contacting me with the type FOC material or scrap you toss to the landfills today. We need to quantify the expected feedstock. Our expectation for quantities is quite large (tons) but there is a capacity limit. And I do have several processors that can take ALL materials and others that can accept LIMITED types of FOC material and quantity.

Contact:
Steve Maginnis
LD4Recycle/ CommuniCom Recycling
(Visit our new website)
sm@LD4Recycle.com
803.371.5436



Safety On The Job

Safety is the most important part of any job. Installers need to understand the safety issues to be safe. An excellent guide to analyzing job hazards is from OSHA, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Here is a link to their guide for job hazard analysis.

FOA also has lots of information on safety: FOA Guide, YouTube video and a Safety Poster


Best Practices Guide For Underground Construction

Best Practices - CGA

We assume you are familiar with the "One Call" and "Call Before You Dig" (811) program, but are you also familiar with the people behind it - the Common Ground Alliance and their Best Practices website?

CGA is a member-driven association of 1,700 individuals, organizations and sponsors in every facet of the underground utility industry. Established in 2000, CGA is committed to saving lives and preventing damage to underground infrastructure by promoting effective damage prevention practices. CGA has established itself as the leading organization in an effort to reduce damages to underground facilities in North America through shared responsibility among all stakeholders.

Officially formed in 2000, the CGA represents a continuation of the damage prevention efforts embodied by the Common Ground Study. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and completed in 1999, this Study represents the collaborative work of 160 industry professionals who identified best practices relating to damage prevention.
Any best practice or program endorsed by the CGA comes with consensus support from experts representing the following stakeholder groups: Excavators, Locators, Road Builders, Electric, Telecommunications, Oil, Gas Distribution, Gas Transmission, Railroad, One Call, Public Works, Equipment Manufacturing, State Regulators, Insurance, Emergency Services and Engineering/Design.

Read the CGA Best Practices Guide here.

Here are all the CGA resources for damage prevention.

Should Your Company Become An FOA Corporate Member?





Dig Once

The word on the "Dig Once" program is getting out - FOA is getting calls from cities asking us for information and advice. It helps that the current Administration is trying to convince cities of the advantages of installing ducts or conduits when they dig up a street so they don't have to do it again. Here are some links for more information.

The DoT page on the administration’s Executive Order: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/otps/exeorder.cfm
From the Council of State governments: http://www.csg.org/pubs/capitolideas/enews/cs41_1.aspx
From the city of San Francisco: http://sfgov.org/dt/dig-once
An article about Dakota County, MN: https://muninetworks.org/tags/tags/dig-once

And the one to download and hand out:
A “How To” Guide from The Global Connect Initiative: https://share.america.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/6.-GCI-Dig-Once.pdf

Useful Online Resources

We often have contacts give us online links for useful information which we like to share with our readers. Here are two:




Why We Warn You To Be Careful About Fiber Shards


Fiber in Finger

Photo courtesy  Brian Brandstetter,  Mississauga Training Consultan


FOA Facts

FOA is a non-profit professional society chartered to promote professionalism in fiber optics through education, certification and standards. FOA is mostly known for  certifying techs - mostly CFOT®s -Certified Fiber Optic Technicians - but also may be CPCTs - Certified Premises Cabling Technicians or corporate members involved in fiber optics.

FOA is a "virtual organization" - we have no "brick and mortar" presence. We operate over the Internet with operations centered in California, with active workers and volunteers in locations as diverse as Texas, Ohio, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Denmark, South Africa, the Middle East and many more.

Being a virtual organization, FOA has very low overhead, allowing us to offer cost-effective certifications and many free programs to support our industry.

CFOT Total
As of today, FOA has certified this many techs. About 90% come from our schools but many experienced techs have become FOA CFOT-certified directly through our "Work-to-Cert" program.

FOA has almost 200 approved training organizations in about 40 countries around the world around the world.

FOA Certifications Now Last For 3-Years

Beginning in 2019, all FOA certifications issued or renewed will be for a period of 3 years. Most certification bodies worldwide have standardized on 3 year certifications. FOA has been working with a number of organizations that use our programs but have standardized on 3 year certifications. FOA has decided that it is time to change our policies to align with the majority of other organizations.

Remember that FOA certification renewals include all the certifications one individual has for one price. FOA does not charge for any additional certifications, so, for example, if a CFOT also has specialist certifications like the CFOS/T or CFOS/S, they are included at no additional cost when the basic certification is renewed.

FOA CFOT Logo

FOA has 14 fiber optic certification programs covering every aspect of fiber optic network design, installation and operation.

Primary Certifications: CFOT (basic fiber), CPCT (premises cabling), CFOS/O (outside plant, taught with CFOT included) and CFOS/D (fiber optic network design).

Skills Certifications (for installers and techs, requires CFOT): CFOS/S (splicing), CFOS/C (connectors/termination), CFOS/T (testing), CFOS/FC (fiber characterization).

Applications Certifications (for techs or anyone, including managers and supervisors): FTTH (fiber to the home), CFOS/L (optical LANs), CFOS/DC (data centers), CFOS/A (fiber to the antenna), CFOS/DAS (distributed antenna systems) and CFOS/W (fiber for wireless)



(what you are reading)

FOA monitors the trade press, websites and other resources continually to look at what's happening in many technologies that affect fiber optics. We're tracing technologies as diverse as wireless, IoT, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, energy, or anywhere fiber is used to bring news to our readers.

FOA continually updates our technical materials, online and printed, and our curriculum to ensure our readers have access to the latest technical information and our schools teach the latest technology and applications. Our printed books are being updated right now.

FOA Guide
FOA created the FOA Online Guide as a non-commercial trustworthy technical reference almost a decade ago so the industry would have a reliable technical reference. In the last year, over 1million visitors downloaded about 4 million pages of technical information.

fiberu.org

FOA offers free online self-study programs at Fiber U. In 2017, the number of online sessions doubled to 200,000. Many of those are preparing for FOA certification programs - taking courses at our schools or using the "Work-to-Cert" 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.

videos

FOA offers over 100 educational YouTube videos that have been viewed 2.4 million times.

FOA offers its training programs to other organizations at no cost to help them train their members properly in fiber optics. For example, FOA has been working with the Electrical Training Alliance (IBEW/NECA) for over 20 years, training their instructors for their apprenticeship programs. We work with many other organizations and companies to provide the materials they need.

FOA has about 300 corporate members - companies in various aspects of the fiber optic industry worldwide that we list online and offer discounts on certifications and renewals.

FOA provides speakers for many conferences and even presentations for use by other organizations to educate people on the aspects of fiber optic communications.

FOA has a program to provide
classroom materials for STEM teachers (science, technology, engineering and math) introducing K-12 students to fiber optics and creating science projects.

FOA provides forums for discussion on various social media. Our LinkedIn groups have about 5,000 members each. If you are not joining us on social media yet, please do.

Find us on Facebook  FOA on LinkedIn  videos 
Pinterest  Twitter


Interested In A Career In Fiber Optics?

Careers in fiber optics


FOA has created a new YouTube video to introduce students to careers in fiber optics. It was made for showing to high school and junior high students interested in tech careers but anyone interested in a possible career in this field will find it interesting. If you have kids in school or know teachers, let them know about this too. Watch the FOA Careers In Fiber Optics Video on YouTube and visit the
FOA Careers In Fiber Optics web page at www.foa.org/careers/.

ts
1-844-440-0047
www.fiberoptictraining.com





Fiber Optic Education For Students At Any Age 

We hear about fiber optics all the time - it's in the news whenever we hear articles about high tech, the Internet and communications, and many communities are getting "fiber to the home." But few people really understand fiber optics or how it works. FOA is focused on educating the workforce that installs and operates these fiber optic networks but we're always getting inquiries from STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) teachers who want to introduce fiber optics to younger students in K-12 grades or technical schools.

We start with the FOA Careers In Fiber Optics Video on YouTube and visit the FOA Careers In Fiber Optics web page at www.foa.org/careers/. These are for students who think they might be interested in careers in fiber optics and want to know more about what fiber techs do.

Teachers for fiber optics
Using red laser light (a VFL here but a laser pointer works also) to show how fiber guides light.

FOA has begun developing a series of YouTube videos intended for teaching students in elementary, middle and high schools about fiber optics. The first FOA video is titled "Fiber Optics For Teachers." With this video, we show teachers how fiber works and carries signals and then explains simple experiments to demonstrate how fiber optics works in the classroom using some plastic fiber and a laser pointer. Since many teachers do not know where to get the fiber, the FOA offers to send them a sample for use in demonstrations in their classroom (USA only right now.)

At the end of the video, teachers are given directions on how to request samples of the plastic fiber from the FOA.

This video joins the "Fiber Optics Live" series How Light Travels In A FiberFiber Attenuation and Connector Loss that show how fiber works using simple experiments that can be duplicated in any classroom. More videos will be coming soon.

If you have kids or know some teachers who would be interested, please send them to the introductory video Fiber Optics For Teachers  and we'll be glad to help them get started with some entertaining programs for their classrooms.


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.

 

If you have kids in school or know teachers who are interested, send them to the FOA page Fiber Optic Resources For Teachers.






Should Your Company Become An FOA Corporate Member?

As all FOA individual members know, they join the FOA by becoming certified, mostly taking their CFOTs but some CPCTs,  either by attending a FOA approved school or joining directly based on field experience (our "work to cert" program.) Over the years, we've been contacted by manufacturers, contractors, consultants, and other types of organizations who ask about becoming members.

We don't certify companies or organizations, we told them, so we were not sure what we could offer as a benefit of membership. But then, companies asked about using our educational programs to train employees, how they could get listed on the FOA website as service providers or if they could get a quantity discount on membership or certification for all the FOA members working for them. That began to sound like a benefit for being an FOA corporate member. And providing a list of useful suppliers to the market could be a benefit to the industry as a whole.

So FOA has quietly been letting companies and other organizations join the FOA to take advantage of those benefits so we now have several hundred corporate members. We've put then into a database and listed them on the FOA website in map and list form. Here's the map.

FOA Corporate members

The online
map and list can be used to find suppliers and service providers.

The map, like our map of schools, lets you find the FOA corporate members close to you.  The table form lists them by category: Installer/Contractor, Component Manufacturer, Installation Equip. Manufacturer, Transmission Equipment, Services/Consulting, Distribution and Users of Fiber Optic Networks. You can sort the tables to find members meeting your needs, e.g. by location, certifications offered, etc. Click on any column heading to sort that column; click twice to sort in reverse order.

How Does An Organization Become An FOA Corporate Member?

Simple, just fill in the online application form. When your application is accepted, you will be asked to pay the one time membership fee - $100US. You will then be listed on the online  map and list, have access to exclusive FOA educational materials for your employees and get discounts on certifications and renewals. 




  


Events of Interest: FOA now posts events on our LinkedIn groups, Facebook page and other social media




FOA on LinkedIn


FOA has a company page and three LinkedIn Groups


FOA - official company page on LinkedIn
 
FOA - 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)  

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FOA Logo FOA Resources



FOA Standards:


FOA offers free standards for datalinks and testing the installed fiber optic cable plant, patchcords and cable, optical power from transmitters or at receivers and OTDR testing.
Look for the "1 PageStandard" web page and in the FOA Online Reference Guide.

View the  FOA YouTube Video On FOA Standards 

NECA/FOA 301 Fiber Optic Installation Standard

NECA 301
Standards cover components and systems and how to test them, but rarely get into installation issues. The FOA NECA 301 standard which covers installation of optical fiber systems has been revised for the second time, adding considerable new materials. 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." The standard is available from NECA.   FOA members can go here for instructions on how to download your free copy.


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Fiber U

Free Fiber U Self-Study Programs


FOA's "Fiber U" free online self-study programs help you learn about fiber optics, study for FOA certifications or use them to help create "blended learning" classes. There are two new free online self-study programs on Fiber U. Fiber Optic Network Design is for those interested in learning more about how to design fiber optic networks or studying for the CFOS/D certification. FTTx is for those wanting to know more about fiber to the "x" - curb, home, wireless, etc. - or studying for the CFOS/H certification.
Got to Fiber U for more information.

Fiber U Online Self-Study Programs Offer Certificates of Completion

FOA has been offering quite a few free online self-study programs on Fiber U, our online learning site. We are always getting questions about getting a certificate for completing the course online, so we have setup an option to take a test online and get a certificate of completion for these online courses.

Fiber U certificate

While it's not FOA certification, FOA will recognize a
Fiber U Certificate of Completion as background experience to qualify for applying for FOA certifications. We also intend to expand the program to more specialized topics as preparation for FOA specialist certifications.

If you have associates that want to get started in fiber, have them take this course online to get started. Go to  Fiber U and get started.


FOA Books And Publications

Updated Books
FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics  FOA Reference Guide To OSP Fiber Optics

Many textbooks are behind the technology because they are rarely updated. FOA really keeps our textbooks up to date. We did a major update a year ago and another was just completed. The The FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics has been updated to reflect new components like OM5 fiber, testing for fiber characterization and more information on installation.

The
FOA Reference Guide To Outside Plant FIber Optics has been expanded to include an extensive section on outside plant construction taken from Joe Botha's OSP Construction Guide textbook. This additional material is being added to support the new FOA CFOS/O OSP tech certification program which now includes of OSP construction.

 FOA Basic Fiber Optic Textbook Available in French and Spanish

  FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics book FOA Text in French FOA text in Spanish FOA Reference Guide to Premises Cablng book FOA Reference Guide to OSP Fiber Optics book  FOA Guide To Fiber Optic Network Design  FOA Outside Plant Fiber Optics Construction Guide

FOA Book on Fiber Optic Testing   FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optic Testing


Libro de Diseño para Redes de Fibra Óptica en Español - FOA Design Book Available In Spanish Online

Design in Spanish

La Asociación Profesional de Fibra Óptica (The FOA) ha traducido y hecho disponible en Español, la “Guía de Diseño para Fibra Óptica”. Esto para todos los interesados en estudiar para la certificación CFOS/D en su idioma nativo. Puede acceder a la traducción al libro de Diseño en línea utilizando este enlace. La versión impresa del libro estará disponible muy prontamente.


FOA has translated the FOA Guide To Fiber Optic Network Design book and made it available online to those studying for the CFOS/D Certification but whose native language is Spanish. You can access the Spanish translation of the Design book here. A printed version will be available in the near future.


Lennie & Uncle Ted Guides - Perfect For Getting Started

Lennie and Uncle Ted's Guides have moved  to the FOA website. Lennie is the place where many if not most fiber techs begin their education. FOA has just updated the two guides to ensure they stay relevant - more than 20 years after they were first written.

Lennie goes all the way back to 1993 when he was created as the mascot of the original "Fiber U" conference - the same Fiber U that is now the FOA's web-based training site. Lennie Lightwave's Guide To Fiber Optics was created as a beginner's introduction to fiber optics. Over 60,000 printed version of Lennie's Guide were given away and it became one of the first commercial web pages in 1994. Uncle Ted's Guide To Communications Cabling was written a few years later to introduce techs to "Cat 5" - UTP wiring - that had only recently been standardized in TIA-568.

Lennie and Ted's Guides are used in the current Fiber U online self-study programs and are still the best place to start learning about fiber optics.


Lennie and Uncle Ted's Guides are online at the links here, can be downloaded as printable PDFs and are now also available as free iBooks on iTunes.

Lennie Lightwave's Guide To Fiber Optics   Uncle Ted's Guide to Premises Cablling

Lennie Lightwave's Guide to Fiber Optics and Uncle Ted's Guide To Communications Cabling   are now available free to iPad users who can download them from the Apple iTunes store. Of course they are still available online or for download.

You can also find these free guides on the FOA website - go here for all the links: Lennie Lightwave's Guide to Fiber Optics and Uncle Ted's Guide To Communications Cabling  

Download PDFs of Lennie or Uncle Ted.


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FOA iPad Apps

FOA LossCalc
FOA Loss Calculator AppFOA 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



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videos


The FOA has many videos on videos, including two Lecture Series (Fiber Optics and Premises Cabling), Hands-On lectures on both and some other informational and instructional videos. For all the videos, go to the FOA Channel "thefoainc" or use the direct links below.


View a complete list of FOA Videos with links to each video on YouTube.


Where Are The Jobs In Fiber Optics? FOA talks about all the applications for fiber optics, what jobs involve and the qualifications for the workers in the field.



Fiber Optics - Live!  A series of videos that use lab demonstrations to show how optical fiber works. 
Fiber Optics LIVE!


Cabling Project Management - what's involved in a copper/fiber/wireless project -advice for the customer and the contractor

Hazards Of Counterfeit Cable

You may have read the stories we have written about the counterfeit "Cat 5" cable made from copper-clad aluminum rather than pure copper. Recently we tried an unscientific burn test on the cable compared to a known good UL tested cable and posted a video on YouTube. You can see the results below.

Counterfeit cable flame test

Counterfeit Cable     Real UL-rated cable

The difference is obvious and the danger is real. Watch the video on YouTube: Premises Cabling Lecture 11: Counterfeit Cat 5 Cabling




View a complete list of FOA Videos with links to each video on YouTube.



View all the FOA Channel  on YouTube.  






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FOA Schools

New School:

Midwest Communications Technologies, FOA Approved School #378.


Find a listing of all the FOA-Approved schools here.


Find An FOA-Approved Training Organization


Most inquiries we get regarding finding a FOA-Approved training organization want to know two things: what school is closest to me or what school offers the certifications I need. The FOA has about 200 training organizations we have approved worldwide so finding the right one can be difficult! We've been looking at ways to make it easier, and we think we've got a good solution. In fact we have two solutions.

First we have added a sortable table of all the FOA-Approved schools.

You can also use our FOA Google Map to find FOA-Approved schools.

FOA Map

What Should A Fiber Optics or Cabling Tech Know and What Skills Do They Need?
FOA certifications are based on our KSAs - the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities that techs need to succeed. Read the FOA KSAs for fiber and cabling techs.



School News


Feedback

We always enjoy feedback, especially when it shows how great some FOA instructors are. These came from students of Tom Rauch, an instructor at BDI Datalynk:


"I took your fiber optics certification courses this past March. I just wanted to let you know that in two weeks I start working as a fiber optic technician with ___ up in ___. You mentioned on the first day of the course that there is always one guy in class who had rubbed his last two nickels together to be there and, in that instance, I was that guy. Now I'm going to be able to provide for my family like never before and I owe it to the certification that I received from you and BDI Datalynk. I just wanted to thank you again."

"Thanks to our tremendously knowledgeable and patient instructor Thomas Rauch, who was not only generous in sharing his wealth of information, but he did so with ease, humor and in a way that invited curiosity and participation. He was encouraging and proud of our accomplishments and helped us learn from our mistakes in a way that did not break our confidence, rather it pushed us to better results the next go around. The hands on labs were just AWESOME!" Just thought you should know what a class act you have representing you in his travels..... but then again you probably already knew that! : )

In almost 19 years at Verizon and having held numerous positions, I have gone through many training sessions. I cannot remember ever having been actually looking forward to coming back to class quickly after lunch, to get back to the hands on activities, and walking away with the sense of empowerment that the information presented was not only relevant but dead on point accurate! I will be signing up for the Outside Plant class on March! I can't say enough good things about Tom and his impact! Feel free to quote me, I can only imagine that he will open so many doors and change so many lives in the years to come, with his style of teaching! Great experience, awesome job!
"

IBEW and FOA Partner on Fiber Optic Training

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the National Electrical Contractors Association(NECA) through the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) in a partnership with the FOA has published a new textbook for training IBEW apprentices and journeymen in fiber optics. The new textbook uses the material from the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics with new material and photos from other NJATC training partners.

NJATC FOA Textbook


Quote from one of our certified instructors: I want to thank you and your organization for all the resources you provide for the students and the opportunity to offer the certification to the students. The fact that you published the book yourself to get the cost down and the unlimited free resources on your website shows a commitment to the public that is second to none. I let it be known to the students that the FOA is the best in the industry at supplying knowledge and resources related to the communication industry. I look forward to passing on the information that you provide for the industry.


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Good Question! Tech Questions/Comments Worth Repeating

New: The FOA Fiber FAQs Page (FAQ s = frequently asked questions) gathers up questions readers have asked us and adds tech topics of general interest.

Questions From FOA Newsletter Readers

Testing Samples Not Everything
Q
: Instead of testing everything, how does one determine how many fibers or components to test for a reasonable statistical sampling?
A: The relevant term is AQL - acceptance quality limit - a term that is used for statistical sampling for testing. Here is a web page that explains it: https://qualityinspection.org/what-is-the-aql/. Let testing and inspection evolve. At first test thoroughly, but drop testing anything that never fails, it’s a waste of time. Qualify vendors and test trusted vendors less. 

Fiber Lifetime
Q:
I am often ask how long the fiber we are deploying today will last or be useable , I typically say something like it will last at least 20 years and that no one really knows how long it can be used.   What is the oldest fiber optic network or longish segment that is still in production that you know of?
A: Current cables are probably good for 40 years or so. Today there is some fiber being used by telcos from the late 1980s and lots form the late 1990s and early 2000s. Lots of OPGW (optical power ground wire) is in use up to 30 years old. Some of this old fiber is being used at 10Gb//s. But remember that fiber from 20 or 30 years ago may have limitations on bandwidth, since both chromatic and polarization mode dispersion has been reduced in newer fibers for higher speed networks. And spectral attenuation of older fibers may be higher and have the water peak at 1383nm that can affect wavelength-division multiplexing systems. But the weak point may not be the cable or fiber, but the splice and termination points where bare fibers may be exposed to the elements. It's not uncommon to find these fibers have become brittle and are hard to work with. What we always tell people is if it’s working, leave it alone. If you want to upgrade to higher bit rate systems, use fiber characterization to determine if the fibers are capable of use at higher speeds.

Crossed Connections
Q:
If a FO connector is crossed connected i.e Rx connected Rx and Tx to Tx at both end, will it works?
I know in theory it will not due to light circuits arrangement, but is there SFP in the market can tolerate that? 
A: We do not know how a SFP could sense and change polarity unless it had an optical switch inside the module. A transmitter is a laser or LED and a receiver has a photodetector. Unless one could have the devices change function, changing polarity would be impossible.

Construction Near Underground Fiber
Q:
What is the recommended distance for any new building construction to build near underground fiber duct channel?
A: We do not know of any standards or codes related to construction near fiber or other underground utilities. Common sense dictates that one stay far enough away to prevent accidental damage, so adding 5-6 meters(15-20ft) from the areas of construction makes sense.



FTTH GPON
Q:
Can you guide me some websites or pages where I can learn more about Gpon Technology please?
A: FOA Guide has a big section on FTTH and OLANs using GPON technology. Follow those links,


Splice Loss
Q: We are installing 216 fiber aerial cable for 12km with 2 splicing points. We use 3 different fusion machines and they report that all splices are 0.00db. But when we check using OTDR we get above 0.04db. The question is how can we get below 0.04db splicing loss?
A: The loss results from both fusion splicers and OTDRs are estimates, with considerable uncertainty. The splicing machines estimate based on the optical images of the fibers. The OTDR estimates loss based on fiber backscatter and may give significant differences depending on the direction of test. The differences you quote are within the uncertainty of the two instruments.



Cheating On Link Length
Q:
I have a fiber run for a camera starts at location A to location B it is 467 feet.  Location B jumpers through to location C which is 2060 ft at location C. Transceivers areSFPs ONLY GOOD UP TO 1800 ft, but this company only has a multimode system. Is there something i can do to make this work?
A: It might work as is, since electronics are usually quoted with conservative specs and will work farther than specified most of the time. If you have several SFPs, test the output power to see if it exceeds specs and choose the 2 ones with highest power. If that still doesn’t work, contact SFP manufacturers for higher power units.


Pulling Cable
Q
: I’m having trouble finding much information on the matter. What type of swivel should be used to pull fiber and what would be the correct way to pull armored fiber.
A: Start  on the FOA Guide here and go here for types of swivel pulling eyes. with https://foa.org/tech/ref/OSP_Construction/Underground_Installation.html and here are sources https://www.comstarsupply.com/cable-pulling/swivels.html It’s not common to “pull” armored cable since it’s designed for direct burial, but a kellums grip on the jacket will generally work.


Errors In A Data Link
Q
: What is the significance of bit error, and what is the acceptable rate for communications and submersible vehicles?
A: On any data link, there is an acceptable amount of error that can be tolerated. If it’s a digital voice link, a BER 10E-6 (1 error in 1million bits) is acceptable without affecting voice quality. If it’s a link to your bank, the typical standard is a million times higher (10E-12). Link protocols usually have ways to determine BER, like attaching a checksum to the end of a data packet and having it checked at the receiving end. If a error is suspected, the packet will be discarded and retransmitted. Here is a tutorial on BER and an explanation of errors in a a fiber optic link.

Math of Fiber Optics
Q:
Do you by any chance recommend any books as an introduction to understand the mathematics of fiber optics? Fiber optics confuses me,  particularly how so much data can travel over light without interfering with each other, 
A: If you are interested in information theory, that’s really covered by Claude Shannon at Bell Labs 70 years ago. That’s actually pretty simple. Shannon proved that digital data was best and how much data could be transmitted with a given amount of bandwidth (Read more). There are several levels of math associated with fiber optics. The real theoretical basis is probably in dozens of books but I like these:

Top Level: Gerd Keiser  
Middle Level: Jeff Hecht.

If you are interested in non-math explanations, the FOA website has that:
Fiber Optic Datalinks
Bandwidth: https://foa.org/tech/ref/OSP/fiber.html#dispersion
Wavelength-Division Multiplexing

For testing math (dB loss, metrology, etc.) these links or the FOA book on Testing
Metrology and Fiber Optics
The Math of Insertion Loss Testing - Reference Methods


APC Connectors
Q:
Why NOT make the use of APC connectors the new standard for all adds, moves and changes to any campus, MDU or similar application using single mode cable?
A: There is absolutely no reason not to use APC connectors other than the cost is higher and one must be careful if they are used in a cable plant that also has PCs or UPCs because they are incompatible. We recommend them all the time for short links like data centers, passive optical LANs and FTTH where runs of singlemode fiber are short. In fact they are very common in these networks today.

GPON
Q
What is normal Range for good power in an FTTH fiber?
A: The GPON specification for downstream power from the OLT is OLT transmitter power should be 0 to +6dBm and link attenuation in the range of 13 to 28dB, which says receiver power the ONT must be a maximum of 13 dB less than +6dBm or -7dBm and a minimum of 28 dB less than 0dBm or -28dBm, so -7 to -28dBm at the receiver.
Upstream, the similar calculation is ONT transmitter -4 to +2dBm  and the receive power at  theOLT is -11 to -32dBm.
See http://thefoa.org/tech/ref/appln/FTTH-PON.html for the full specifications for GPON.

T
esting Cable Before Installation
Q: Does the FOA publish a standard for assessing single-mode fiber optic cables, prior to use on a specific project?
A: The ANSI/NECA/FOA-301 fiber optic installation standard covers this in Section 4.1. It recommends visual inspection and testing if there is any suspicion of damage to the cable. Many contractors will test a couple of fibers with an OTDR before installing any cable, just for assurance. It requires an OTDR with a pigtail launch cable and a mechanical splice.


Cable Bend Radius
Q: We are working on project where we need to know difference between short term and long term bend radius for fiber optic cable?
A: The bend radius for cables is generally specified under two conditions - under stress, e. g. when being pulled, it is a radius 20 times the cable diameter. Relaxed, after installation, it is a radius 10 times the cable diameter. The relaxed specification, 10X, is considered a long term specification. Some of the new high fiber count cables have different specifications, sometimes 15X or 20X under either condition. Check with the manufacturer for their specific cable.

OTDR Resolution
Q: 
If testing a 40KM link with 1KM launch and receive cords should I be able to see the connector and cassette splice on each side? My OTDR setup is at 64KM, 300ns pulse and 10 second test at 1310/1550/1625. It shows as a single event so far but with the pulse width at 300ns won’t that combine the events into one event during analysis?
A: You will not be able to resolve a connector and splice close together, especially on a long link like that. 300ns is almost 60m pulse width! You will see an even of the splice and connector combined.


Transmission Wavelength Compatibility
Q:
We are looking at the specs for  two devices, A and B. The spec sheet of Device A lists it is capable of MM in 850nm wavelength. The spec sheet of Device B lists it can do MM at 1300nm. If I connect these devices via MM patch cord, what is the impact due to different wavelengths? Will the transmission suffer significant loss or since both are multimode, wavelength is irrelevant?
A: Fiber works at either wavelength, but transceivers do not. The attenuation rate for MM fiber is ~3dB/km at 850nm but only ~1dB/km at 1300nm. But  850nm receivers use silicon photodiodes while 1300 nm receivers use InGaAs. The 1300 detectors are not sensitive at 850nm and vice versa. So while the fiber works fine, the electronics do not. They should only be used with like devices.

 



Older questions are now available here on the FOA Guide.



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FOA "Quickstart Guides"

In our continuing quest to help people understand how to test fiber optic cable plants and communications systems, we've created two more "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 insertion loss or OTDR techniques and optical power from transceivers. It's 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.
Send anybody you know who needs to know about fiber optic testing here to learn how it's done in a few minutes.

Testing Fiber Optic Cable Plants And Patchcords  

Testing Fiber Optic Cable Plants With An OTDR  

Testing Optical Power In Communications Systems 





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FOA Tech Topics - 

A Fiber Optic Tester In Your Pocket?  (See the video on Corning on YouTube )
Yes! The camera in your old cell phone is sensitive to infrared light - lots more than your eye - and can detect light in an optical fiber or from a transmitter.  Chris Hillyer,CFOT/CFOS/I, Master Instructor, Northern California Sound & Communication JATC brought this to our attention.
IR Viewer 850 nm  IR Viewer 1300 nm

If you have an old cell phone, try it. Our experience is that older cell phone cameras have better sensitivity at IR wavelengths than newer phones, so you may want to toss that old flip phone into the toolbox.


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Product News


YOKOGAWA OTDR Has Extended range, High Resolution And Multitasking


Yokogawa OTDR

One OTDR manufacturer you don't hear as much about is YOKOGAWA (formerly ANDO) which is too bad - they make some of the best OTDRs, exemplified by this new model AQ7280. Need long range - how about 50dB. High resolution - 0.6m dead zone. Like touch screens, but for some functions want hard buttons, it's got that. Options for VFL, microscope, light source and power meter, etc. - it has that too.
But the unique aspect of the YOKOGAWA AQ7280 is it offers multitasking - you can let do a trace with long averages while you inspect connectors, make power readings, use the VFL or other functions.
More info on the YOKOGAWA AQ7280.

FOA thanks Yokogawa for a gift of an OTDR to use for R&D and teaching!



Have you read the FOA pages on cleaning?



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 Digging Safely (Read the FOA Tech Topic)

There is a toll-free "call before you dig" number in the USA: 811

See www.call811.com for more information

The Common Ground Alliance has an excellent "Best Practices Guide" online

Fiber Optic Asset Protection Summit by the "811" group.

The US Department of Transportation has a website called "National Pipeline Mapping System" that allows one to search for buried pipelines.   




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Employment/Job Listings

Send your job openings to info @foa.org and we'll run them in all our social media.


Where Are The Jobs In Fiber Optics?

Fiber Optic Installation Banner

The FOA was chartered to "promote professionalism in fiber optics through education, certification and standards." Our focus on creating a professional workforce to properly design, install, maintain and repair communications network infrastructure has led us to work with groups in many different areas of technology that use fiber optics, way beyond the basic telecom applications that most of us think of first. FOA has probably worked with most of the potential applications of fiber optics, but we're always learning about new ones!
In addition, we get lots of calls and emails from our members looking for information about where the jobs are and how to train for them. FOA has created three ways to help you find jobs, train for them and apply for them.

Where Are The Jobs In Fiber Optics?
FOA has created a 20 minute YouTube video that talks about all the applications for fiber optics, what jobs are involved and the qualifications for the workers in the field. Besides telecom and the Internet, we cover wireless, cable TV, energy, LANs, security, etc. etc. etc. It's a quick way to get an overview of the fiber optic marketplace and we give you an idea of where the opportunities are today.

Watch the new FOA YouTube Video: Where Are The Jobs In Fiber Optics?

What Training Is Needed For The Jobs In Fiber Optics?
As you will learn from the video described above, the jobs in fiber optics are quite diverse. FOA has investigated these jobs to understand the needs of workers for those jobs and, when necessary, create curriculum and certifications to properly train workers. For example, the FOA FTTx certification was developed at the request of Verizon who needed specialized installers for their FiOS program. Now we are working with the industry on the OLAN (Optical LAN) program (see below).
We have summarized the jobs and required training in a new web page that has two uses - 1) If you have FOA certifications, what jobs are you specifically qualified for? - 2) If you are working in a specialized field or want to get a job in that area, what training and certifications will qualify you for those jobs?
What Training And Certifications Are Needed For Jobs In Fiber Optics? 

How To Find And Apply For Jobs 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. 

We hope you find this useful. FOA tries to find new to increase the professionalism in our industry and helping qualified people find jobs is our highest priority - read the article below to see why! If you have feedback on how we can help you and our industry, contact us at info@thefoa.org.

Join FOA on 
FOA on LinkedIn

A list of 10 ways to get your resume noticed, from Marketplace on NPR   




 Do listings in the FOA Newsletter and LinkedIn groups Work? Here's feedback:

"We did great!  We have over 15 interviews next week."

"Your newsletter generated a significant number of applicants and we have filled the position."





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 FOA Logo Merchandise

New FOA Swag! Shirts, Caps, Stickers, Cups, etc.
FOA T Shirt
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.
 

Your Name, CFOT® - It pays to advertise!

The FOA encourages CFOTs to use the logo on their business cards, letterhead, truck or van, etc. and provides logo files for that purpose. But we are also asked about how to use the CFOT or CFOS certifications. Easy, you can refer to yourself as "Your Name, CFOT" or "Your Name, CFOS/T" for example.

Feel free to use the logo and designations to promote your achievements and professionalism!

Contact FOA at info@thefoa.org to get logos in file format for your use.

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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.

To Contact The FOA:
 
The Fiber Optic Association Inc. (FOA) is the international professional society of fiber optics. FOA is chartered to promote fiber optics through education, certification and standards.


 
Contact Us
 
The Fiber Optic Association

http://www.foa.org or email <info@foa.org>
       



Want to write for the FOA Newsletter? Send us articles, news, anything you think might be interesting to the rest of the membership!
info@thefoa.org



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