2025 Review And 2026 Preview
Clearfield CFOT Training For Tribal Members
What To Do With Unused Equipment
"Ask Lennie" Intelligent Search Of FOA Website
New FOA Installation Standard
New Edition Of FOA Design Book
Seen On The Street - Photos Of Fibers
Resources For STEM Teachers
What's New And Popular On FOA Website
Amazon Subsea Cable Across Atlantic
Kentucky Coop Continues FTTH Buildout
Dark Fiber Market
Astound Fixed Wireless In Northern California
Connected Nation's BEAD Tracker
Middle Mile Is Important Also
TIA Free-Space Optical Standard Project
Are You Sure Satellites Are A Good Idea?
Standards For Color Codes
Dust Cap Removes Dust
How To Clean Fiber End Faces Like A Pro
How Long Do Fiber Optic Cables Last?
Changes In TIA Nomenclature
Call Before You Dig Video
Free VIAVI Testing Pocket Guide
What Technical Advisors Are Telling US Updated OTDR Trainer
Worth
ReadingLots of interesting
articles to read, watch or listen to. Q&A Interesting questions from our readers
Workforce Training/FiberU Types Of Work Done By Fiber Techs
FOA-Approved School News
Fiber U Courses Resources New FOA Technical Resources
Trademarks:
The FOA logo and name, CFOT® (Certified Fiber Optic Technician) and
Fiber U® (the FOA online learning site) are
registered trademarks of the FOA.
To
keep your FOA certifications active, you need to
renew them when they expire every 3 years. You can use your credit card or
PayPal account or your credit card to renew your
certifications.
FOA
has 3 LinkedIn Groups FOA
- official page on LinkedIn - covers FOA, technology and jobs in the fiber optic
marketplace FOA
Fiber Optic Training - open to all, covers
fiber optic technology and training topics Grupo
de La Asociación de Fibra Óptica FOA (Español)
We
always like to start off the New Year with a review of the past year
and some thoughts on the coming year. For the last few years, we used
the word "uncertainty" often in our New Year review, and this year some of that uncertainty remains while some is settled.
2025 At FOA A year ago, FOA was celebrating achieving the milestone of 100,000
certified fiber optic technicians. As you can see in the graph showing
the number of FOA Certified Fiber Technicians, the growth continues.
Last year there was increasing interest in FOA specialist certifications. Almost
40% of the techs getting certified by taking classes at an FOA approved
took additional courses for FOA specialist certifications. In total
almost 6,000 new FOA certified fiber techs achieved nearly 9,000
certifications last year.The most popular specialist certifications were the skill certifications for splicing, testing and OSP installation.
Now 107,000 FOA certified fiber techs hold almost 150,000 certifications.
FOA continues to add new schools, particularly at the community and
technical college level. These schools offer a number of different
programs including degree programs and continuing education for
workforce development. We have also seen a large number of Direct
Certifications from experienced techs wanting an industry recognized
credential.
2025 at FOA saw one major textbook update. FOA published a new edition of its textbook on fiber optic network
design, an expanded version with new material covering project
management. Fiber optic network design and network management are
closely related topics, both highly important in the success of a fiber
project.
FOA continued expanding the online knowledge base it maintains to
support the fiber optic industry and added an AI powered search engine,
Ask Lennie Lightwave, to help users find the information they need.
2025 In Fiber Optics
Last year the big news in fiber optics focused on data centers for AI. as has been the case for several years now, and somewhat less in FTTH.
AI continues to be a source of controversy, both in investments and
applications. Tech argues that the investment in AI and data centers is
justified by the potential payoff while economists argue it is a bubble,
with the controversy really focused on whether the bubble bursting will
be soft or hard.
Much of the controversy over data centers focuses on their immense
requirements for electrical power, well beyond what is currently
available in many areas of the country. Some solutions proposed are a
bit idealistic, like using fusion power which is not currently feasible
and may be a long time away or small nuclear reactors which are years
away from practicality. Some data centers are being considered for
remote areas where power is available, with connections on hollow core
fibers to reduce the latency in long fiber links.
Both hollow
core fibers (HCF) and multicore fibers (MCF) began to see more use in
2025, HCF to reduce latency to remote data centers and MCF to increase density in cables,
especially those used for submarine links. Perhaps these fiber types
will become more mainstream in the near future.
In the US, all those waiting for US government funding for their FTTH
projects continue waiting. The BEAD program was approved over four years
ago and was the subject of as much hype as AI and data centers. Unfortunately,
as with many government programs (like the other 133 federal programs
to promote broadband), it has been more hype than reality.
Four years into BEAD, no project has been started with BEAD funding. A
change in the US government in 2025 has seen the BEAD rules change, half
the money disappear and a large amount of what is left going to the
satellite company owned by the man who helped fund the change in the
administration. Fortunately, while those who believed the hype waited,
big telcos continued expanding their FTTH networks and many local areas
took matters into their own hands and built or are building their own
fiber networks. Worth
Reading - ISE Magazine: Opportunity Cost - FOA President Jim Hayes
examines how BEAD’s slow rollout, high costs, and fiber-first design
create hidden opportunity costs for providers, communities, and the
nation’s broadband future.
What About 2026?
Uncertainty has been the watchword for the past few years and we see
little change in this year. The AI and Data Center Bubble may bust, but
it's probably not large enough to cause big problems in the fiber industry like
the bust of the Dot Com bubble. BEAD was never going to have that large
an effect, representing only a small addition to the fiber optic market
because it would be spread out over so many years and over the last four
years many areas tired of waiting for BEAD have begun their own
broadband projects. Part of the disappearing BEAD funding also appears
to be the money aimed at training, so the people making outrageous
claims that there was a need for 205,000 more fiber techs and
hoping to get some of that funding may be disappointed.
Here at FOA, we just keep moving ahead. We're continuously updating our
certifications, textbooks and knowledge base, keeping up with the
technology and applications in the industry we serve. We're evaluating
new schools to add to the worldwide FOA network of approved schools to
ensure the industry has a way to educate and certify the techs needed to
keep fiber optic communications growing.
We also try to keep up with industry news, recognize and ignore (or
sometimes ridicule) the hype and summarize what's interesting in our FOA
Newsletter every month. We hope all 60,000+ of our subscribers enjoy
our Newsletter. Feel free to comment or - even better - contribute.
Top Articles From The FOA Newsletters in 2025
January Annual Update, Submarine Cables In The News, Fiber Ducts And Microducts February Standards Are Complicated, Satellites For Rural Broadband, Wildfires Show Aerial Vulberability March Connector Cleaning, Will Fiber Outlive BEAD And AI?, TIA Specs For Systems April 25th Anniversary of Dot-Com Boom, How To Sabotage Subsea Systens, Data Center Power May Inspecting Fiber Optic Connectors, New Satellite System, Rural Fiber, Instrument Calibration June Most Important Fiber Optic Developments, Updating 100 Year Old Subway, Microtrenching July FOA Hits 30, FOA Microcredentials, Installation In Environmental Extremes August AI, Government Broadband, Hungry Squirrels, Analog or Digital? September FOA Design Book Update, Google Fiber, Documenting The World's Networks October FOA Installation Standard, Crowded Skies Of Telecom, OPGW November Hollow Core Fiber, TIA Projects = Nomenclaure and 100M+ Cabling DecemberIntroduction of "Ask Lennie Lightwave," Subsea Cables And Satellites, PON Power Meters
Clearfield Offering FOA Certification Training to Tribal Members at No Cost
Clearfield has launched the Tribal Broadband Training
Initiative to provide industry-standard training to Native American
communities. Using our proven FOA Certified Fiber Optic Technician
(CFOT®) course, the no-cost program aims to:
Create pathways for local residents to gain certification
Open up living-wage career opportunities
Connect Tribal lands with high-speed fiber broadband
The FOA CFOT certification is an industry-standard designation
recognized (and required) by some of the biggest companies in the fiber
broadband market. It’s also a prerequisite to more specialized
certifications and trainings in fiber splicing, outside plant
technology, and more.
The 3-day CFOT course, accredited by the Fiber Optic Association,
combines classroom learning with hands-on training. Participants gain
practical expertise across inside plant, outside plant, and access
network applications, preparing them for real-world fiber deployment
roles. Upon successful completion, participants earn an
industry-recognized certification that boosts employability and opens
doors to advanced specialization within the broadband industry.
Kelly Weissmann, Clearfield’s director of technical training and
support, says the training builds pathways to long-term success. “It’s a
career path that you will be able to invest your lifetime into,”
Weissmann says, “a career that can raise a family and build a
community.”
FOA is a supporter of the Clearfield program, providing textbooks for all participants in the classes.
Recent years have seen many introductions of updated
equipment. New technology has required new gear and automation has
improved productivity. Discussions with a contractor recently about
working with a local school to create a fiber optic module within an
engineering course brought up a practical use for all that older or
obsolete equipment gathering dust on shelves - donate it to a school to
help start a fiber optic lab. Along with the equipment, donate leftover
cable and components from past jobs. When you do, teach them how to use
it properly so they can teach their students about fiber optics.
Donated equipment plus donated time to join the schools industry advisory group can help you find the workers you need.
The FOA website and the FOA Online Guide
include what is probably the
largest knowledge base in fiber optics. There are almost a thousand
pages of technical information, hundreds of pages with information about
the FOA and the archive of over 200 FOA Newsletters. We provide links,
contents pages and a search engine, but the amount of content is
daunting.
FOA decided to try a new approach, an AI LLM (large language model) chat that was limited
to searching the FOA website. So what we have created is an intelligent
website search that answers your questions. Until we began beta testing Lennie recently, we were skeptical about AI
chatbots. We had read plenty about how they "hallucinate" and make up
data. But "Ask Lennie" shows that if an AI is properly trained with and
searches only trusted information, it can be a very useful tool.
Ask Lennie is
now available for everyone's use. We'll leave the search engine powered
by DuckDuckGo also so you will have two ways to find things on the FOA
Website. For technical topics, the Table of Contents of the FO Guide is also available and most pages about the FOA link you to topics covering FOA certifications and schools.
Ask Lennie Lightwave is waiting to help answer your questions and find things on the FOA Website.
This standard focuses on the
processes for installing a fiber optic project and provides guidance on
the design, installation and management of the project.
It was created from the inputs of those in the industry,
especially the FOA technical advisors, who are highly experienced in
both doing the work involved and teaching it to others.
The standard covers outside plant installations, both aerial and
underground, and premises cabling including the various installations
methods commonly used. It is an open source standard. Users choose the sections
that apply to their project and incorporate that into their documentation like the SOW (Scope of
Work) or other project paperwork. Provide copies to your
planners, designers, contractors, installers and suppliers.
Project Management Added To New Edition Of FOA Design Book And Fiber U Course
FOA
has published a new edition of its textbook on fiber optic network
design, an expanded version with new material covering project
management. Fiber optic network design and network management are
closely related topics, both highly important in the success of a fiber
project.
The new book is available as a paperback or Kindle book. You can buy it from Amazon or local booksellers worldwide. (ISBN: 9798262274611)
The Fiber U Design self study program has also been updated for project management.
Classroom
Resources For STEM Teachers In K-12 And Technical Schools Here is the POF kit sent to teachers for demonstration.
Teachers in all grades can introduce their students to fiber
optic technology with some simple demonstrations. FOA has
created a page for STEM or STEAM (science, technology,
engineering, arts
and math) teachers with materials appropriate to their
classes. Fiber
Optic Resources For STEM Teachers.
FOA has certified over 100,000 CFOT® Certified Fiber Optic Technicians,
introduced the "FOA Badge In Fiber Optics" for others working in the
field and adds new courses at Fiber U which offer a "Certificate of
Completion," it's a good time to explain the differences between them. FOA has created a page to explain the differences in certifications, certificates and badges.
All FOA
Certification Credentials Are Now Online
All FOA Certified Fiber Optic Technicians now have their certification
credentials online. if your FOA certification has not expired you should have been notified you have an
online credential. If you did not get notification it may be because
FOA did not have a valid email for you. Contact FOA to inquire about your certification credential.
And now, introducing a new FOA credential: The "FOA Badge In Fiber Optics"
New Fiber U Course: Fiber
Optic Safety Covers Construction And Installation
This
new Fiber U course focuses on safety in fiber optic installation. There are two lessons in this course,
fiber optic construction and fiber optic installation. The dividing
line between the two courses is the installation of the fiber optic
cables. Construction leads up to and/or is completed when the cables are
installed. Installation begins when the fiber tech installs the cable,
then completes the splicing, termination testing and documentation. The
overlap between the two is the installation of the cables where both
construction personnel and fiber optic techs are involved.
Here is the new Fiber U "Fiber Optic Safety" self-study program. Take the course and get your certificate of completion.
FOA Guide To The Fiber Optic Workforce
- what we've learned in developing the fiber optic workforce over 30 years and more than 100,000 certified techs.
Quote Of The Month: “You have to watch out for AI
investments — they may continue to carry the economy or they may slow
down or crash, bringing the rest of the economy together with them,”
said Daron Acemoglu, an economics professor at MIT. " LA Times.
Amazon Web Services Buiding New Transatlantic Cable With Route Diversity
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
has announced a new transatlantic cable in their global network of over 5
million miles of cable. AWS Fastnet will span the Atlantic from
Maryland in the Mid-Atlantic US region to Ireland. When finished in
2028, the cable will add both capacity (320 terabits/second) and route
diversity to AWS's global network.
The AWS announcement
provided an excellent diagram of the cable itself, showing the complex
structure of a cable designed for long-term undersea service.
AWS's global infrastructure
spans 38 Geographic Regions and 120 Availability Zones, with announced
plans for 10 more Availability Zones and 3 more AWS Regions, connected
by over 9 million kilometers of terrestrial and subsea fiber optic
cabling, enough to reach from Earth to the Moon and back more than 11
times, with built-in redundancy at every layer.
Kentucky Coop Continues Fiber Internet Buildout
Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal (R) interviews Peoples Rural Telephone Coop CEO Keith Gabbard (L)
In the summer of 2024, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal visited Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative in McKee, Kentucky, as part of the public radio program Inflation Reduction Act series, Breaking Ground.
Since Ryssdal visited McKee, President Donald Trump took office and
switched the Biden administration’s “fiber first” approach to one that
is “tech neutral.” In McKee, every home and business has been connected
to fiber internet since 2014, thanks to the People’s Rural Telephone
Cooperative, or PRTC. That’s what brought “Marketplace” there — to see
what an all-fiber future could look like.
Recently, Ryssdal spoke with PRTC CEO Keith Gabbard
to hear what’s new at the nonprofit. PRTC is continuing to build fiber
in several surrounding counties with the help of some federal programs
beyond BEAD.
“We’re trying to look for every bit of possible help we can get,”
Gabbard said. “Most of these are part loan, part grant, but we’re trying
to provide good broadband to these folks.”
Dark Fiber Market Is Driven By Increasing Demand For High-Speed Connectivity
The dark fiber market has witnessed significant
growth as organizations and service providers increasingly demand
high-capacity, low-latency, and secure networking infrastructure according to Market Research Future.
Dark fiber refers to unused or "unlit" optical fiber that can be leased
or purchased by enterprises and telecom companies to build private,
high-speed data networks.
Unlike conventional managed network services, dark fiber provides
customers full control over the optical infrastructure, enabling
scalability, flexibility, and dedicated bandwidth for mission-critical
applications. The growing adoption of cloud computing, big data
analytics, AI, IoT, and 5G technology has intensified the need for
high-speed data transmission, making dark fiber a preferred solution for
enterprises, data centers, and telecom operators seeking reliable,
low-latency connectivity.
The Dark Fiber Market was valued at USD 6.9 billion in 2024 and is
expected to grow at a rate of 8.4% during the period from 2025 to
2035. As organizations seek private, low-latency, and high-bandwidth
connections to support mission-critical operations, the dark fiber
market is expected to witness steady and sustained expansion globally
throughout the period.
Astound brings FWA internet to 26k Northern California homes
Over 26,000 homes in Davis and areas of Yolo and
Placer counties in California now have access to Astound’s fixed
wireless access (FWA) service.
Astound, a recognized leader in internet, Wi-Fi,
mobile, TV, and fiber-optic solutions, today announced the launch of a
powerful new fixed wireless network to expand high-speed internet and
Wi-Fi access to more than 26,000 homes in Davis and nearby areas of Yolo
and Placer counties in Northern California, effective immediately.
This includes more than 2,000 homes in predominantly rural areas of the
counties that have not had access to high-speed internet and Wi-Fi
service before. This marks Astound’s first service offering in the Davis
market.
As of December 8, 2025 more than 26,000 homes in areas that include
Davis, Penryn, Auburn, Newcastle, Lincoln, Granite Bay, and Roseville
can access reliable internet and Wi-Fi with speeds up to 500 megabits
per second. Astound engineered its fixed wireless network specifically
to overcome both the barriers of rural geography and poor legacy
infrastructure in more urban areas.
Focusing on FTTH in BEAD sometimes misses an
important point - fiber to the home needs to connect to the Internet.
For rural FTTH networks, that means ensuring the local network has fiber
connections to the head end - what is often called the middle mile. In
addition to the BEAD program, NTIA is also administering a Middle Mile
Grant Program with almost $1 billion in available funds.
In total, the program allocated $980 million to fund projects
for the construction, improvement, or acquisition of middle mile
infrastructure covering more than 370 counties across 40 states and
Puerto Rico in Summer 2023. The ultimate purpose of this funding is to
expand and strengthen U.S. high-speed internet networks by reducing the
cost of connecting areas that are unserved or underserved to the
internet backbone.
Poll: What Industry Trend Will Affect You Most in 2026?
This is how the readers of CI&M, a premises cabling magazine,
prioritize issues. The top concern is related to electrical power
delivery (learn more about fault managed power) and the least concern is over the workforce.
TIA To Establish Free-Space Optical Communications Standard
TIA will lead the establishment of U.S. standards for
free-space optical communications (FSOC). This effort will be led by a
sub-committee of the TR-45 – Mobile and Point-to-Point Communications
Standards committee and be called the FSOC Working Group. FSOC has
recently added to the telecommunication connectivity fabric, joining
and notably complementing fiber-optics and radio systems at a time of
global convergence.
When FSOC – also referred to as optical wireless communications – can
meet carrier standards, it provides a new path to extend the optical
footprint of fiber networks everywhere. Today, commercial customers need
that optical extension the most as almost 75% of enterprises, cell
sites, and multi-dwelling units (MDUs) globally lack a fiber-optic
connection despite typically being just one mile from existing fiber
infrastructure.
Quote Of The Month/Year (maybe Century!) (this is worth repeating)
Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia +
Technology Conference, AT&T’s CEO John Stankey said, “There’s a
fallacy to say there’s fixed networks and wireless networks. There are
only fiber networks with different access technologies on the end of
them. That’s where this is all going.”
Technical
Fiber optic
technology, standards, equipment, installation,
etc.
The FOA
Update Pagecovers the new technology
and applications we covered in this newsletter
recently. Now you can review all that new tech at
once.
Cross Reference To FOA Technical Reference Materials
The FOA has almost 1,000 pages of technical information on the FOA Guide,
100+ videos and two dozen online courses at Fiber U, all this can make
it difficult to find the right information.
Cross Reference To FOA Tech Materials
To help this, we have created a cross reference guide to the textbooks,
Online Guide and Fiber U courses, all the FOA technical information.
Besides the textbooks, online Guide and Fiber U, each section of the
Guide also includes links to the 100+ FOA videos available. Cross Reference Guide to Textbooks, Online Guide and Fiber U
FOA Videos
We have also rearranged the 100+ FOA videos in similar categories on the
Contents Page of the Online Guide, making the videos, especially the
lectures, much it much easier to find a video on a particular
topic. FOA Videos Guide.
Want to know more about fiber optics? Study
for FOA certifications? Free
Self-Study Programs are on Fiber
U®
Standards For Color Codes
Vladimir Grozdanovic
"The wonderful thing about standards is we have so many to
choose from." Attributed to Bob Metcalfe, co-inventor of Ethernet, at a
COMNET Conference panel discussion on the Internet circa 1995.
The way fibers were identified by color has been mostly based on how old telephone
pairs were marked. But today, there are many different color code systems. In addition
to internationally accepted color code standards, individual countries — and even
companies and individuals — have also created their own systems!
Nowadays, the most well-known color code standards are:
• TIA/EIA-598 & ISO 11801
• IEC 60304 & DIN-0888
• IEC 60794-2
• S12
• FIN2012
• Standard Type E
In addition there are many other standards for color codes adopted by countries,
telecommunications companies, fiber cable manufacturers and customers. These
include Dutch KPN, Antel UR, NOR STD, MidEastCode, Turkcell, Turk Telekom and
many more. It is important to double check what version{s} are being used in a given
application.
Here is a table of cross references of the most popular color codes.
Vladimir Grozdanovic is a graduate electrical engineer for telecommunications with
more than 10 years of experience in access networks (HFC and FTTH) in large cable
operators in Serbia (SBB and Jotel).
Clearfield has introduced a "dust cap" for fiber optic connectors that
can actually remove dust. The dust cap has a sealed dry fiber cleaner
inside the cap. To use, remove the cap, peel off the seal and touch the
end of the connector. It is said to be about 95% effective in cleaning
the connector. See the Clearfield video on how it works here.
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.
Changes in TIA Nomenclature - A Return To Things We Know
TIA is returning to the traditional
telecommunications terminology we all know and abandoning the new
generic terminology adopted in 2011 completely. One of our contacts on the committee provided us
with a table showing the generic terminology that is being abandoned and
the telecommunications terminology TIA is returning to.
TIA Project For >100 Meter Copper Cabling
TIA 568 structured cabling standards specifies a 100 meter channel
length for structured cabling using UTP cable. Recognizing that some
applications may exceed this 100 meter distance, the TIA TR-42.7 Copper Cabling Systems Subcommittee is
currently developing TSB-5073, tentatively entitled, “Guidelines for
supporting Extended Distance over 4-pair Balanced Twisted-Pair Cabling.” You can download a copy of the TIA white paper discussing the project here.
"Call Before You Dig" Video
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today
announced the release of a new video, “811- Call Before You Dig,” as
part of its efforts to promote safety awareness around underground
utilities and the critical importance of making 811 calls prior to
digging.
Watch AFL's latest webinar on the tools, techniques, and
real-world challenges of hyperscale fiber installation. This video
covers hyperscale data center growth, splicing i16 fiber cables, and
best practices for ribbon fiber prep and cleaning. Gain valuable
insights on using the Fujikura 90R, industry ribbon structures, and
achieving optimal splice results.
New VIAVI Fiber Testing Pocket Guide – Built for Techs in the Field
Designed with field techs in mind, this compact guide
from VIAVI is packed with essential fiber testing tips, quick-reference
checklists, and step-by-step insights that cover every stage of the
network lifecycle. It’s built to fit right in your pocket or tool bag,
so the info you need is always within reach.
Tech Notes And Articles From FOA's Worldwide Network Of Advisors
FOA has a worldwide network of technical advisors who
help us develop our knowledge base. This month we have contributions
fro several regular contributors, Eric Pearson, a founder of FOA, and
Vladimir Grozdanovic in Serbia. We provide an abstract here and a link
to read the entire article which will be added to the FOA Online Guide.
Ensuring
Reliability By Proper Fiber Optic
Installation
The goals of a fiber
optic installation should not be solely based on achieving the lowest
initial cost. Should lowest cost result in reduced reliability, lowest
initial cost may result in significantly increased lifecycle cost.
Eric Pearson does it all, educator, writer,
consultant, with a resume' going back to the beginning of fiber optics.
Here's advice from Eric on the way to ensure the long term reliability
of a fiber optic cable plant by proper installation.
A Quiet But Important Change In The Fiber Optic Cable You Buy
With so many cable designs today,
like microcables or high fiber count cables, requiring bend-insensitive
fibers, would it make sense to make all or most singlemode fibers as
bend insensitive fiber?
Two manufacturers (Corning and OFS) told FOA the industry is moving towards a G.657.A specification
in fiber, because the industry is moving towards smaller denser cables
in the network & the bend resilience is a requirement for the cable
design. So singlemode fiber is moving to being BI fiber, exactly what happened
with 50/125 laser optimized fibers a decade ago. With most new fiber,
compatibility is not an issue. But it is recommended to check with the
cable manufacturer if you are not sure what fiber is being used in the
cable you are purchasing.
FOA has rewritten the FOA OTDR Trainer around Fiberizer. The Fiberizer PC
software was the version we used for creating the Trainer, but the basic
techniques apply to all versions of Fiberizer. FOA provides a folder of
sample traces in 3 categories - Parameter Traces, Sample Traces and PON
Traces - around which we build the trainer. If you set up Fiberizer,
you can complete the FOA OTDR Trainer lessons and then use the same
software to analyze other traces you may have, even from other brands of
OTDRs, as long as they are .sor files.
The FOA OTDR Trainer is ready to help you learn about OTDRs. Go to the OTDR Trainer page, tech/ref/testing/OTDR/OTDRsimulator.html, choose your version of Fiberizer, download the FOA Traces and you are ready to go.
Learning Important Information From A Found Cable Scrap
While walking down the street near the FOA office, we found this cable
laying in the gutter. What a find! A short length of Corning Rocket
Ribbon 864 fiber cable left over from an installation by a contractor.
We brought the cable back to our office with the intention of opening it
up and creating a video about the construction of this modern high
fiber count cable, but something got our attention first. The cable had a
very
long line of printing on it with lots of interesting and useful
information. So before we started deconstructing it, we decided to
photograph the printed information and interpret it. That turned out to
be an important part of the information we learned from the cable. Then,
as you will see below, we dissected the cable and learned even more.
FOA received an inquiry about whether techs
working on restoring OSP links should be concerned about eye safety if
the link used fiber amplifiers. To answer this question, we had to do some research on fiber amplifiers.
The short answer is YES, you should be concerned. The long answer is
more technical and includes details that every OSP tech needs to know.
Recent articles from The FOA Newsletter
Fake OTDR Traces Submitted For Testing Documentation January 2023 Tech
Using OTDRs To Test Transoceanic Cables And PONs February 2023
POF - the Other Fiber March 2023
What Do Employers Expect From A Fiber Optic Tech? April 2023
Are Standards Ignoring The OSP? May 2023
FOA Has Proven Results In Fiber Optic Workforce Development June 2023
BEAD Funding For States Announced And Analyzed July 2023
Wisdom From The Street (Analyzing the printing on a fiber optic cable) July 2023
Focus On Disasters August 2023
FOA's Role In Education and Work Done By Fiber Techs September 2023
The Workforce: New US DoL Bureau of Labor Statistics Telecom Tech Category October 2023
How Many Telecom Techs Do We Need and How Big Is The Fiber Optic Market November 2023
Guidelines For Fiber Optic Project Planners December 2023
2023 Year In Review. Kentucky Shows The Value Of Fiber January 2024.
What is Broadband? History of the Cable Modem February 2024
It's Just Economics. Things you need to know. March 2024.
Fiber To The Shore - Undersea cables along the coast April, 2024.
The Future Of The Fiber Tech May 2024.
Worth Reading (And
Watching Or Listening)
ISE Magazine: Opportunity Cost - FOA President Jim Hayes
examines how BEAD’s slow rollout, high costs, and fiber-first design
create hidden opportunity costs for providers, communities, and the
nation’s broadband future.
AI is pushing young people toward the trades -
Marketplace (audio) Economic uncertainty and the specter of artificial
intelligence have the next generation rolling up their sleeves in
pursuit of a more stable job.
CABL® (cabl.com)serves
the business needs of the Broadband industry (including traditional
cable TV, fiber, telecom and satellite providers) with employment
listings, classified ads, discussion forums, and more.A contractor told us it's where they find lots of opportunities for subcontracting. ESRI has created an ebook on GIS location technology for telecom. Use the link to download the book. Google Video On Their Undersea Cables YouTube Slick but interesting video on how undersea cables are designed, built and used.
Worth Reading - Magazines, Websites and Newsletters
CABL® (cabl.com) serves
the business needs of the Broadband industry (including traditional
cable TV, fiber, telecom and satellite providers) with employment
listings, classified ads, discussion forums, and more. A contractor told us it's where they find lots of opportunities for subcontracting.
As
part of celebrating 3 decades serving the fiber
optic industry as its primary source of technical
information and independent certifying body, FOA
thought it appropriate to create a short history of
the organization and how it has developed to
help the fiber optic industry. We also wanted to
recognize the contributions many people have made to
the organization over the years that made FOA what
it is today.
The FOA history is on the FOA
website where you can read it or link to
it.
The First Transcontinental Telephone Line
began operation on July 29th in 1915 - 3400 miles between New
York and San Francisco - required over 100,000 telephone poles! Wonders
of World Engineering
"Who Lost Lucent?: The
Decline of America's Telecom Equipment Industry"
This is a MUST READ for managers in telecom or any
industry! Communications Systems Grounding
Rules: Article 800 provides specific
requirements by
Michael
Johnston, NECA Executive Director of
Standards and Safety in EC Magazine How
To Build Rural Broadband, Learning From History In the August 2021
FOA Newsletter, we published a lengthy article on
rural broadband and compared it to rural
electrification in America in the last century.
Much of the comparison was based on an article
written in 1940 by a USDA economist, Robert Beall,
called "Rural Electrification." If
you are interested in or involved in rural
broadband, we recommend you read the article "How
To Build Rural Broadband, Learning From History"
in the August 2021 FOA Newsletter and
read the Beall article also.
IEC 60050 - International
Electrotechnical Vocabulary - An
extensive dictionary for fiber optics in English and
French. Highly technical - this is one definition:
"mode - one solution of Maxwell's equations,
representing an electromagnetic field in a certain
space domain and belonging to a family of
independent solutions defined by specified boundary
conditions"
DIRT
Report On Damage To Utilities Common Ground
Alliance (CGA) annual DIRT report provides a
summary and analysis of the events submitted into
CGA’s Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) for
the year 2018. The complete report is available
for download here. In addition,
there is an interactive dashboard that
allows users to filter the data more by
factors contributing to damages. Fiber Trivia From
Corning.
VIAVI Books On
Fiber Optic Testing (2 volumes)
Besides
the FOA reference materials, two JDSU/VIAVI
textbooks, Reference Guide to Fiber Optic Testing,
Volumes 1 and 2, were used as references for
some of the FOA courses and are recommended for
instructors and students. The books are available
from VIAVI as eBooks and the everyone should
download them and recommend them to others.Download
yours now. Volume 1. Volume 2. Viavi Books
How OFS Makes Fiber
Interesting YouTube video on how fiber is made.
Perhaps a little too much "show biz" but
fascinating. If you have ever seen fiber
manufacture, look at this video. You will be amazed
at how big preforms have become! The True Cost of Telco Damages
(what backhoe fade or target practice can
cost)
Q&A
When readers ask us questions, we genrally refer them to FOA
resources where they can find the answer to their question and many
more. We first send them to the FOA Guide
which is the table of contents for the FOA technical resources. There
they can find pages indexed by topic and a search engine for the FOA
website. It also links them to FOA videos and courses on our free online learning site Fiber U.
The FOA
Fiber FAQs Page (FAQs = frequently asked
questions) gathers up questions readers have
asked us (which first ran in this newsletter)
and adds tech topics of general interest.
Good Question!
Tech
Questions/Comments From FOA Newsletter Readers
How Long Do Fiber Optic Cables Last? Q: I work at a large industrial facility with several
buildings connected by fiber optic cables. The fiber cables run through
underground conduits between the buildings. Many of the fiber cables
were installed 20 to 25 years ago. Is there any general industry
guidance on when cables such as ours should be replaced solely based on
the age of the cable? A: The question you ask is one often asked. Usually it
refers to the outside plant cables that have been used for many years -
some now approaching 40 years like the optical power ground wire (OPGW)
used by electrical utilities and some telco cables installed in the same
era. Cable manufacturers are not very specific about cable lifetimes,
but the standard today is cables are designed to last 40 years or more.
Cable installed 20-25 years ago should be still serviceable for years to
come. Some cables may suffer from moisture migration which can cause
attenuation increases and fiber brittleness. Brittleness is generally
not a problem is the fibers are undisturbed but it is a good reason to
not disturb them. Most cable plants are not replaced unless they suffer
damage - weather and wildfires are a big problem for serial cables,
flooding and freezing for underground cables - or the owner is ready to
upgrade communications systems and needs more modern, higher performance
fibers.
Our advice would be to not disturb the cables you have if systems are
working properly. If you are in a “nonstop” environment that would be
badly harmed by loss of communications and you want to have a backup,
you could hedge your bets and install ducts for replacement. cables. If
there is space in the ducts, you can install microducts or fabric ducts
in the same conduits and install backup cables. You may read advice that
says cables need maintenance like cleaning connectors and testing
periodically. That’s bad advice; it’s more likely to damage the cables.
Our advice on cables is install them, lock them up and don’t worry. But
have a restoration plan. Have documentation on the cables, spares and be
prepared to repair or replace them quickly. See
https://foa.org/tech/ref/restoration/rest.html
Hybrid cable For Aerial Installation Q: Is there a hybrid cable (fiber + conductors (2 or 4)) that can be aerial lashed? A: Practically any outside plant cable can be installed
aerial if it is within the weight limits of the messenger being used.
Cables with fiber and copper conductors are used for connections to
remote electronics or cameras.
Gloves for Splicing?
Q: What’s the FOA’s (or your personal) stance on wearing gloves whilst splicing? A: Wearing gloves may recommended for
preparing metallic armored cables because of the danger of cuts. For
regular cables, gloves may be recommended for those who use knives to
open cables, a practice still used. However for splicing fibers where
some recommend them to prevent sticking yourself with fibers, it hampers
fiber handling and slows the work down. We do not recommend gloves
except for prepping certain types of cables.
Are Splices Too Close Together A Problem?
Q: When installing fiber in an plant. Is there a minimum distance that two splices should be apart? ; A: The recommendation in the past was to bot have splices close
together since slight reflectances at the splices could cause an
interference problem with laser systems. The recommendation was to keep
splices 30-100m apart. IT was especially noted if you had to splice in a
section of cable to repair a cable break. However we have not heard
this in recent history, perhaps because fusion splices are so good. We
asked a number of FOA's technical advisors for their opinions. Their
feedback is the problem of reflectance causing problems at closely
spaced splices seems to have disappeared. It’s a matter of better
splicing machines and more consistent fibers, and also a matter of
lasers being engineered to work better in links.
Copper Tech Wants To Learn Fiber Optics Q: I am originally from copper installations and faults
finding. I would like to get involved in Optic fibre faults and
finding, how do I go if there is a possible training it will be highly
appreciated, A: Just learn about fiber, especially fiber testing and troubleshooting. Fiber U has courses you can take for free.
OSP Installation Standards Q: I'm looking for standards for fiber optic OSP installation. A: The whole issue of OSP standards has been one FOA been
trying to get standards bodies interested in for years with little
success, probably because it is an enormous project. Right now there are
two documents that address OSP cable plant:
ITU-T Technical Report, TR-OFCS Optical fibres, cables and systems, (3 July 2015)
As you can see, the ITU document is almost 10 years old and a lot has changed in that time.
Is The FOA CFOT® A License?
Q: Can you use a CFOT certification to install fiber and charge for it? Or do you need other licenses as well? ;
A: FOA Certification is considered evidence of competence and
accepted worldwide by many companies, groups, etc. Licenses are a legal
credential required by local authorities to conduct business for
anything from a barber to a truck triver to contractors doing fiber or
other work. Most locales require a license as a contractor which may
require a fiber specialty. You need to investigate this with your local
authorities.
Updating FOA Courses And Reference Materials
Q: How often are FOA courses updated? And when they get updated, what happens to those who would have done a previous version?
A: The FOA certifications are updated as needed to stay current with
technology and applications. Updates are incremental and we do not
require current certification holders to retake courses or exams.
Fiber Optic Color Codes Reference Chart
Q: Has anyone made a fiber optic pocket reference chart that has cable
color orders, frequencies, or other commonly used info on it? A: The FOA has a page on its Online Guide that covers color codes
(https://foa.org/tech/ColCodes.htm). It is the most popular page in the
FOA Guide! It works great with a smartphone.
Free online
self-study programs on many fiber optics and
cabling topics are available at Fiber U, FOA's
online web-based training website. Free online training at
Fiber U
As FOA celebrates our 100,000th CFOT® certified technician,
introduces the "FOA Badge In Fiber Optics" for others working in the
field and adds new courses at Fiber U which offer a "Certificate of
Completion," it's a good time to explain the differences between them. FOA has created a page to explain the differences in certifications, certificates and badges.
All FOA
Certification Credentials Are Now Online
All FOA Certified Fiber Optic Technicians now have their certification
credentials online. if your FOA certification has not expired you should have been notified you have an
online credential. If you did not get notification it may be because
FOA did not have a valid email for you. Contact FOA to inquire about your certification credential.
The Types of Work Done By Fiber Techs And How It Affects Training
What is a fiber optic technician? What kinds of work
do they do? Those topics were the center of FOA discussions with the US
Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics that led to the new job
category of "Telecommunications Technician" on the BLS
website. The focus of this job category is primarily the
installation and operation of the fiber optic cable plant, but one
should not forget the cable plant must be designed also as part of a
more extensive communications network.
In our discussion with the BLS analysts, we pointed out the various
stages of a fiber optic communications network project and how techs
with various knowledge and skill sets are needed and involved in every
step. This web page on the fiber optic workforce describes how FOA defines these stages of a project and the skills
of the techs needed. This is not unique to FOA; it's what has been traditional
at telecom companies forever.
FOA Schools
FOA's roster of approved schools continues to grow as more organizations
recognize our expertise in workforce development and our comprehensive
support for getting new schools started. FOA has over 25 years
experience and over 100,000 certified fiber techs (with ~140,000
certifications). As a non-profit organization founded by the industry
specifically to develop a competent workforce, FOA provides the
consultation, curriculum and contacts to get schools started as a free
service to new schools.
Need A Fiber Optic Course Onsite? Invite an FOA School To Come To You
Here is the new Fiber U "Fiber Optic Safety" self-study program. Take the course and get your certificate of completion. Fiber U MiniCourses: Got An Hour Or Less?
Learn Something New About Fiber Optics.
All these free courses and many more
are available at Fiber U.
What Fiber Techs
Don't Know -
These are some of the topics that
we have noticed are answered incorrectly more often
in FOA and Fiber U tests.
Most of the questions missed are on testing.
1. OTDRs - particularly what information is in the
OTDR trace.
2. The difference between dB and dBm
3. Loss budgets - both the concepts and doing the
math
4. Insertion loss testing - single-ended or double
ended for testing patchcords or cable plants, how to
set 0dB references
5. Units of measure - fiber is measured in microns,
wavelengths in nanometers, etc.
At FOA, we're working to add Fiber
U MiniCourses on these topics and working with
our schools to emphasize these topics in their
classes.
If you are going to be taking a FOA certification
course or test in the near future, these topics
should be on your final exam study list.
What We Learn From Hands On Labs
We learn about students performance in hands-on labs
from the feedback of our instructors and our own
experiences too. One big problem is the use of hand
tools. Growing up today, you learn how to use
keyboards, mouses and touch screens, but decades
ago, you also learned how to use basic hand tools.
This is big enough of a problem that we're
considering adding some video lessons on basic hand
tools to prepare students for cable prep,
termination and splicing that require the use of
hand tools.
FOA offers free online self-study programs at Fiber U.
Many users are preparing for FOA certification
programs - taking courses at our schools or using
the Direct Certification program. Some of our
schools are requiring Fiber U programs as
prerequisites for their classroom courses so they
can spend more time on hands-on activities.
Publications /
Resources
Cross Reference To FOA Tech Materials
FOA has so much technical reference material, we created a cross reference guide to the textbooks,
Online Guide and Fiber U courses, all the FOA technical information.
Besides the textbooks, online Guide and Fiber U, each section of the
Guide also includes links to the 100+ FOA videos available.
To help those new to fiber optic workforce development, FOA has created a web page we call "Fiber Optic Workforce Development."
In this page, we share what we have learned about the fiber optic
workforce, who they are and how they learn their trade. We discuss what
defines a fiber optic tech and how they should be certified.
Project Management Added To New Edition Of FOA Design Book And Fiber U Course
FOA
has published a new edition of its textbook on fiber optic network
design, an expanded version with new material covering project
management. Fiber optic network design and network management are
closely related topics, both highly important in the success of a fiber
project.
The new book is available as a paperback or Kindle book. You can buy it from Amazon or local booksellers worldwide. (ISBN: 9798262274611)
The Fiber U Design self study program has also been updated for project management.
New Edition of FOA's Basic Fiber Optics Textbook
It has been 5 years since we have updated the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics,
so it is certainly time for an update. The latest version is different
enough we call it a new edition. Many of the updates are for new
technologies which are reshaping the fiber optic industry like coherent
transmission, BI fibers, etc. We've also added a section on the fiber
optic workforce which has much relevance because this book is used to
train those entering the workforce.
We've also worked on making the book more readable, adding formatting that eases reading and a new comprehensive index.
The new edition of the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics is available from Amazon and booksellers worldwide.
Best Seller: Fiber Broadband (Paperback and Kindle)
This book is not the typical FOA technical textbook - it is written for
anyone who wants to understand fiber broadband or fiber optics or the
Internet. It's also aimed at STEM teachers who want to include
communications technology in their classes. This book will try to
explain not only how fiber broadband works, but how
it was developed. It is intended to be an introduction to
communications technology
appropriate for a communications course at almost any level (junior
high, high school or
college,) for managers involved with broadband projects, or for anyone
who just wonders how all this stuff works.
Paperback ($12.95) and Kindle ($9.95) versions available from Amazon or most booksellers. Kindle version is in color!
Translations of FOA Textbooks
FOA is a very international organization and it works hard to
accommodate the language needs of everyone. We have been translating our
books and website into the languages most requested, and this month, we
add two more textbook translations. We also want to thank Jerry Morla,
FOA CFOS/I instructor and Director who has been doing the recent
translations into Spanish, his native language.
Here is a listing of all the FOA textbook Translations
Spanish Editions:
Guía de Referencia de la Asociación de Fibra Óptica (FOA) Sobre Fibra
Óptica: Guía de estudio para la certificación de la FOA Amazon
La Referencia de Cableado para Predios de la FOA: Guía para Certificación de la FOA Amazon
La Asociación de Fibra Óptica Manual de Fibra Hasta el Hogar : Para
Planificadores, Gestores, Diseñadores, Instaladores y Operadores De
FTTH Amazon
Guía de Referencia de la FOA sobre Diseño de la red de fibra óptica: Guía de Estudio para la Certificación de la FOA Amazon
And the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics: French Edition: Le
Guide de référence de la FOA pour la fibre optique et et
guide d'étude pour la certification FOA: Guide d'étude pour
la certification FOA Amazon Portuguese Edition: Guia de Referência sobre Fibra Óptica da FOA : Guia de Estudo para a Certificação da FOA Amazon The subject matter of these books is also translated in the FOA Guide online.
FOA Video
Lectures On YouTube
Did
you know YouTube will close caption videos in many
languages?
Sign in with Google to get translations for closed
captioning. Click on the settings icon (red arrow.)
Choose "Subtitles". English is the default
language. Click on the arrow after "English
(auto-generated) >". In the new window click on
"Auto-translate" and choose the language you
want.
FOA Loss Budget
Calculator On A Web Page 5/2020
FOA
has written many articles about loss budgets,
something everyone involved in fiber optics needs to
know and needs to know how to calculate. We recently
discovered how to get a spreadsheet ported to a Web
page, so we created this web page that calculates
loss budgets. We have an iOS loss budget app, but
with this web page, you can calculate loss budgets
from any device, smart phone, tablet, laptop, or
desktop computer that has web browsing capability.
We are continually updating the Online Reference
Guide to keep up with changes in the industry and
adding lots of new pages of technical information.
When you go to the FOA
Guide Table of Contents to see the latest
updates - look for .
The FOA has it's own
reference books for everyone working in fiber
optics - contractors, installers and end users as
well as for use as textbooks in classes at
educational institutions. They are available as
printed books or Kindle at much lower prices than
most textbooks since we self-publish and sell
online, cutting out the middlemen. Click on the
book images for more information. The Reference
Guide To Fiber Optics is also available in
Spanish, French and Portuguese. The Design book is available in English
and Spanish.
Resources For
Teachers In K-12 And Technical Schools
Teachers in all grades can introduce their
students to fiber optic technology with some
simple demonstrations. FOA has created a page for
STEM or STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts
and math) teachers with materials appropriate to
their classes. Fiber Optic Resources For
Teachers.
Safety
On Safety
New Fiber U Course: Fiber
Optic Safety
Safety
must be the first concern of everyone involved in a fiber optic
project, including those planning, designing, managing or supervising
and of course those doing the installation.
FOA is often asked about safety for fiber optics. Some
inquiries ask where it's covered in the FOA Online Guide or textbooks or
if we have a course on safety at Fiber U. Almost all Fiber
U Courses have lessons covering safety, because
safety is important in every aspect of a fiber optic project.
This
new Fiber U course will focus on safety alone. There are two lessons in this course,
fiber optic construction and fiber optic installation. The dividing
line between the two courses is the installation of the fiber optic
cables. Construction leads up to and/or is completed when the cables are
installed. Installation begins when the fiber tech installs the cable,
then completes the splicing, termination testing and documentation. The
overlap between the two is the installation of the cables where both
construction personnel and fiber optic techs are involved.
Here is the new Fiber U "Fiber Optic Safety" self-study program. Take the course and get your certificate of completion.
The FOA is concerned about safety! FOA
considers safety an integral part of all our
programs, curriculum materials and technical
materials. We start all our textbooks and their
online versions with a section on safety in the
first chapter, like this: Before
we get started - Safety First!
The FOA is a, international non-profit
educational association chartered to promote
professionalism in fiber optics through education,
certification and standards.
Founded in 1995 by a dozen prominent fiber optics
trainers and leaders from education,industry and governmentas a professional society for fiber
optics and a source of independent certification,
the FOA has grown to now being involved in numerous
activities to educate the world about fiber optics
and certify the workers who design, build and
operate the world's fiber optic networks.
Want to know more about fiber optics? Study
for FOA certifications? Free
Self-Study Programs are on "Fiber U®."
Looking for specific information? Here's the largest
technical reference on the web: The
FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide.
Free online self-study programs
on many fiber optics and cabling topics are
available at Fiber U,
FOA's online web-based training website.
The
FOA has created a store on Zazzle.com offering lots
of new logo merchandise. It has lots of versions of
shirts and other merchandise with "FOA," "Fiber U,"
"Lennie Lightwave" designs and more so you should
find something just for you! See FOA on Zazzle.
Privacy Policy (for
the EU GDPR): The FOA does not
use cookies or any other web tricks to gather
information on visitors to our website, nor do
we allow commercial advertising. Our website
hosts may gather traffic statistics for the
visitors to our website and our online testing
service, ClassMarker, maintains statistics of
test results. We do not release or misuse any
information on any of our members except we will
confirm FOA certifications and Fiber U
certificates of completion when requested by
appropriate persons such as employers or
personnel services. Read
the complete FOA Privacy Policy here.
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