September 2024

Links To Sections

FOA Certified Techs: 

2024 At FOA - Heading For 100,000 

See FOA Jobs Web Page and FOA on 

The FOA Jobs

Using your FOA Training/Certification to Find the Right Job in Fiber Optics

 

Fiber Optic Safety Poster to download and print

FOA Videos on

The Archives: Past Issues.

Use these links to read past issues or use FOA's  Custom Search to look for specific topics on our website.

1/24, 2/24, 3/24, 4/24.5/24, 6/24, 7/24, 8/24, 9/24,  

Time To Renew Your FOA Certifications?

Renew online with a credit card or PayPal

 

   

 

The New "FOA Badge In Fiber Optics"

FOA is best known as the certifying body for the nearly 100,000 FOA-certified fiber optic technicians who build worldwide networks. FOA has been asked many times about credentials for other professionals in fiber optics.


 

• I work with all levels of management at enterprise as well as contractor customers and a badge from the FOA would be a valuable addition to their knowledge base as well as resume. Recruiters and company HR would be able to use the badge as a search parameter to find the right person for positions requiring fiber optic knowledge.
• We support your idea and understand the commercial and online presence benefit in growing our community. 
• FOA's reputation in certifying 100,000 techs who build fiber optic networks lends instant credibility and acceptance to this Badge for all the other contributors to fiber optics.
  

Looking Inside Corning's Fiber Manufacturing Operations

Marketplace On NPR Series On Broadband

How Fiber Optics Is Used In A Water Treatment Plant

The Cary /Apex Water treatment plant supplies drinking water to Cary, Apex, Morrisville, RDU International airport, and parts of the Research Triangle Park in Wake Co.

Matthew is the Maintenance Mgr for the Electronics and Fiber Optics Communications and Operations systems at the Cary Apex Water Plant, involving a SCADA fiber ring and a PLC fiber ring (both with a mixture of old MM and SM cables soon to be upgraded to all SM systems). The plant also uses radio cell tower links between the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Plan and its customers which will all be replaced by SM fiber links.

The five processes in water treatment for drinking water.



Tom Barry ( right, who handles Tech Operations) and Matt

Canarelli (center, who handles Maintenance) gave Gilberto (left) a tour of their plant.



The Cary Water Plant is a large industrial facility to process large amounts of water for the area.



Management systems for the plant use a fiber optic infrastructure.

As you can see here, most industrial facilities use fiber optics for communications and many CFOTs are not "telecom splicers." In today's world, technicians who work with automation that relies on communications should to be trained and certified in fiber optics.

Feedback From A Tech In The Field

Article we wished came out in time for an April Fools story......

When AI's Output Is A Threat To AI Itself - NYTimes. As A.I.-generated data becomes harder to detect, it’s increasingly likely to be ingested by future A.I., leading to worse results. NYTimes described this process as "degenerative AI."

In the early days of computing, there was a common warning to programmers : "garbage in, garbage out"!

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.

Enhance your safety with the FOA Safety Vest.

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.

Inflation was an issue, but the price only goes up $2 to $29.95 for the paperback and $12.95 for the Kindle version.

The new edition of the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics is available  from Amazon and booksellers worldwide.

Online Credentials For FOA Schools And Certified Instructors

Updated FOA OTDR Trainer

FOA Programs Support STEM Education

FOA Newsletter Sections

News

Lots more news in Worth Reading below

Quote Of The Month:

Utility Poles

Webinar: Reskilling & Upskilling: Preparing for the Future of Work

Middle Mile Finally Gets Proper Attention

“Middle mile is like the middle child that keeps getting ignored. If we continue ignoring it, at one point in time, we will not be able to connect all of these new last mile connections that we are planning on building in the next four years.” Sachin Gupta, Director of Government Business & Economic Development at Centranet.

the focus on NTIA funding of broadband in the US has focused on FTTH, but NTIA understands that FTTH is worthless without a proper middle mile network.



Click on the map above for the NTIA Middle Mile Tracking Dashboard.

BEAD Is Going To Take Forever

"I don’t think anyone thought we’d be connecting the final American to fiber in time for the next Summer Olympics, but broadband folks are increasingly pessimistic about BEAD timelines.

The facial expressions, sighs, and slow headshakes when asked about it are telling.

The “wait and see” approach to BEAD seems to be a lot more waiting than seeing, and some believe that BEAD actually gets in the way of rural goals. But is it BEAD itself, broad government intervention in general, or a lack of practical solutions that worries people? Silicon Valley has been trying to address rural connectivity globally, but the same challenges keep coming up. Meanwhile, the apps keep coming and the world needs, rather than wants, fast and reliable internet."

Joe Gillard, Executive Editor, ISE Magazine, reporting from Fiber Connect.

Mediterranean/Middle East

Cable To Connect Saudia Arabia, Crete And Europe

EXA and SOCAR Fiber to create terrestrial fibre link across Turkey

Space: China launches satellites to rival SpaceX’s Starlink

Fibre-Optic Network Vandalism Reported In France During Olympics

Speeds Reach 100G In Four-Speed PON Tests

Podcast "Future of The Fiber Optic Network"

Britain Connected says it's the UK's biggest digital economy event - 7500 attendees from 2000 organizations, 350 exhibitors and 350 speakers.
More details here.

Coming To San Diego October 30-31, 2024

The inaugural Broadband Communities Summit West will be held in San Diego on October 30-31. The conference is the latest addition to the Broadband Communities event portfolio and will bring together 1,000 like-minded professionals, who are invested in delivering better connectivity for communities in the Western United States. You'll be hearing from public officials across 12+ states on how they intend to ensure meaningful and long-lasting change in their communities.

New Technical Book On FTTx In Serbian

The book can be ordered through the publisher Infoelektronika website  https://www.infoelektronika.net/.  Delivery is available to all countries worldwide via standard mail or international express mail EMS.

Quote Of The Month Year:

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.

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

Is It Just The OTDR Or Is Singlemode Loss Directional?

Our series of articles on the compatibility and splicing of G.652 and G.657 summarized below and explained fully here raised another question from a knowledgeable reader.

"When you do a bidirectional OTDR test and average, you remove the backscatter differences. But it seems to me that two fibers of different MFDs would have an actual directional loss difference, much like mismatched MM fiber. Do you have any information that addresses this?"

One of FOA's technical contacts at a fiber manufacturer gave us this explanation.

"Multimode fibers can have a directionality to the loss because there are a continuum of modes, some propagate and some are cladding modes that quickly attenuate. In one direction all guided modes in the launch fiber are coupled into guided modes in the receive fiber and thus a low loss connection. In the other direction some of the guided modes are coupled into cladding modes  resulting in a directionality to the loss.

With singlemode fibers there is simply one mode. The loss is simply the overlap of the modes in the two fibers and is the same in either direction since only one mode propagates and all other modes are cladding modes."
 
To which we replied:

So the fact that some light in SMF travels outside the “core” and defines the MFD doesn’t affect the bidirectional loss if MFD is slightly different on two fibers?

And their reply to that;

"Correct. The core simply defines the shape of the mode (MFD, how close it is to a Gaussian or Peterman shape) Note that the modes of bend insensitive fibers and standard fibers are slightly different in the tails. This is why the lowest loss splices are for fibers of the same type from the same manufacturer, in many cases this difference can be negligible and we can only see it when we look at the distributions of thousands of splices.
 
Single mode means one solution to the wave equation for each fiber. The overlap of those solutions determine the loss and the direction doesn’t matter. It falls out of the math and data collected with power meters and OTDR’s clearly show the math is correct, even though conceptually it can be difficult to grasp."

So there you have it -

• Singlemode splices showing different losses in bidirectional losses are just a artifact of how the OTDR tests
• Averaging the loss in the two directions gives the actual splice loss
• The actual splice loss the same in either direction.

A Quiet But Important Change In The Fiber Optic Cable You Buy

Sponsored Content OptConn is a value-add re-seller of optical connectivity products, services and solutions. With over 30 years of experience in the fiber optics industry we are here to serve your requirements from fiber optic training with FOA certification to products, materials and supplies. We have partnerships with industry leading manufacturers to support your installation, splicing and testing needs. Our goal is to guide, support and recognized our client’s requirements. Learn more about OptConn

What's A Fiber Identifier?

Updated FOA OTDR Trainer

For many years, FOA has had an OTDR trainer, created from PC software that allows analyzing OTDR traces offline. It would read the OTDR standard ".sor" files and allowed analyzing the trace on the computer. We added a set of traces that showed how the user-set test parameters like distance, wavelength, test pulse width, fiber index of refraction and number of averages affect the measurements  made by the OTDR and taught the user how to choose the proper settings for any test conditions.

FOA has rewritten the FOA OTDR Trainer around Fiberizer. The Fiberizer PC software was the version we used for creating the Trainer, but the basic techniques apply to all versions of Fiberizer. FOA provides a folder of sample traces in 3 categories - Parameter Traces, Sample Traces and PON Traces - around which we build the trainer. If you set up Fiberizer, you can complete the FOA OTDR Trainer lessons and then use the same software to analyze other traces you may have, even from other brands of OTDRs, as long as they are .sor files.

The FOA OTDR Trainer is ready to help you learn about OTDRs. Go to the OTDR Trainer page,
tech/ref/testing/OTDR/OTDRsimulator.html, choose your version of Fiberizer, download the FOA Traces and you are ready to go.

FOA wishes to thank VeEX for permission to use their Fiberizer® software in our OTDR trainer. And our compliments to them for making the ap available on multiple platforms that ensure anybody can use it.

How Good Are Your OTDR Launch/Receive Cables?

Introduction to GIS and Fiber Management Systems

NECA/FOA 301 fiber optic installation standard withdrawn

FTTH Technical Papers

FOA contributor Vladimir Grozdanovic has created another technical paper on testing FTTH PON based on his field experiences.

Testing The FTTH PON Network (new) 

Recycling Fiber Optic Cables?  Contact LD4 Recycle  

Learning Important Information From A Found Cable Scrap

Managing Fiber Optic Projects - The Gantt Chart

(With An Excel File To Make Your Own)

The most common way to track projects is the Gantt Chart, a chart of activities that tracks the progress of projects along a timeline. each activity is represented by a bar and the position and length of the bar represents the starting date and duration of the activity. This allows you to see what activities are needed for the project, when the activities start and end so it can be used to track the progress of the project visually. Here is what a Gantt Chart for a fiber project might look like:

Help On Color Codes (Including Copper Cabling And Fiber Optics)

The FOA has created a print-your-own pocket guide to fiber optic color codes. It has color codes for fibers and buffer tubes, connectors and premises cables inside and on the back, QR codes to take you directly to the FOA Guide and Fiber U. The FOA Guide page on Fiber Optic Color Codes is one of the most read pages on the FOA website and the Fiber Optic Color Codes minicourse on Fiber U very popular also.

Warning For Techs Doing OSP Restoration

Try The FOA's Online Loss Budget Calculator

Worth Reading

Each month we read hundreds of newsletters and online articles. These are the ones we think you will find "worth reading."

FOA  has a web page with resources on fiber broadband networks and the IIJA/BEAD funding programs.

Cross Reference Guide to FOA Textbooks, Online Guide and Fiber U

FOA Timeline of Fiber Optic History  and the new FOA video "The History Of Fiber Optics"

• Last Gasp For Multimode Fiber?  
• Who Lost Lucent? The Decline of America's Telecom Industry.
  
• How Many Fibers? Optimal cable Size. 
• Women Installers In Alaska. . 
• Building Rural FTTH - Learning From The History Of Rural Electrification. 
• Warning For Techs Doing Restoration (Fiber Amplification).
  
• The Future Of Work Is Skills - So Stop Worrying About Degrees - The reality is the future of work is about skills, not just degrees. (FOA Newsletter Feb 2020)

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):

The State Of Fiber Optics In The Utility Industry - Utility Expo

Webinar: Reskilling & Upskilling: Preparing for the Future of Work - BadgeCert. September 25, 2024, 2PM EDT, 11AM PDT.  FOA's Jim Hayes is a panelist. Sign up for this webinar here.


Followup:
Recently we ran two articles from the  Washington Post that, well, leave us speechless.....
Internet data centers are fueling drive to old power source: Coal

AI is exhausting the power grid. Tech firms are seeking a miracle solution - Microsoft is betting on an effort to generate power from atomic fusion — the collision of atoms that powers the sun — a breakthrough that has eluded scientists for the past century. Physicists predict it will elude Microsoft, too.

So it's encouraging to read this - somebody is thinking more clearly:
Hungry for Clean Energy, Facebook Looks to a New Type of Geothermal - NYTimes
As electricity demand from data centers soars, Meta and Google are looking at a novel solution: harnessing clean heat far below Earth’s surface.

Fiber Optic Network Construction: Process and Build Costs - Dgtl Infra

Meta’s Data Center Locations for Facebook and Instagram - Dgtl Infra - Not where you might expect

Comparison of traditional cabling vs. micro cabling from a cost perspective and environmental point of view - Hexatronic

Recent Articles

Responsible Fiber Deployment: Strategies for Protection and Damage Prevention - Excavation Safety Alliance - YouTube video, 1hr.

Can Our Industry Develop Fiber Talent? ISE Magazine. Learn how states, schools and training organizations must work together to develop fiber field talent.

Landlines are dying out. But to some, they’re a lifeline. Washington Post Providers want to scale back landline service, but people with poor cell reception still rely on it for emergencies.

Pre-Excavation Safety Checklist (PDF) - Excavation Safety Alliance - essential steps before breaking ground for underground construction.

Developing a Fiber Workforce Really Does Take A Village - ISE magazine looks at the role of manufacturers' training in developing the fiber workforce.

How Many More Fiber Techs Do We Really Need?  - ISE Magazine

You can also buy copies - Telegeography




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.

Do You Believe In Magic? Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.  ISE Magazine.

Fiber Optics Installed By The Lowest Bidder  - ISE Magazine

Building Broadband During Component and Worker Shortages - Broadband Communities - Completing broadband builds requires competent fiber optic techs, but training them requires understanding how they learn.

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.

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance weekly newsletter has lots of interesting articles and links.

Next Century Cities Newsletter - News from cities around the US including Detroit and New York plus small

FOA was founded in 1995 - FOA's History

Worth Reading - History & Technical

Restoration: If you are interested in restoration - aren't we all? - you should also read this article in dpPro magazine by FOA President Jim Hayes: Damage Protection Requires Looking Overhead As Well As Underground - dpPRO Magazine - about the problems with aerial cables. His previous article for the magazine was New Techniques for Fiber Optic Installation.

Universal access to broadband is a cornerstone to a strong economy, Achieving universal access will require community partnerships. by Alfreda B. Norman, Sr. VP,  Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

FIBER TO THE FARM: The co-ops that electrified Depression-era farms are now building rural internet. Be sure to check out the high-tech equine installation equipment.

Infrastructure Get Some Respect, NY TImes "On Tech"   "The magic of the internet requires a lot of very boring stuff behind the scenes. "

VIAVI Books On Fiber Optic Testing (2 volumes) - They're back!

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 

More Q&A in the FOA FAQs Page  

Reducing Attenuation
Q: What is the best way of reducing fiber optic attenuation
A: In any cable plant, the loss comes from the loss of the optical fiber and loss at joints (splices or mated connectors) plus any stress losses caused by bad installation of the cable. For a give cable plant, the options are lower loss fiber or lower loss at joints. If you need lower loss, the fiber loss is a function of the attenuation coefficient (dB/km) times the length (km)., e.g 0.4dB/km X 10 km = 4.0 dB. So if the length is fixed, you can try to find lower loss fiber. The loss at joints is a fucntion of the methods of joining. Splices have very low loss - 0.1 dB or less on singlemode fiber. slightly more on multimode fiber. Connections can have loss from 0.1 dB to more than 0.5 dB, depending on the type of connector chosen. On SM fiber, if connecctors are top quality fusion splice on connectors and are properly cleaned loss can be under 0.2 dB. Some connectors like the MPO multifiber array connector can have losses up to 0.75 dB or more. Replacing connectors with fusion splices is also a way to lower loss at joints. Here is a reference to loss budgets: https://foa.org/tech/lossbudg.htm

Safe handling of fiber optics;
Q: Is there a particular glove recommended for safe handling of FO's? I appreciate dexterity in handling may be important, but glass shards / splinters into the skin is a significant risk as well. There are vague references to using gloves, but looking for the preferred / recommended type of glove.
A: Gloves are hard to use when dealing with bare fiber but thin surgical gloves work for some people. Regular gloves are too clumsy and some cannot stop fiber penetration. When working with cable, especially armored cable or large cables, work gloves are good protection. You can also get kevlar gloves that resist cuts but are flexible and cooler. They are often advertised as kitchen gloves to prevent knife cuts.

Fault Location
Q: How do you detect fault location of fiber optics in the field? How much time it takes to detect geo-location?
A: The simple answer is an OTDR but the physical location depends on cable plant documentation and location data like GIS data. The time depends on the availability of data and equipment. Minutes to days?

"Certified' Cables
Q: we will be using a large number of fiber cables .  We have specific testing and reporting requirements for the cables that are shipped to us.  Each end needs to be tested in accordance with IEC-61300-3-35, IEC 61300-1:2022 with automated analysis microscopy. Instead of purchasing the cables and getting them certified upon receiving them, is there an option out there that allows you to purchase Fiber Optic Cables that have already been certified according to the above listed requirements and come with some sort of clear proof of that?
A: The question is the matter of definition of “certified.” Generally it means testing to a standard as you note. Any reputable manufacturer of these cables will supply documentation with the cables that includes loss testing and connector inspection reports.  If the cable manufacturer does not supply that documentation, I suggest finding another supplier.  At incoming, it may be desirable to do a AQL sampling, but testing these cables is very specialized. Not many contractors are equipped with the special test equipment needed.

Past Questions

Calibrating Multimode Optical Power Meters
Q: Should I be calibrating multimode optical power meters with an LED source or a laser? I know that standards call for testing multimode loss with LEDs not lasers.
A: The reason standards call for testing MM fiber with LEDs is the coherence of lasers leads to modal noise in the fibers and unpredictable variations in loss. But the wide spectral width of LEDs makes calibration less accurate than when using lasers at the correct wavelengths. Calibrate meters with lasers, test fibers with LEDs.

Color Codes On Higher Fiber Count Cables
Q: Why do buffer tubes 13-24 repeat the colors with a black stripe (black will have a yellow stripe)?  Why does it start with black stripe vs starting with blue? And what happens when you get to black tube color again do you skip it?
A: Color codes are an interesting topic. The basic color codes go back to the beginnings of multi-pair phone cables. TIA added color codes for premises cable jackets and connectors in TIA-598 to the 1-12 color codes for fibers and buffer tubes. FOA covers that basic system in the online Guide here: https://foa.org/tech/ColCodes.htm
The question about the second black fiber, fiber 20, is an interesting one. Many cables use black with a yellow stripe but Corning uses a clear buffer with a black stripe. https://www.corning.com/catalog/coc/documents/application-engineering-notes/AEN029.pdf
 It turns out that cable manufacturers don’t all do it the same way for higher fiber counts. Most use the 1-12 colors for fibers and the same for buffer tubes. 12 fibers per colored buffer tube is the tradition, but there are 24 fibers in some tubes, so it’s 1-24 colors.
Ribbon cables are another story. With the older hard ribbon designs, cable manufacturers often printed information on each ribbon. Those are becoming obsolete and you can’t print on the new flexible ribbons the same way, so I’ve seen schemes to print dots and dashes on the fibers in the ribbons!
So what we have is a standard, but standards are voluntary, so not everybody follows them!

Repairing Fiber Optic Connector Ferrules
Q: Can you take an existing fiber optic number connector and polish the end if the end is to dirty or damaged that it cannot be cleaned via dry or wet methods?
A: Yes, using special polishing techniques. We have a page on that in the FOA Guide: Fiber Optic Connector Repair  

Grounding Armored Jumper Cables
Q: Do you need to bond/ground FTTH drop "jumpers" that ise an armored cable?
A: Yes, just like any other cable that has conductive elements.  A manufacturer of the cables Tinifiber seems to agree:  https://tinifiber.com/bonding-and-grounding-armored-fiber-cable/
I do not know of any fiber optic connectors that address this, unlike the RJ-45/modular 8-pin connectors for UTP copper.

Disoposal Of Fiber Optic Cables
Q: How does an organization dispose of unwanted fiber optic cables in an environmentally safe manner?
A: We recommend that users save some reels leftover from an installation for possible use in restoration. If a cable break occurs, getting cable quickly can be a problem. We also have a contact who says he can recycle fiber optic cable:
Contact: Steve Maginnis, LD4Recycle/ CommuniCom Recycling, (Visit website https://ld4recycle.com), sm@LD4Recycle.com, 803.371.5436
Otherwise, it is basically landfill.
 
Finding Buried Fiber Optic Cables
Q: We have a client that needs their private fiber located.  We have been on site and confirmed the lines were installed with no tracer wire or conductive conduit/sheathing.  Want to know if you had any suggestions on how to locate or if there was specialized equipment that I am aware of.
A: Interesting question on an important topic. The answer is a qualified maybe. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) can sometimes spor fiber optic cable, maybe more easily if it is in duct or conduit. It requires someone with a lot of experince in GPR. There are companies around the US with this capability. Then there is a new proposal using the sensing capability of fiber with above ground vibrators. Nothing commercial is available here as far as I know.
https://www.winlab.rutgers.edu/~hansiiii/papers/OECC_2020_Liu.pdf

Fiber Optics For Alarm Systems
Q: Can you please help me with having information about if do you know if someone did use fiber for complete fire alarm systems, sensor, smoke detectors, panels etc.
A: FOA checked with my technical contact at the IBEW, Jim Simpson, for this topic. Here is his answer:
NFPA does indeed have requirements for fiber in fire alarm systems. Keep in mind, the requirements may vary depending on which edition of NFPA 72 the jurisdiction has adopted. The info below is based on the 2022 NFPA 72.

• Chapter 12 covers Circuits and Pathways
• Section 27.4 covers Communications Methods
• Section 27.7 covers Public Cable Plant

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. Udates are incremental and we do not require current certification holders to retake courses or exams. Some of our updates are almost humorous. For example, over the last 20 years the definitions of “hybrid” and “composite” cables have flipped twice in several international standards. At the last time, we changed all references to these cable types in all our materials to note the confusion it creates, then purged all questions from our exams that covered this confusing topic.


Older questions can be found on the FAQs page.

More Q&A in the FOA FAQs Page  

New Edition of FOA's Basic Fiber Optics Textbook

Just like they say in the product ads, it's new and improved!

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.

Inflation was an issue, but the price only goes up $2 to $29.95 for the paperback and $12.95 for the Kindle version.


The new edition of the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics is available  from Amazon and booksellers worldwide.

Online Credentials For FOA Schools And Certified Instructors

The Types of Work Done By Fiber Techs And How It Affects Training

New In Spanish - Nuevo en español

FOA Spanish Textbook And Online Guide Updated

Libro de texto en español y guía en línea de FOA actualizados

FOA Adds Fiber Optic Network Design in Spanish

FOA School News

Need A Fiber Optic Course Onsite? Invite an FOA School To Come To You

Fiber U On-The-Job Training (OJT) Program

Like other FOA programs, the OJT-To-Cert program is free. If you and/or your company is interested in the FOA OJT-To-Cert program, contact FOA.

To explain how OJT works and FOA's OJT-To-Cert program, FOA created a short video: Lecture 62: On The Job Training For Fiber Optics Using Fiber U     

FOA Direct Certification Program For Experienced Fiber Optic Techs

Experience Plus Online Study At Fiber U = FOA Certification

Fiber U "Basic Fiber Optics" Online Self-Study Course Now In Spanish

El curso de autoaprendizaje en línea "Fibra óptica básica" de Fiber U ahora en español

El sitio de aprendizaje en línea de FOA, Fiber U, tiene más de dos docenas de cursos de autoaprendizaje gratuitos sobre fibra óptica y cableado de instalaciones. Como era de esperar, el tema más popular es el curso "Fibra óptica básica", que se utiliza para iniciarse en la fibra óptica y como curso de preparación para realizar el examen de certificación FOA CFOT.

Ahora el curso básico de fibra óptica está disponible en español, utilizando el libro de texto FOA en español, la sección de la Guía en línea en español y la capacidad de YouTube para traducir subtítulos de video al español. El curso funciona exactamente como la versión en inglés con 10 lecciones, cada una con cuestionarios y una opción para tomar un examen de Certificado de finalización.

Para presentar el nuevo curso de español Fiber U, el examen Certificate of Completion es gratuito, así que dígaselo a sus contactos.

Curso Básico de Fibra Óptica de Fibra U en español.

New Fiber U Course: Fiber Characterization 
FOA has added a new course at Fiber U on Fiber Characterization. Fiber characterization is the process for testing long fiber cable plants for its ability for carrying high speed communications. With so many networks now operating at 100, 200, 400 or even 800 Gb/s, fiber characterization is important, especially on older fiber optic cable plants.The free Fiber U Fiber Characterization course is available in two forms, as a standalone Fiber U fiber Characterization Course with its own Fiber U Certificate of Completion and as a separate Lesson in the Fiber U Fiber Optic Testing course. This course is recommended for those studying for the FOA CFOS/FC Fiber Characterization certification.

Fiber U MiniCourses: Got An Hour Or Less? Learn Something New About Fiber Optics.

What Fiber Techs Don't Know -

What We Learn From FOA Certification Tests

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.

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.

Cross Reference Guide to Textbooks, Online Guide and Fiber U

FOA Guide To Fiber Optic Workforce Development

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.

Read the FOA Guide To Fiber Optic Workforce Development online.

Latest FOA Book: Fiber Broadband (Paperback and Kindle)

More 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.

Planning A Fiber Optic Project?

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.

 

Bookmark this page (especially on your smartphone): FOA Loss Budget Calculator Online

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 .

 
 
 

 

Fiber Optics (4 languages), Premises Cabling, OSP fiber and construction, Network Design, Testing, FTTH Handbook and our latest - FIber Broadband

   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.

Click on any book for more information about it.

  

Fiber Optic Safety Poster to download and print

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.

Enhance your safety with the FOA Safety Vest.

There is a toll-free "call before you dig" number in the USA: Dial 811. See www.call811.com for more information in the US. Here is their map of resources by states.

In Canada, it's "Click Before You Dig.com" They also have a page of resources by US states and Canadian provinces.

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

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

Why We Warn You To Be Careful About Fiber Shards


Photo courtesy  Brian Brandstetter,  Mississauga Training Consultantcy

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

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 FOA Logo Merchandise

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

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!

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.