New Certification on Outside Plant Fiber Optics, New Textbook, Too Alternative Energy - and Fiber What Does It Take To Upgrade FTTH to Gigabit Speeds? New Titanic Expedition To Film in 3D Over Fiber Did You Know You Have A Fiber Optic Tester In Your Pocket? NEW: FOA Jobs Web Site FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide-NEW OSP Section New Schools Tech Topics Q&A: Questions we've answered recently. Product News Worth Reading: Interesting things we've read.
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It's now CFOT® The FOA CFOT® (Certified Fiber Optic Technician) is now a registered trademark. With over 25,000 fiber optic techs holding CFOTs and the CFOT being recognized worldwide as the foremost certification in fiber optics, the FOA realized the value of the CFOT required trademark protection. Now it's official! Want to know more about fiber optics? Free Self-Study Program on "Fiber U." Looking for specific information? Study for FOA certifications? Here's the largest technical reference on the web: The FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide. New FOA Reference Books (Printed or eBooks!)FOA Home Page Contact the FOA |
| Renew your FOA certification online - plus get a discount coupon for the new FOA books and get an extra month free. Details here. |
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| New FOA Technical Information and New Ways to View/Read It This summer has been busy for us here at the FOA. Last month we announced our third reference book on OSP fiber optics (see below.) This month, the FOA adds more new information for your reference: New OSP Reference Section on the FOA Reference Guide website Joining our basic fiber optics and premises cabling sections on the FOA Reference Guide website is a new outside plant reference section that covers materials like that in our new textbook. The material is ready for use and will be followed shortly by a self-study guide. Both the OSP textbook and website are being prepared as references for the new FOA CFospT outside plant technician certification, due this fall. Do You Have an Apple iPad or Amazon Kindle? FOA has a book for you! The basic FOA textbook, FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics, is now available on the Apple Store for the iPad and iPhone for $11.95. It is also available on the Amazon Kindle for only $9.95! If you already have one of these devices, you know how great they are for storing and reading books, and they are even better for reference books like FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics since you can bookmark important passages and add notes on each page. If you already have an iPad and iPhone, you know all about apps. You might have enen thought about how some basic fiber works might make a good app - well, we have thought that too. Keep watching this space for the news on new FOA projects! Installation Videos Now on  The FOA has established a You Tube channel "thefoainc" to post free installation videos for fiber optics and premises cabling. We already had some fiber videos online, but they are using old technology and needed updating. We started on YouTube with a subject we get requests for often - UTP copper termination for the FOA premises cabling certification (CPCT) and will be adding lots of fiber videos shortly.  Here is the FOA YouTube channel. FOA Prepares Certification On Outside Plant Fiber Optics, Publishes New Reference Textbook The FOA CFOT, a basic fiber optic certification that has been available for almost 15 years that has been achieved by almost 31,000 fiber optic techs, covers all applications of fiber optics. CFOTs work in all fields of fiber optics - a fact recognized when the certification was created. Thus the requirements for CFOTs are flexible and training programs reflect that - they can be aimed at particular applications like OSP, premises, military, manufacturing, security, etc. and still qualify for the CFOT. With the CPCT premises cabling certification, the FOA focused on an application that includes fiber as well as copper cabling and wireless. Now with the CFospT outside plant certification, the FOA focuses squarely on OSP fiber optic network design, installation and maintentance. A CFospT certified tech must know the ways that fiber is used in the OSP, how it is installed, tested and maintained. While a CFOT might only have a basic knowlede of fusion splicing and OTDR testing, for example, a CFospT will be knowledgeable and skillful in those areas - and more. Watch for more information on the FOA Outside Plant Fiber Optic Technician (CFospT) certification. FOA Reference Guide to Outside Plant Fiber Optics  The FOA has published a new textbook on outside plant fiber optics, the FOA Reference Guide to Outside Plant Fiber Optics. This textbook is designed to be used for training outside plant fiber optic technicians, studying for the new FOA OSP certification and as a reference guide for anyone interested in outside plant fiber optics. The book is available from the FOA eStore or Amazon.com for only $27.95 and will soon be available on the Apple iPad and Amazon Kindle electronic book reader. Outside plant (OSP) fiber optics covers a giant topic, including applications like telephone and wireless backhaul, CATV, municipal networks, utility “smart grid” and the like - which is why it's 30% larger than our basic fiber book, the FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics. The book covers all types of OSP installations including underground, buried, aerial and submarine along with the specialized components, installation techniques and testing requirements for these applications. This new FOA textbook is the third in a series of reference guides from the FOA covering basic fiber optics, premises cabling (fiber, copper and wireless) and now outside plant fiber optic cabling. Supplementary materials with even more depth on many subjects, are, of course, on the FOA Reference Guide website in the new OSP reference section. The FOA Reference Guide to Outside Plant Fiber Optics will be used as the new reference guide for training students for the FOA Certified Outside Plant Fiber Optic Technician (CFospT) certification. The FOA Reference Guide to Outside Plant Fiber Optics, ISBN: 1450559670, is available at the FOA eStore or Amazon.com for $27.95. Coming soon as an iBook and on the Kindle. Want to know more about OSP? There's a magazine for that - and a trade show, running this fall in San Antonio. OSPExpo
  There are many alternative energy projects today, many using solar and wind energy to generate electrical power. Solar is more than photovoltaics, since in the Mojave Desert the sun is strong enough to generate steam to drive conventional generators. Nearby, wind moves giant propellers that also generate electricity. And both have one thing in common, they require continual computer control to maximize their outputs - and their controls are connected over fiber optics. One solar farm has over 750 miles of fiber. The utility running it will train its own techs using FOA certification. What Does It Take To Upgrade FTTH to Gigabit Speeds? Just some software, according to Verizon. Verizon successfully completed a trial of 1 Gb/s connectivity over its FiOS infrastructure to an existing FiOS business customer in June in Taunton, Mass., using existing gigabit passive optical network equipment from Motorola. Connected Planet. New Titanic Expedition To Film in 3D Over Fiber The discovery of the Titanic shipwreck in 1986 by Dr. Robert Ballard and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute was facilitated by the use of optical fiber to tether the remote-piloted exploration vehicle Jason. Now almost 25 years later, the Woods Hole crew is going back, using newer video (and fiber) technology to explore the Titanic in higher resolution and in 3D. The expedition is now onsite and posting daily photos on the Woods Hole website (Aug 22). Here is the official expedition website. Did You Know You Have A Fiber Optic Tester In Your Pocket? Yes! The camera in your cell phone is sensitive to infrared light - lots more than your eye - and can detect light in an optical fiber or from a transmitter. Chris Hillyer,CFOT/CFOS/I, Master Instructor, Northern California Sound & Communication JATC sent us some photos showing how this works. See below.
   We have created three new FOA books to be used in training for FOA certifications and as reference books for contractors, installers and end users of fiber optics. These books have full curriculum support, including free curriculum materials for teaching FOA certification courses. Because we are self-publishing these books using more modern "publish on demand" technology, they are easier to keep up to date, easier to buy and much, MUCH cheaper! Details on the new book each of the new books are at the book pages linked to the photos above. FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide New OSP reference section, Polarity The FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide has become very popular - perhaps the most popular technical website ever, typically with over 30,000 users monthly! We continue updating materials regularly, keeping it as up to date as possible. Just this month, we added a page on "polarity" for fiber optic networks. Although it seems obvious that connecting transmitters to receivers is required, how it's accomplished can be confusing! We already updated the Premises Cabling sections in conjunction with publishing the FOA Premises Textbook and are now focused on outside plant applications (OSP) with a new OSP reference section. We've already added a new page on chromatic dispersion (CD) and polarization-mode dispersion (PMD). Next we're working on cables for OSP applications and splicing. Find What You Want Using "Google Custom Search  There's so much information on the FOA Tech Topics and Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide
that even a well-organized Table of Contents isn't enough and when the
material is always changing, an index is impossible to maintain. So the
FOA is using the latest technology in search, Google Custom Search,
which will allow you to search just the FOA Tech Topics and Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide for any topic you want to find more about. Try it! Go to The FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide. Welcome New FOA-Approved Schools: San Diego JATC, San Diego, CA Find a listing of all the FOA-Approved schools here. What Should A Fiber Optics or Cabling Tech Know and What Skills Do They Need? The FOA has been updating its lists of KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities) for fiber and cabling techs. The updated list is now on the website for your information and comments - as fiber and cabling KSAs evolve as new technologies develop. KSAs for fiber and cabling techs. It's Now A Lot Easier To Find A FOA-Approved Training Organization  Most phone calls we get regarding finding a FOA-Approved training organization want to know two things: what school is closest to me or what school offers the certifications I need. That can be difficult, since the FOA has almost 200 training organizations we have approved worldwide! We've been looking at ways to make it easier, and we think we've got a good solution. In fact we have two solutions. First we have added a sortable table of all the FOA-Approved schools. You can also use our FOA Google Map Application to find FOA-Approved schools. Here are links to the sortable table of all the FOA-Approved schools and FOA Google Map. Good Question! Tech Questions Worth Repeating Using OM3-OM4 Fiber Q: We're currently in the process of linking up 2 locations through a fiber connection. The network has a speed of 100 Mbps. The switches at both ends are <company> switches, and the optic ports are SFPs plugged into these switches. <company> states that their switches work with OM1, OM2 and OM3 fibers. As a side note, they mention that they do not use SFPs with VSCEL technology at this time. My question is, Even though the SFPs do not support VSCEL, can we use an OM3 type of cable to link up the 2 locations? A:Any multimode fiber will work with LEDs or VCSELs. The design of laser-optimized fibers (OM3 and now OM4 - see http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/basic/fiber.html) is simply to refine the graded-index profile to reduce modal dispersion, necessary for using VCSELs at 1 Gb/s and above. LEDs work perfectly well in these fibers. LEDs are not used in faster networks than 100-200 MB/s simply because LEDs are not fast enough - the devices themselves have limited bandwidth, and they suffer badly from chromatic dispersion (also in that link above). OM3 fiber is more costly than OM2 (and about the same as OM1), but if the intention is to ever upgrade to higher speeds, it's a good investment. Some source manufacturers have recommended customers only use VCSELs as they are so cheap! dB - What does it mean, exactly? Q: In FRG to Fiber Optics Pg 51 it states "For example, the loss of ............only 1 dB/km. That means at 850nm, half the light is lost in 1km, while only 20% is lost at 1300nm" Does that mean half of the transmitted power is lost when transmiiting at 850nm? How do you derive the 20%? A: 3 dB is a ratio of 50% in power, so a loss of 3 dB means the power is lower by 50% at the end of 1 km of fiber. Likewise, it's down another 50% to 25% of the starting amount at the end of the second km, and so on. At 1300 nm, the loss is only 1 dB or about 20%, so there is 80% of the initial power level at 1 km, 64% at the end of the second km (0.8 x 0.8 = 0.64) and so on. You can calculate dB from power by using dB = 10 log (power ratio) The FOA Online Reference Guide has a page on measuring optical power (http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/testing/test/power.html) that has an Excel Spreadsheet that calculates dB/power ratio and dBm/milliwatts) so you can calculate the actual values. Reference Textbook Q: There is a 4th edition of the Fiber Optic Technicians Manual published just recently. Isn't that a FOA book? Why is it not listed as a reference for the FOA certifications? A: The FOA wrote the FOTM in 1997 and has used it as the reference book for FO training until this year. When the price of the FOTM 3rd edition nearly reached $100, the FOA decided it was too expensive for our own training, although we had just sent the publisher the updates for the 4th edition. We decided to created our own references and self-publish, cutting out the high costs of the publisher. Now we have our own books at a fraction of the previous costs, even cheaper as eBooks on the Kindle or iPad, plus a complete website with online study guides. The FOA curriculum materials and exams were not updated for FOTM 4th ed. and references to FOTM 3rd ed will be gone at the end of the year. Loss Budgets Q: have a question about loss budgets. Should you count the last connector, because you only get a loss if you mate the pair. If the link plugs directly into a machine then are the last connectors counted? A: This question arises occasionally because the copper equivalents offer two options, with and without connections on the end. However, fiber convention is only to consider an installed fiber optic cable as a permanent link, This is because 1) it is necessary to connect the fiber in the link being tested with a source with attached launch cables to be able to establish test conditions and a meter with attached receive cable to test the connector on the receive end. 2) The permanent link will be used with patchcords which means the reference cables emulate real usage including the loss of the end connectors. 3) Systems manufacturers and standards committees (e.g. Ethernet) define their loss budgets based on a test which includes the loss of the connectors on each end, with usage including patchcords that provide transmitter and receiver coupling. 4) You never test by just connecting a source and meter, with the rare exception of connectors that are not designed for mating, like some POF connectors, where you use a cable substitution test. Even if we have a cable that is used to connect to equipment directly without patchcords, the convention to include the loss of end connectors is followed, otherwise there is no way to verify the quality of those connectors. We cover this specifically in the book, eg on the top of page 132 of the FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics, on the web pages and in all the examples. Fiber Cleaning This is a topic we keep reminding everybody about, and here is why: From a contrator in the Middle East: Here some samples of the connectors for SM fiber already installed in the system we were testing.   As you can see, the dirt is large compared to the size of the fiber (dark gray), and the core (not visible here) is only 9/125 of the overall diameter of the fiber! See Product News below for links to vendors of fiber cleaning products. Measurement Uncertainty: Everyone testing fiber optics should understand that every measurement has some uncertainty - whether you are measuring loss, length, wavelength, power, etc. Knowing that uncertainty is very important to interpreting the measurement. It's worthwhile to read and understand the issue of measurement accuracy covered in this page of the FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide. Worth Reading: Fiber Optic Safety Poster We've had numerous requests to reprint our guidelines on safety when working with fiber optics, so we have created a "Safety Poster" for you to print and post in your classroom, worksite, etc. We suggest giving a copy to every student and installer. Woodstock Goes FTTH - Woodstock Telephone Company in Minnesota, that is. Delivering up to 75 Mb/s over a 450 square mile service area. (TellLabs) Computing at the Speed of Light Replacing metal wiring with fiber optics could change everything from supercomputers to laptops. MIT Technology Review. Webinars of Interest Broadcast Engineering Magazine - Fiber Optic Testing FOA President Jim Hayes presents an overview of fiber optic testing for all applications. Available on Demand. Sign up here. Multimode Fiber Trends from TIA's Fiber Optics LAN Section Ryan Chappell, Draka Communications, looks at the evolution of multimode fiber, examines its current usage and shares predictionson its future Available on-demand at: http://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/7182/play OSP Magazine Webinars OSP Magazine (OSP as in outside plant telco) is now offering a number of interesting webinars that cover fiber topics, including network design and specialized components. http://www.ospmag.com/events/web/ Multimode Fiber Characterization Launch Condition Considerations - new ap note from JDSU The lost souls of telecommunications history If you like techie history, you will enjoy this one. Arstechnica Cell Phones Bring Down 10Gb/s Cat 6A Networks? According to this Tyco Electronics report, cell phones and walkie-talkies can cause enough interference in UTP cables to bring down network transmission. Wouldn't happen with fiber, but they're also selling shielded copper. JDSU Reference Guide to Fiber Optic Testing – Volume 2 Published  The second volume of the JDSU series on fiber optic testing has been published. Volume 1 focused on Basic Fiber testing and Volume 2 is geared toward fiber optic installers, project managers, telecom technicians and engineers who need to understand fiber networks. Volume 2 also covers Chromatic Dispersion, Polarization Mode Dispersion, Attenuation Profile and Fiber Link and Network Characterization. A 3rd volume, a glossary of fiber optic terms, is also available for download. This is a "MUST HAVE" for all fiber optic techs. Download your free copies here. We used this book as one of our references in creating a new page in the FOA Online Reference Guide on chromatic dispersion (CD) and polarization-mode dispersion (PMD). Careers in Fiber Optics: Brian Smith. A 1998 book on fiber optic jobs is a bit dated, but a free overview is on Google Books and worth a look at it online. Dirt! As much as 70% of the problems associated with deploying fiber to the home result from something as simple as dirty connectors according to JDSU. Telephony Online. Good Technical Websites American Polywater (http://www.polywater.com/) has one of the best technical website for cable installers. Here is a rundown on some new material on their site. Cable Installation using "Push" or "Push/Pull" Polywater's new Pull-Planner™ 3000 Software allows a "pushing force" variable in pulling tension calculations. Read a White Paper that quantifies the push contribution and compares calculation results to field experience. -- http://www.polywater.com/pushing.pdf Pulling Cable Through Water? Read a Product Spotlight on Polywater® + Silicone™, Polywater's new generation underground lubricant. Continued reduction of friction when pulling through water is only one of the unique features of this lubricant. -- http://www.polywater.com/NNNBSL.pdf Check out their website, especially “Videos,” “Engineer’s Corner” and “Calculators.” http://www.polywater.com/NNNBSL.pdf  " Heard on the Street" is a monthly online newsletter from Frank Bisbee of Communications Planning Corporation that covers the telecommunications and cabling businesses. Each month includes news from manufacturers, trade associations and professional societies like the FOA. You can read the current issue and back issues online.  JDSU has announced the See the Light webinar series, a four-part program designed for anyone involved in the installation, maintenance, and repair of fiber optic systems. It begins with fiber inspection and cleaning and then covers the basics of fiber testing. The webinar series then continues with the more advanced optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) and fiber local area network (LAN) testing challenges. More information on the series. IGI is offering a series of webinars on topics of interest to those in the communications industry. You can join them live ir download from the archives. IGI WEBINAR ARCHIVES UP AND RUNNING - VISIT TELECOMBRIEFINGS.COM TO DOWNLOAD! IGI, a major market research and technology reporting company (the "Active Optical Cables" below) is offering a a free one year subscription to one of our fiber optics newsletters to FOA members. All they have to do is to send IGI an e-mail stating which newsletter they would like to get. See http://www.igigroup.com/nl.html for a listing of IGI Newsletters. A Fiber Optic Tester In Your Pocket? Yes! The camera in your cell phone is sensitive to infrared light - lots more than your eye - and can detect light in an optical fiber or from a transmitter. Chris Hillyer,CFOT/CFOS/I, Master Instructor, Northern California Sound & Communication JATC sent us some photos showing how this works and the following description.   "Your cell phone camera's image sensor can read IR light. It uses this technology to help take pictures at night. In the advanced audio and CCTV field they have been using the smart phone camera to trouble shoot problems in IR communications. The human eye cannot see the IR light emitted by let’s say a remote control. Well up until now we would always say that the remote is out of batteries, or either the IR transmitter or IR receiver was not working properly. Now we can use your smart phone camera to see the IR light emitted by the IR transmitter. All you have to do is turn on your camera function on your smart phone and hold it up the remote control and push any button. The cameras screen will show the IR light. Now back to Fiber Optics. If you follow the same principals of the last paragraph, let’s say you wanted to check if a fiber port was energized. You can either use the card that is supposed to show you in a few seconds that the port was hot. Or you could plug in your meter, in this case it takes some time to find the card or if you don’t have your meter handy. Just pull out your smart phone turn on the camera and hold it over the port. If it is hot you will see a bluish white dot in the fiber bulk head (see attached pictures)." We tried this ourselves and found our camera phone very sensitive at 850 nm but as expected less so at 1300 nm, like all semiconductor detectors. Our phone could still see 1300 nm sources at around -20 dBm, making it very useful even for LED sources, and of course, perfect for lasers. OFSTP-14 is DEAD! Long Live OFSTP-14! OFSTP-14 is, of course, the TIA standard for testing installed multimode fiber optic cable plants which has been around more than 20 years and is the one TIA standard probably most familiar to contractors and installers. It has been due for updating, but TIA has been replacing many US-written standards with the equivalent international documents. The TIA has adopted IEC 61280-4-1 as the replacement of OFSTP-14. Most of the two documents is the same, with some important exceptions.
The FOA reference website is now online. New sections have been added on Outside Plant Fiber Optics, fusion splicing and mechanical splicing. Check out the current Table of Contents. This month, we added a page on "polarity" for fiber optic networks. Coming soon to a network near you - 40 and 100 gigabit/sec Ethernet! The IEEE is already working on specs for 40 and 100 gigabit/sec Ethernet and have approved a number of new PMDs (that's standards-speak for Physical Medium Dependent - i.e. cabling). A summary of the proposals is on the updated list of network specs at http://www.thefoa.org/tech/Linkspec.htm.
End-Of Summer Sale on FO Toolkits at TTTP Save 25-40% off Advanced Fiber Solutions fiber optic installation toolboxes with test equipment. Go here. But it means changes in the way you test with it! Corning announced that effective April 1, 2010, ClearCurve® multimode optical fiber will become its standard 50-micron multimode fiber product offering. "ClearCurve multimode fiber is the world’s first laser-optimized, high-bandwidth, multimode fiber to withstand tight bends at 7.5 mm radius with substantially less signal loss than traditional multimode fibers. ClearCurve multimode optical fiber was first introduced by Corning in Jan. 2009 and has been validated through broad customer acceptance of the product. Traditionally, when an optical cable experiences tight bends, some of the light can escape from the fiber core and part of the signal can be lost. Corning ClearCurve multimode fiber is designed to keep the light in the fiber core, even under tight bends, and better maintain the integrity of the optical fiber signal. “Corning’s 50-micron multimode fiber customers will now benefit from superior bend performance. This will result in faster and more efficient optical cable routing and installation, and significantly higher spare operating margin, at no additional cost,” said Martin J. Curran, senior vice president and general manager, Corning Optical Fiber. Corning ClearCurve multimode fiber meets or exceeds the OM2, OM3 and OM4 industry standards for high-bandwidth, laser-optimized multimode fiber. Corning will demonstrate the performance of ClearCurve multimode optical fiber from March 23-25, 2010, at OFC/NFOEC in San Diego. Detailed product specifications are available at www.corning.com/clearcurve." When You Test... Most standards call for a "mandrel wrap" mode conditioner on your launch cable. The Corning announcement made us wonder what happens with this bend-insensitive fiber if you wrap it around a standard mandrel - it should not act the same as regular 50/125 fiber. We contacted our friend the Marketing Manager for the product at Corning and he confirmed our suspicions. The difference in the bend sensitivity of the fiber requires a much smaller mandrel, only 6 mm in diameter, to have the same effect. This is detailed in Corning Application Engineering Note "Multimode Fiber Considerations for Test Jumpers, AEN 131, Revision 2" available from Corning. Add OCC to the list of cable manufacturers offering "bend-tolerant" cables. Draka too.(Lightwave) AFL Introduces 3 new Noyes OTDRs(Lightwave).
They're still being used for high power laser delivery - up to 80-100W! Seikoh Giken has even introduced some new ones. Used Test Equipment – Buy or Sell http://www.testequipmentconnection.com/ Have you read the FOA Tech Topics on Cleaning? More links on cleaning: Cleantex Alco Pads FTTH or FTTC? That's the competition between Verizon FiOS and and AT&T U-Verse. The graph below, courtesy of IGI from their ecent report, “FiOS vs. U-verse; Architecture, Marketing, and Technical Considerations,” shows FiOS ahead but the gap narrowing as Verizon winds down their extremely aggressive FTTH program.  Woodstock Goes FTTH - Woodstock Telephone Company in Minnesota, that is. Delivering up to 75 Mb/s over a 450 square mile service area. (TellLabs) Residents of Ashby de la Launde, a small village in Lincolnshire, UK, will soon be able to install 100-Mbps fiber-optic broadband into their homes via the FTTH network. Lightwave. Nearly 60 homes and three businesses have started on-site digging to connect to the FTTH network to be installed around the village. The project involves the community working together to establish a privately funded network. New Report : FTTH connections continue to grow in North America You can download and read the entire report from the FTTH council website. http://www.ftthcouncil.org/sites/default/files/RVA.FTTH_.Apr10.040712Final.pdf Testing FTTH JDSU shows how to test a PON with an OTDR: http://www.jdsu.com/other-literature/PON-OTDR_fop_an_ae.pdf US FTTH Connections Continue To Grow  According to a just released FTTH Council Report prepared by RVA, FTTH connections continue to grow in North America - 99% of which are in the US, but growth seems to be slowing, probably a consequence of the current economy. Much of the FTTH deployment in the US has been due to Verizon's $23 billion investment in FTTH, but the report noted that FTTH is now being deployed by more than 750 service providers across North America. Most of these service providers are small, independent telephone companies that are replacing their copper lines with end-to-end fiber to ensure their future competitiveness as broadband providers. Of the service providers not yet offering FTTH, a majority say they are likely to soon. You can download and read the entire report from the FTTH council website. http://www.ftthcouncil.org/sites/default/files/RVA.FTTH_.Apr10.040712Final.pdf David Chaffee's FTTH Prism Newsletter is Online (archives are at bottom of the linked page)
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What Is The FOA? Hear FOA President Jim Hayes tell the FOA Story in a 2-part interview by Sound & Video Contractor Contributing Editor Bennett Liles. It tells about the FOA history, goals and achievements. Part 1: http://svconline.com/podcasts/audio/fiber_optic_association_part1/index.html. Part 2 http://svconline.com/podcasts/audio/inside-fiber-optic-association2-0924/index.html. |
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Digging Safely (Read the FOA Tech Topic) There is a new toll-free "call before you dig" number: 811 See www.call811.com for more information National Fiber Optic Protection Summit: By the "811" group. March, 2008 in Vegas.
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New FOA Jobs Website We get many questions from CFOTs, students at FOA-Approved schools and others contemplating getting into the fiber optic business regarding jobs in fiber optics - and how to find them - so we’ve created a new web page to share some information we've gathered about jobs in our industry. The information is designed to help you understand what jobs are available in fiber optics, how to find them and apply for them. While the overall economy is pretty bad - you've probably heard that there are 5 times as many people unemployed in the US as there are jobs available, telecom is a bright spot - broadband is a major focus of stimulus spending in the US and countries around the world are building fiber networks as fast as possible. Even wireless companies have to build fiber for their backhaul. Cities are installing fiber linked surveillance cameras and smart traffic lights. Fiber is the link making Smart Grid possible. Companies like Allied Fiber are building large private networks. Telecom is one of the fastest growing businesses worldwide. If you are looking for a job in fiber optics, here is the FOA's guide to jobs. The FOA has created a group on
expressly to help our CFOTs find employment and contracting
opportunities. If you are a CFOT and are interested in participating,
join us on . If you have job openings, let us post them on .A list of 10 ways to get your resume noticed from Marketplace on NPR Jobs Created As Part of Stimulus-Funded Projects The federal government is spending 7.2 billion dollars on the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. This money is working it's way into the economy and hopefully will provide jobs. You can track recovery dollars and look for job opportunities on this website: www.recovery.gov Go to "opportinities" link then "jobs". You will see a section “find recovery jobs” – enter “fiber optic jobs California” or wherever you are and review what comes up. Infrastructure Installation Technician (8/2010) Perform installation, termination and assist in signal loss testing of Fiber Optic SM and MM, Categories 3, 5 and 6, RG6 and RG11 cabling to industry standards and NSA specifications. Have working knowledge of both Single Mode and Multi Mode MTRJ, FC, LC, SC and ST fiber connections, shielded twisted pair copper (STP), and Un-shielded twisted pair copper (UTP) RJ-45 connections, RG6, RG11 connectors and wire wrap connections. Experience with and capable of installation of metallic and plastic conduit _” up to 2”, communications racks, cable tray, and grounding with supervision. Will be required to assist in the installation, removal of network devices in communications racks including switches, routers, fiber shelves, and cryptographic equipment, etc. Safe operations and use of hand and power tools. Must be capable of lifting 65 lbs. Perform end user equipment installation in an office environment to include multiple CPU and monitor interconnection using analog and digital switching devices, printers, plotters, faxes, analog, digital and IP phones, digital senders, etc. with minimal supervision. BS degree required or 3 additional years of experience. 1-3 Years of experience. Fiber Optic (CFOT) certification preferred. Experience working with the Military is a plus. This position requires a TS/SCI Security Clearance. Travel required. An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Michael Bagford Technical Recruiter Scientific Research Corporation 1101 Remount Road, Suite 500 North Charleston, SC 29406 803-548-5811 mbagford@scires.com www.scires.com Manager System Test Verification: Reporting to the VP of Engineering - 8/2010 http://executive-advantage.com/Zhone_MSTV The ideal Manager, Systems Test Verification candidate must possess +8 years of complex hands on telecommunications Data/IP systems industry experience within the telecommunications capital equipment industry to include +5 years direct system test engineering management experience. This individual must possess a working knowledge of TDM networks and practical experience in deploying triple play services (data, video, voice) and includes how to troubleshoot fiber related issues as well as how to use tools for testing data, voice, and video services in a lab environment. As an engineer possessing strong engineering skills, this individual must be a domain expert in GPON with associated expertise in OMCI technologies and SNMP PON Management protocols. This individual is currently in a Systems Test Verification like role within the telecommunications Data/IP carrier access capital equipment industry. Also open to candidates possessing large Tier-1 Telco Provider Lab Trial experience. Michael A. Rothstein Managing Principal Executive Advantage Group Direct: 503-372-9084 mrothstein@executive-advantage.com Executive-Advantage.com Fiber/Communications Field Technician (7/2010) Fast paced communications cabling company in Glendale needs an individual with experience in the field of fiber optics installation and testing. Candidates must have experience in working with OTDR's and Fluke DTX testers and must know fusion splicing. Need good communication, leadership and customer service skills. Please call our human resources department at 818-241-6009 x 219 or email resumes to hr@pinnacleinc.com Pinnacle Networking Services SALES REPRESENTATIVE OPENING AT DIAMOND USA (7-10) SUMMARY: Promotes and sells Diamond USA products within New England & NY to all markets as outlined in the corporate marketing plan. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Compiles lists of prospective customers for use as sales leads, based on contacts given from Diamond USA sales office, information from newspapers, business directories, industry ads, trade shows, Internet Web sites, and other sources. Travels throughout New England & NY to call on regular and prospective customers to solicit orders, or talks with customers on sales floor or by phone. Maintains personal contact with key customers in assigned markets. Displays or demonstrates product, using samples or catalog, and emphasizes features and benefits. Quotes prices and credit terms and prepares sales contracts for orders obtained in conjunction with inside sales representatives and/or New Business Development Manager. Communicates date of delivery to customer, based on information given by inside sales representatives. Develops and maintains relationships with purchasing contacts. Investigates and resolves customer problems with deliveries. Attends trade shows as assigned. Participates in sales meetings as requested, offering information on trends in historical product sales. Recommends pricing strategies and promotional programs for key customers in assigned territory. Assists in developing sales plans and strategies for review and approval. May be required to host visiting customers at Diamond USA facility or Diamond SA. Frequently communicates with New Business Development Manager to discuss business activity and reports expected sales trends that may influence buying patterns. Prepares reports of business transactions and keeps expense accounts. Works with inside sales representatives to keep account activities and literature up to date. Reviews and enters new customer data and other sales data for current customers into computer database. Handles any other duties so prescribed by the New Business Development Manager. QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: College degree or equivalent experience. Minimum of 5 years technical sales experience, preferably with fiber optics products or a related field. OTHER REQUIREMENTS: Valid state motor vehicle operator's license. Willingness to travel extensively in assigned territory. Strong communication skills-verbal, presentation, and writing. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization. MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry. REASONING ABILITY: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. FAX OR EMAIL RESUME TO: Steve Bullis Manager of Sales and Technical Support Fax: 978-256-3362 sbullis@diausa.com Engineering/Project Manager-Fiber Optics (7-10) Linden Photonics is a small company that develops technologies related to the fiber optic markets. Specializing in fiber optics and using novel extrusion/molding techniques for thermoplastics, Linden focuses on military and other harsh environment markets. They are currently searching for a full time employee to fill an important position in this growing small business. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in engineering and project management. This position will be largely responsible for handling the management and execution of a 2+ year contract to develop a specialty product. Job duties will include product development, managing a network of subcontractors, and successful commercialization of the finished product. Additional job duties will include growing the commercial side of the business and may include some technical sales and a small amount of travel. 5 to 10 years experience in manufacturing and a BS in an engineering or equivalent technical degree is desired. Knowledge/experience of fiber optics is essential. Experience with distribution and/or disposables/consumables fiber optic market is a plus. Must display entrepreneurial qualities and have a proven record of analytically solving specific engineering problems. For more information on Linden Photonics, check out on the web at www.LindenPhotonics.com Please send resumes to Stephen O’Riorden, Director of Business Development at so@lindenphotonics.com Do listings in the FOA Newsletter Work? Here's feedback: "We did great! We have over 15 interviews next week." Thanks, David Swales, Jr.
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When stripping fiber for termination or splicing, do you strip the cladding off the fiber?
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 on this site 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! |
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Remember To Renew Your Certification ! Remember
to renew your FOA certification. All current CFOTs have a ID Card with
their certification data and we keep a database of current CFOTs to
answer inquiries regarding your qualifications if needed. You must be a
current FOA member and CFOT to participate in our online
database of installers, contractors, technicians and consultants.
If you forgot to renew, use the online application
form to renew NOW! You can now renew your FOA certification online - and get an extra month free. Details here. |
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See the FOA Reference Guide for more info. (C)1999-20010, The Fiber Optic Association, Inc. |
JDSU offers a free download of
their Testing Guide from the Lightwave website. This is one great book
which explains some basic fiber technology, but the real value is the
last half which deals with OTDR testing. Not only does it give the
usual info, but it covers important topics like measurement
uncertainties and anomolies like ghosts and gainers. 
FOA Logo Merchandise
