Report From OFC
The Optical Fiber Communications Conference was held earlier this
month in Los Angeles. We attended the exhibition and the
conference Executive Forum session on marketing and technology for
executives. Last year the big news was the rollout of 40Gb/s
systems for long distance links and Google's commitment to
singlemode fiber in the data center to support 100G. We talked to
the Google people again and they reiterated their commitment to
singlemode for 100G, except instead of using 1010G WDM, they now
are moving on to 4X25G WDM at a lower cost. Facebook also made a
presentation and they are almost the opposite of Google,
preferring to use the least expensive commercial solutions for
their data centers rather than develop proprietary equipment. Two
different approaches, both valid.
While the data people are looking at short 100G links, telcos and
long distance providers are looking at long 100G links. In order
to get reasonable performance, they are having to use much more
complicated (and expensive) coherent transmission systems. These
systems are so complex and expensive, some users are saying they
are only cost-effective for long haul links and too expensive for
metropolitan usage. Others, Verizon included, say they will use
100G coherent systems in metro as early as next year. It's
something to watch.
On the more mundane level, there were what seemed to be hundreds
of exhibitors offering connectors, patchcords and other passive
components, but we saw nothing outstanding. We did see this neat
gadget from FiberLaunch,
a launch cable for OTDRs on a portable reel.
FOA Standards: Why Are We Creating Standards?
Since the FOA announced that we were creating standards, the
response has been very positive to the idea, but we have gotten a
few comments like "Why does the world need any more standards?"
That's a good question.
Here at the FOA, we get calls and emails all the time with
technical questions. Most questions concern problems with fiber
optic installations. Some questions are about how to design or
install networks, but the majority are about testing. Most of the
questions can be answered by referring the caller to an industry
standard or helping them interpret them. But that is becoming more
difficult as standards are always changing.
Discussions regarding the need for these standards led us to
conclude that our members, mainly contractors, designers,
installers and network users, were often not the audience for most
standards. The most common standards are written by manufacturers
of communications and cabling equipment for themselves, to ensure
interoperability of their components and ensure acceptance in the
marketplace. Installation of these products is covered briefly, if
at all, in most standards, being left to the manufacturers making
the products to explain installation to their customers. And most
manufacturers do that well.
A second and sometimes bigger problem is that standards are
written for future products and applications, sometimes years in
the future. A recent comment on LinkedIn by the 10G Ethernet
Alliance noted that it has been two years since the ratification
of 40G and 100G Ethernet and 10 years since 10G was approved, yet
wide scale deployment of 10G still hasn't happened. The new
version of the standard for testing multimode fiber cable plants
approved several years ago was aimed at supporting cable plants
for 10/40/100G networks, but in a rush to publish the standard, an
unproven technology was included that may not be applicable to all
networks. Recent reports say new cable plant standards may drop
OM1 and OM2 fibers saying they are inadequate for future networks.
Certainly standards are the best guide to understanding how to
design and install new networks with maximum future capability.
But what do you do about network users with lots of fiber who just
need to expand their systems, or applications not demanding of the
highest performance cabling like CCTV video cameras, security
systems or industrial networks using low speed hardware that can
run on any fiber. These networks are not likely to be torn out to
replace cables with state of the art fiber that is unnecessary.
Fiber and cable manufacturers tell us there is still strong sales
of OM1 (62.5/125) fiber, so it's certainly not obsolete!
In developing the FOA standards, we took the viewpoint of
contractors, designers, installers and network users dealing with
today's networks. We wrote the standards based on general usage
and leave it to those using them to establish any special
conditions necessary to deal with legacy or future fiber networks.
And of course, we welcome technical questions regarding how to use
these standards.
FOA now offers standards for testing the installed fiber optic
cable plant, patchcords and cable, optical power from transmitters
or at receivers and OTDR testing. Look for the "1
PageStandard" web page and in the FOA Online Reference
Guide.
Download the FOA 1Page Standards to your tablet or smartphone!
FOA Standards
For Contractors, Designers, Installers and Users
Read
more about them here. And above.
Go to the FOA
"1
Page Standards"
Two New Fiber U Online Self-Study Programs: Design and FTTx
FOA has added two new free online self-study programs to our Fiber
U web-based training site. The new programs cover topics that have
been requested often: "Fiber Optic Network Design" and "FTTx." The
Design course leads you through lessons on fiber optic network
design and planning, then concludes with several online design
exercises to test your understanding. The FTTx course has lesson
plans covering what the "x" in FTTx means, network architectures,
installation and testing, then concludes with a design exercise.
Both use the FOA Online Guide or our textbooks and our YouTube
videos as study materials. If you are interested in the FOA
Specialist Certifications in Design (CFOS/D) or FTTx (CFOS/H),
these are excellent study guides. See
Fiber U for links to the new courses.
We are considering using these self-study courses as part of
online instructor-led courses using Linked-In. We have a new
LinkedIn group, "Fiber Optic Training" (see below) which will be
used for this. Join now for these courses.
FOA Starts New LinkedIn Group
On Fiber Optic Training
FOA has started a new LinkedIn group called "Fiber Optic Training"
dedicated to discussions on fiber optic training, postings of
training courses and even hosting a new experiment, online
instructor-led courses. Anyone can join our new Linked In fiber
optic training group. Take
a look and join the group.
New: Read the
new FOA "Jobs Blogs" by Scott Coulter of APSI.
Where Are The
Communities That Have Their Own Broadband Networks?
Many communities in the US have decided to create their own
broadband networks, usually because their telco or CATV service
providers decided not to offer broadband services. There is a
website for the "Community Broadband Network" that has a great map
showing where these networks are being built. They also have a
very useful report "Breaking
the Broadband Monopoly" that is good reading for those
planning building their own community broadband network.
More
on The Community Broadband Network website.
Google Patents Lawn Edging
Fiber Ducts To Simplify FTTH Installation
Google is progressing on its Kansas City Gb/s FTTH project and has
applied for a patent on a device which could help installers of
FTTH everywhere. Instead of digging up the yard to install fiber,
Google has devises a device based on lawn edging that includes a
duct for fiber. Imaging it simply being pushed into the ground
beside a sidewalk.
The edging can be made in many
colors and patterns to allow it to be decorative or blend into
the scenery. Clever! Read
more.
Ship's Anchor Breaks East
African Submarine Cables
A ship waiting to enter the harbor at Mombassa, Kenya, anchored in
a restricted area in late February. Dragging its anchor caused a
break in a major submarine cable linking East Africa to the Middle
East. This is the submarine cable equivalent of "backhoe fade" but
is much harder to fix. A similar break occurred off the coast of
Egypt in 2008. Read
More.
Free For FOA Members: NECA/FOA 301 Fiber
Optic Installation Standard
Because of its importance to users,
contractors and installers of fiber optic networks, The FOA and
NECA have agreed to make the NECA/FOA
301 Fiber Optic Installation Standard available free to
FOA members.
Standards usually cover components and systems and how to test
them, but rarely get into installation issues. This standard is
derived from FOA educational material put in standards form and
approved by ANSI as an American National Standard. It's
specifically written to be used in contracts to define
"installation in a neat and workmanlike manner." FOA
members can go here for instructions on how to download your
free copy.
2012: The Year of The OTDR
Most of the technical and testing questions we get here at FOA
involve misunderstanding of OTDR testing. A number of FOA master
instructors have suggested we focus on OTDR training, both in our
schools and online, to minimize the problems, so we have declared
2012 "The Year of The OTDR." Look for special articles, a
new "1pStandard" and other information that will make these
instruments less enigmatic!
What Does A PON Network Look Like On An OTDR?
Take a look at these two traces from the same fiber link in
a real PON network.
Confusing isn't it? The top trace is downstream from the
central office to the user(s), while the bottom trace is upstream
from one user to the central office. The top trace is magnified to
show the detail from the end of the link, with the location of the
PON splitter marked, followed by the traces from each of the
connected homes. As you can see, looking downstream, after the
coupler, all the traces are superimposed, making any kind of
analysis almost impossible. When two traces are overlaid, you
cannot determine if a feature is in one of the fibers or the
other. Looking upstream from a user, you have a much clearer
picture of the link, including the fiber to the home you are
testing. Thus FTTx networks are generally tested with an OTDR
looking upstream.
More on
using OTDRs on FTTx networks is on our page on testing FTTx.
Three Good Practice Tools For
OTDRs, All Free
You may already know that
the FOA has a free OTDR Simulator you can download from our
website (go
here for directions) that allows you to practice using an
OTDR on your PC, seeing the effects of changing setup parameters
and analyzing dozens of real world traces. But here are two more
tools that can be good for practice.
AFS OTDR Online Demo
AFS has an online
interactive demo of their new OTDR that allows you to see how an
OTDR makes measurements. You use the yellow buttons in the center
of the OTDR to set the markers to make measurements. Very well
done. Go to http://www.afsi.us/otdr/otdr_mode.php
for the demo.
"Fiberizer" APP Reads, Analyzes OTDR Traces
Fiberizer is a iPhone/iPad APP that reads industry-standard
".sor" format files and allows trace analysis on your iPhone
or iPad. An android version is in the works too. Read
more about Fiberizer. And
here are more directions on its use.
OTDR Tip Of The Month:
The reflection from the connector on the OTDR can overwhelm
nearby features on a trace, so you need a launch cable. But wear
on that connector can make it worse, If possible use APC
connectors on SM OTDRs. And if you attach a short 10-15m cable to
the OTDR and leave it there, attaching your launch cable to the
end of that short cable, you can reduce the wear on that connector
and keep it in better condition.
Many of the technical questions we get here at the FOA deal
with OTDRs and many are problems caused by untrained operators
expecting the OTDR to do the trace interpretation for them. That
is almost always a recipe for disaster! If you are going to use
an OTDR, learn how to use it first. Start with the new Fiber U
OTDR self study course, "Understanding
OTDRs". You can also download the Free
FOA OTDR Simulator to practice analyzing traces.
The
Secret To Wireless Bandwidth Demands?
Fiber has practically unlimited bandwidth but wireless has
limited bandwidth. As you know from our articles in the FOA
Newsletter, they work well together, with fiber to the tower or
even up the tower to the antenna. Well, this Bell Labs cellular
wireless innovation is becoming available from parent
Alcatel-Lucent and may be the solution. It's designed to cover
small areas which means fewer users and less overall data demand.
Hook lots of these up on fiber (they only need a fiber and some
power) and you can provide much more wireless bandwidth.
This
article from MIT Technology Review has some other
interesting facts - like the usual coax connecting antennas on
towers to amplifiers on the ground loses half the power just going
up the tower!
Free FOA iPad App Calculates Loss
Budget
The FOA has just released its second APP for the
iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch, a free "loss budget
calculator," FOA LossCalc.
FOA LossCalc
FOA LossCalc estimates the optical loss of a fiber optic
link. This will save time for the installer of a fiber optic
link needing to know whether test results are reasonable
and/or make a "pass/fail" determination. It can also help
the designer of a link to determine if communications
equipment will operate over this link.
By choosing the type of link (singlemode or
multimode) and specifying the length of the fiber and
numbers of connections and splices, it will calculate the
end to end loss of the link. The app has default
specifications for singlemode and multimode links or the
user may create custom setups with specifications
appropriate for any application.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foa-losscalc/id476262894?mt=8&ls=1
More New Lectures on 
10 new lectures on premises cabling have been
added to the FOA YouTube channel along with lectures on
fiber to the home - FTTx - and Loss budgets, making 26 fiber
optic lectures total.
Here is a list of the current
lectures (plus there are 28 hands-on videos too!).
We're looking for ideas for topics for future lectures. Send
your ideas to <info@thefoa.org>.
Events of Interest
FOLS Webinar
LAN Standards, News & Trends:
2012 Update
Presented by Pete Pondillo, Standards Chair, TIA's Fiber
Optics LAN Section
Available
Online, Register Here
FIBERFEST - JUNE 13, 2012
Fiberfest is the one day conference/trade show run by the New
England Fiberoptic Council. This year the event will be colocated
with a FTTH Council meeting in Boston. Watch for details here or
on the NEFC
website.
AFL to Host "Traveling" Advanced Splicing Seminars
AFL has launched advanced splicing seminars intended for
engineers and professionals, as well as university students,
engaged in fiber optic activities involving non-standard and
specialty fusion splicing activities. Typical applications for
these advanced splicing needs are often in the Medical, Oil and
Gas, Fiber Lasers, Optical Manufacturing, and Aerospace markets.
These seminars will cover a wide range of applications and
solutions for difficult and challenging applications using
advanced fusion splicing platforms.
- Seminars will be held in around the US and
Canada.
- There is no charge for attending; however AFL will be
conducting pre-registration in order to ensure availability
of a proper facility depending upon the number of
attendees.
- Details on the seminar, a current schedule and signup
form are at http://www.stateofthearc.com/seminars/signup.html
Free Corning "See the Light" Seminars
Corning Cable Systems' See the Light team is coming to a city
near you! Receive Free fiber optic training on a variety
of topics including Termination Technology, Testing and Trouble
Shooting, Fusion Splicing, and Preterminated Solutions. These
interactive three-hour sessions provide students with a
comprehensive overview of the latest technology. Fiber optic
BICSI (CEC) credits apply (3).
Here
is the current information and schedule.
JDSU Testing Webinars
You are invited to join JDSU for a complimentary series of
educational webinars in early 2012. Each webinar, presented by a
JDSU subject matter expert, occurs on the same day and time of
the week and will last approximately one hour, including
Q&A.
Go
here to see the seminars offered and dates. IMPORTANT:
use registration password: FONA1.
Don't forget to download your copies
of the JDSU Testing Textbooks.
 What's
New @ FOA
FOA Standards
For Contractors, Designers, Installers and Users
Read
more about them here. And above.
Go to the FOA
"1
Page Standards"
FOA Certifications Recognized By US Department of Labor
All
FOA
Certifications have now been recognized by the US
Department of Labor. The DoL reviews certifications and
how they relate to job opportunities and training. The DoL
Career OneStop website helps individuals explore
career opportunities to make informed employment and
education choices. The Web site features user-friendly
occupation and industry information, salary data, career
videos, education resources, self-assessment tools,
career exploration assistance, and other resources that
support talent development in today's fast-paced global
marketplace.
FOA
Certifications Listed By US Department of Labor - Career OneStop
 New
Corporate Memberships
FOA is now offering corporate memberships to companies
involved in fiber optics as manufacturers, contractors,
installers, etc. Read
more. Among other benefits, Corporate Membership gives
companies access to special FOA materials for educating
customers and employees.
Two New Free Fiber U Self-Study
Programs on Design and FTTx
There are two new free online self-study
programs on Fiber
U. Fiber Optic Network Design is for those
interested in learning more about how ot design fiber optic
networks or studying for the CFOS/D certification. FTTx is for
those wanting to know more about fiber to the "x" - curb, home,
wireless, etc. - or studying for the CFOS/H
certification.
Got to Fiber
U for more information.
FOA Certification On Outside Plant Fiber Optics
The FOA CFospT outside plant certification focuses on
OSP fiber optic network design, installation and maintenance. 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 knowledge of fusion splicing and
OTDR testing, for example, a CFospT will be knowledgeable and
skillful in those areas - and more. Reference materials for the
new CFospT are the printed textbook, the FOA
Reference Guide to Outside Plant Fiber Optics
(right) as well as eBooks from Amazon for the Kindle or Apple
for the iPad/iPod/iPhone and the OSP
reference section of the FOA Online Reference Guide which
now includes a self-study
guide to the CFospT exam.
More information on the FOA Outside
Plant Fiber Optic Technician (CFospT) certification.
- Reference Books for FOA
Certifications are now available on Kindle and
iPad/iPhone
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!
All are now available in print and electronically in Kindle
and Apple iBook versions. The basic fiber optic book is also
available as a self-study program in an Apple APP for
iPad/iPhone/iPod.
Details on the new book each of the new books are at the book
pages linked to the photos above.
FOA iPad Apps
The FOA has just released its second APP for the iPad, a
free "loss budget calculator," FOA LossCalc.
FOA LossCalc
FOA
LossCalc
estimates the optical loss of a fiber optic link. This will
save time for the installer of a fiber optic link needing to
know whether test results are reasonable and/or make a
"pass/fail" determination. It can also help the designer of
a link to determine if communications equipment will operate
over this link.
By choosing the type of link (singlemode or multimode) and
specifying the length of the fiber and numbers of
connections and splices, it will calculate the end to end
loss of the link. The app has default specifications for
singlemode and multimode links or the user may create custom
setups with specifications appropriate for any application.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foa-losscalc/id476262894?mt=8&ls=1
Self -Study in Fiber Optics
 Our
first app is a self-study version of the FOA Reference Guide
to Fiber Optics. The FOA APP builds on the FOA basic fiber
optic textbook to create an interactive learning environment
that builds on the iBook electronic version of the book to
add a guide to use for self-study and real-time testing that
provides feedback on what you have learned and correct
answers to questions answered incorrectly.
The FOA APP is priced at only $9.99, same as the iBook, so
the self-study program is free. Download it from the Apple
APP Store with your iPad or iTunes.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foa-guide/id434354283?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
NECA/FOA 301
Installation Updated
Standards cover components and systems and how to
test them, but rarely get into installation issues. The FOA NECA
301 standard which covers installation of optical fiber systems
has been revised for the second time, adding considerable new
materials. This standard is derived from FOA educational
material put in standards form and approved by ANSI as an
American National Standard. It's specifically written to be used
in contracts to define "installation in a neat and
workmanlike manner." The standard is available from NECA.
FOA members can go here
for instructions on how to download your free copy.
2 New Lectures: About The FOA and FOA
Standards, plus 26 Fiber Optic Lectures, 10 Premises Cabling
Lectures Plus 28 More Hands-On Videos
Below is a list of the current lectures (plus there are
28 hands-on videos too!). We're looking for ideas for topics for
future lectures. Send your ideas to <info@thefoa.org>.
New: Ten More YouTube Videos – Lectures On Premises Cabling
The FOA has added 10 more videos to our YouTube Channel,
thefoainc. These are an introduction to premises cabling,
covering applications, types of cabling, standards and
installation practices for copper (UTP and coax), fiber and
wireless. Like our lecture series on fiber optics, these provide
a comprehensive introduction to the subject in short videos,
typically 5-10 minutes in length, on each subject. Watch for
more.
Here is a list of the Lectures now on YouTube.
View
the FOA YouTube video Lectures.
What's New
in the FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide
We have been updating
the Online Reference Guide to keep up with changes in the
industry and adding lots of new pages of technical
information.
FTTx
and Design
Pages Updated
As we developed the new Fiber U self-study courses,
we updated the FTTx and Design pages and added a FTTx
installation section.
OTDR FAQs
Including FOA Master Instructor Terry O'Malley's tests
on what the end of a fiber trace looks like with broken
and cleaved fibers.
Frequently
Asked Questions On OTDRS And Hints On Their Use
Testing FTTH
Basic
guidelines for testing FTTH PON networks
Measuring Reflectance or Return Loss
It
can be important but it's not so easy to test.
Encircled Flux
What
does this new method of measuring mode power
distribution in MM fiber mean to testing standards?
Fiber Optic and Premises Cabling Project Paperwork
Covering
what are SOW, RFPs and RFQs and how they are created
for a project.
Effects of Alignment and Fiber Geometry on Fiber Optic
Connector Loss
With
all the controversy about connector loss due to modal
distribution, we sometimes forget the effects of
component variations.
Fiber Optics For Wireless Networks
How
wireless is not wireless - it needs fiber.
Premises Cabling Installation
Installing
copper/fiber/wireless for premises networks.
Web Page on Bend Insensitive Fiber
Bend-insensitive
fiber is a "hot
topic" now - we try to explain how it works and what it
means for installation and test.
Basic Fiber Design Section Updated
Lots
of new materials added to this introduction
to fiber optic network design.
Web Page
on Data Centers
Data centers are the heart of the Internet,
storing and supplying data for user requests. Needless to
say, high performance cabling is needed to move the data
between storage, servers and routers. We've created a new
page in our Online Reference Guide on data
centers - how fiber and cabling are vital to
their performance.
Learn More About OTDRs - Download
a Free OTDR Simulator
More and more installers are being asked for OTDR testing but
using these instruments is not easy. They are hard to set up
properly and complicated to interpret the traces. Using the
autotest function can lead to disastrous results! The FOA has a
good tutorial on OTDRs on our Online Reference Guide and we
added a free download of an OTDR
simulator to the OTDR
section so you can learn how to use an OTDR on your PC.
More New Info:
Links to manufacturers
and distributors of fiber optic lighting products.
The
FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide
has become very popular - perhaps the most popular technical
website ever, typically with over 360,000 users downloading
about 1.75 million pages in 2011! We continue updating
materials regularly, keeping it as up to date as possible.
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.
School News
Wallace
Allen, FOA Master Instructor, (center), has moved - all the way
from New York City to the Philippines where he's teaching for Nexus-Net.
This is his first class in Cebu City.
New Schools
The FOA welcomes the newest additions to our listing of
FOA-Approved
Training Organizations:
#643- Madison Area Technical College
Find
a listing of all the FOA-Approved schools here.
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.
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.
Good
Question!
Tech Questions/Comments Worth Repeating
Tech Hint: 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 or the video
now on YouTube.
Burying Fiber Ducts
Below Frost Line (3/12)
Q: Should fiber ducts in northern regions be
laid below frost line. Frost line in some areas of
Canada is typically 8 feet.
A: Normally
telecommunication conduit should be place below frost
line when ever possible. Cost is always a factor, in
most cases frost line does not exceed 36" (1 meter
aprox). Northern Canada is an exception. Depending on
the strength of the conduit/cables to resist the
crushing force of ice frozen in place around cables (see
manufacturer). Ice has been know separate conduits from
itself, frost has crush conduits/cables. The following
designs have been used:
1) Use schedule 80 conduit/ GIP conduit (threaded pipe).
2) Design each conduit section so that it will drain
down hill.
3) Keep water out off handholes/manholes. This can be
very difficult & costly.
4) Ensure that cables can maintain frost crushing (see
manufacturer).
Companies like Bell /AT&T have been placing conduit
below or at 3' to 5' in Canada.
Companies like CATV have been placing conduit below or
at 2' to 4' in Canada.
In the US most conduits are placed 24" to 60" for
communication.
Each situation will need to be reviewed on a case by
case bases.
Municipal Fiber Network
Advice (2/12)
Q: I am charged with researching a municipal
requirement to install fiber optic infrastructure in new
development--this could either be for active development
or dark fiber for future connection. Any pointers
as to where to look? Have any communities done
this well.... done this poorly.... have good
examples of policy, legal code or standards?
A: Municipal
networks are becoming very common. The best example I
know is Santa Monica, CA Citynet http://www.smgov.net/departments/isd/smcitynet.aspx
and we've interviewed them on the project.
Santa Monica built a citywide network to combine
connections to all the city offices, public safety
offices, libraries, etc. plus added numerous CCTV
surveillance cameras, smart traffic signals and muni
WiFi. They installed lots of fiber - fiber is cheap but
installation can be costly, so they built a big network
with lots of dark fiber in the beginning. Then they
leased fiber to the local CATV company, Verizon for FiOS
fiber to the home, and connected up dozens of tech
companies to high speed Internet access (Google, Yahoo
and dozens of movie production houses are located in
Santa Monica.)
The really good deal was it paid for itself. Federal
money helped with the initial installation
(DoTransportation, DoEducation, Homeland Security) and
leased fiber keeps the income coming.
As a big college town already involved with "Gig
U" (http://www.gig-u.org/),
you should contact the people at the University to see
what they have planned that may be able to be combined
with your work.
I suspect that every town has its own issues with
policy, codes and standards. We've discussed some of the
issues with other towns and one thing that comes up
regularly is that at a minimum, the town should own the
conduits even if the fiber is private. If a private
contractor digs up the streets to bury cables they
should be required to install many conduits for whenever
another company wants to pull cable, the conduit is
ready and no digging will be necessary. We also suggest
talking to the local telephone and CATV companies. In
the past, many have fought muni fiber but now many
cooperate with the city and lease fiber from them.
Help On Termination
2/12
Q: I'm working as an user and sometime I
install connectors on fibers. Most of the time I work
with ST connectors. Do you have a small guide how to
prepare, and polish the fibers ? Is it possible to use
ST single mode connector on Multimode fiber and
viceversa ?
A: We have
several links that help you:
YouTube Videos:http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL21F27A040DFAA6E5&feature=plcp
Tutorial: http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/termination/Term/Term.htm
Step-By Step Virtual Hands-on Termination:
Epoxy/Polish, Anaerobic, Hot Melt
Singlemode fiber termination, Hands-on SM termination
Even more from the FOA Online Reference Guide: http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/contents.html#Components
Singlemode connectors have tighter tolerances and a
slightly smaller hole in the ferrule. Generally
speaking, you can use SM connectors on MM fiber, except
when the fiber diameter is on the high side of tolerance
but you should never use MM connectors on SM fiber as
the fit will be sloppy and the resulting core offset
causes high loss.
Removing Unused Cables
2/12
Q: Can you point me in the direction of
information on how to properly and safely remove 50
Micron Multi-mode Fibre Optic Cable from a data
center? My company would like to remove their old
FOC when they upgrade to 10g cable fibre and were
considering cutting the LC connectors off the cables to
make it easier to pull through the rats nest of cables
under the floor. Is this a safe method?
A: There is not
standard way to remove cables, as it will depend on the
installation. Cables in underfloor (or overhead) trays
tend to be enmeshed in other cables unless they are in
separate ducts. Under any circumstances, the best way to
remove them is to cut off connectors, locate the cables
and cut into lengths that are easily removed (just make
sure you are cutting the right cables - a installer
doing this with some cables in Newark, NJ once cut the
wrong cable and put Wall St. out of business for a
day!). Once they are cut into short lengths, it should
be easy to remove them.
After removal, the cable can be recycled for the plastic
- connectors are trash. Or if they are long enough, I
may know some schools who would like them for their
hands-on labs!
Higher Loss At Long
Wavelengths? 1/12
Q: I have a tech
in the field that has installed a piece of single mode
fiber approx. 650’ long. He is testing it with a source
and meter. The fiber is passing the 1310 loss test but
failing the 1550 test. What could be causing this? He
has put new ends on the fiber already and is getting the
same results.
A: This sounds
like a classic problem of cable stress. Singlemode fiber
is much more sensitive to bending stress losses at
1550nm than 1310nm. If there is a stressed area in the
cable installation, it's easy to get >3dB loss from a
tight bend or kink, even near the connectors. There
should be no difference with the connectors themselves.
Telcos test links at 1625nm for stress testing.
Followup: The
tech went back to the job site with an OTDR and found
there was a spike in the reading about 120’ from one end
which is where there is a pull box up in the ceiling.
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! More
on cleaning. See Product
News below for links to vendors of fiber cleaning products.
See news about Fiber
Optic Cleaning Videos on YouTube by ITW
Chemtronics below.
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
or Watching:
A
good snapshot of the fiber optic technology/industry is the
paper "Optical
Communications in 2012"
paper from the organizers of the OFC conference.
Benchmarking Fusion Splicing And Selecting
Singlemode Fiber
We've been asked many times "How long
does it take to splice a cable?" It's not a simple answer as
it varies with the number of fibers in the cable and the
work setup, including whether one or two techs are working
at a job site. FOA Master Instructor Joe Botha of Triple
Play in South Africa did his own analysis based on decades
of experience both splicing cables and teaching others how
to do it properly. This is one of the best analyses we have
seen because Joe includes prep times as well as splicing
times and differentiates between one tech and two techs
working together. He adds some other tips on fusion splicing
too. This should be mandatory reading for every tech and
given to every student! Here
is Joe's splicing analysis.
Joe also has an excellent writeup on how to choose
singlemode fiber that helps understanding the different
types of G.6xx fiber. Read
it here.
Videos
on Firestopping: These free videos from UL and the
International Firestop Council are good tutorials on
firestopping. Go
here to view the videos.
Micro-Trenching,
Cable Removal (3/12)
Nano-Trench
offers products for micro (or I guess they call it
nano-) trenching and their
website is very informative. They also have Kabel-X,
a method of extracting copper cables from old conduit.
Both websites are informative and interesting. Watch
this video on the cable removal process!
Free - Mike
Holt's Explanation Of The US National Electrical Code
(NEC) For Communications Cables
Mike Holt is the acknowledged expert of the US
National Electrical Code (NEC). His books and seminars are
highly praised for their ability to make a very complicated
standard (that is in fact Code - law - in most areas of the
US) easily understood. Part of the appeal is Mike's great
drawings that make understanding so much easier. Mike makes
Chapter 8 of his book available free. It covers
communications cables, telephones, LANs, CATV and CCTV, for
premises applications. Even if you live in a region or
country where the NEC is not the law, you may find this
interesting.
Download
Mike's Chapter Here.
Fiber Optic Crossword
Puzzles For Entertainment And As A CFOT Certification Study
Aid (2/12)
Pearson
Technologies Inc., a 32-year fiber optic training, technical
and marketing consulting firm, announces availability of a
free training and certification tool. This tool is a free set
of crossword puzzles on the terms of fiber optic installation
and products. This set assists those studying fiber optic
installation or planning to take the Fiber Optic Association
(FOA) Certified Fiber Optic Technician (CFOT) certification
examination. The four puzzles are for: light and fiber terms,
cable terms, connector and splice terms, optoelectronics and
testing terms.
The
puzzles can be viewed and printed from: http://www.ptnowire.com/resources.htm
or http://www.ptnowire.com/CFOT-Puzzles-vb.pdf.
Individuals can receive the answers by email request.
For
additional information, contact Pearson Technologies Inc. at:
4671 Hickory Bend Drive, Acworth, GA 30102, at (770) 490-991,
or via e-mail at fiberguru@ptnowire.com.
New Eric Pearson Books (2/12)
Pearson
Technologies Inc. announces the release of three new books,
Professional Fiber Optic Installation, The Essentials For
Success, Mastering Fiber Optic Connector
Installation and Mastering The OTDR.
Based on 31 years of experience, laboratory testing,
development, and training of more than 8000 installers,
these books is suitable for training, installation,
personnel certification, and reference. Eric's books are
perhaps best described as fiber optic "cookbooks," full of
detailed directions that reflect many years of tesing in his
courses. They are valuable references for the fiber optic
tech.
For additional information. contact Pearson Technologies
Inc., www.ptnowire.com,
fiberguru@ptnowire.com,
770-490-9991
Fiber Optic Cleaning Videos on YouTube
ITW
Chemtronics has three fiber optic cleaning videos
on
covering Dry
Cleaning, Wet-Dry
Method, FiberWash
and Combination
Cleaning. They are good explanations of cleaning
processes - the Wet-Dry is especially interesting.
Wire & Cable Asia
A new newsletter about the wire and cable (and fiber
optic) industry in Asia is available online. See http://www.read-wca.com/
for more information.
Corning Has Translated Training Documents and Videos Into
Spanish
Check with Corning for availability.
Smart Grid
The National Association of
Electrical Distributors has created a nice overview of
"smart grid." It covers a brief overview of the US electric
power system, an understanding of why the smart grid has
become a national priority, a snapshot of the various
electrical components and concepts that are part of the
smart grid, advice on how your business can get involved and
a look at some key players who should be on your radar if
they aren't already.
Go to the NAEC
Smart Grid website and download their Quick
Start Guide.
A Documentary Treasure on the
History of the Internet
15 minutes of a rarely-seen
BBC documentary demolish the myth that ARPAnet was inspired
by nuclear war, and explain the far more intriguing truth.
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/26719/?nlid=4433
Searchable IGI Publication Archives
Now Available as Google eBooks
Information Gatekeepers Inc.
(IGI), a leading international supplier of information on
fiber optics and telecommunications markets and technology,
has entered into an arrangement with Google to make its
archives available as Google eBook.
Since 1977, IGI has been publishing newsletters, conference
proceedings, market research reports, and other publications
focused on worldwide markets in telecommunications and fiber
optics. With Google eBooks , all of these publications and
studies — including previously unavailable earlier works —
are now available in searchable, electronic format to market
researchers, financial analysts, lawyers, governments,
university researchers, libraries, and all other interested
parties. Please search our new archive by visiting
igigroup.com or entering search terms in the box below.
The new Google eBooks of IGI publications are also the best
available for reading on mobile devices. Google eBooks can
be read on the Web, Android phones, iPhone, iPad, iPod
touch, and supported eReaders. Learn more about our
supported devices.
For more information on the new Google eBooks of IGI
publications please visit igigroup.com.
You can search Google Books for IGI publications directly -
Go
here.
Ensuring Distance Accuracy On OTDR Measurements
By
JDSU.
Broadband Properties Webinar
Archives
Lots of interesting webinars, mostly on FTTH. Go
here.
FTTX Networks
An ADC white paper on how they
work and how networks are upgraded to FTTH. http://connectedplanetonline.com/images/CP-ADC3-WhitePaper-v4.pdf.
JDSU Application Note On "Qualifying
FTTH Network before Equipment Installation"
Another great paper from JDSU covering FTTH PON
networks is available for downloading. It gives an overview of
FTTH architecture, cleaning connectors then testing the cable
plant with OTDRs and OLTSs. This paper will help you understand
why OTDRs can be confusing on PONs!
Best Practices For Wireless Backhaul Network Upgrades
Joan Engebretson, Contributing Editor of Connected Planet has
written a very good overview of how fiber is essential to the
operation of cellular wireless systems. Everybody probably knows
that fiber is used to connect towers into the telecom network -
they call it backhaul - but her article also covers the new
appliations to replace bulky, heavy, lossy coax up the
tower to the antennas. http://connectedplanetonline.com/images/CP_ADC2_WhitePaper.pdf.
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.
Corning now offers videos on .
Lots of interesting videos, some technical, some sales, but all
good information.
US Conec's videos
on cleaning fibers - show's the results of
proper cleaning.
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
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.
US Conec's videos
on cleaning fibers - show's the results of proper
cleaning.
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.
-
- FOA
Tech Topics -
A Fiber Optic Tester In
Your Pocket? (See the video on
)
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.
If you have
an old cell phone, try it too. Our experience is that older
cell phone cameras have better sensitivity at IR wavelengths
than newer phones, so you may want to toss that old phone into
the toolbox.
- FOA
Technical Bulletins
- How do you design and manufacture
fiber optic systems? Choose and install one to serve your
communications needs? Troubleshoot problems? The FOA Fiber
Optic Technical Bulletins will provide step-by-step
guidelines to help you. All are PDF files you can
download, print and use.
- Testing
Update
- Are there really 5
different ways to test optical fiber cabling after
installation? Why so many? How do the measurements - and
more importantly the measurement results - differ? What are
the advanteages and disadvantages of each method?
- Why
are there 4 ways (maybe 5) to test fiber optic cables?
- Do
OTDRs and OLTS tests give the same results?
-
- New Tech
Topics
- Industry
standards updated to include international standards
- Updated link
specs for fiber optic networks - now includes
10/40/100G Ethernet.
Product
News
OTDR Software for Standardized Cable Plants
Noyes has introduced new software for their OTDRs called Test
Results Manager which helps viewing and analyzing OTDR traces.
In addition, it can compare results to required performance for
networks like 10G Ethernet and certify the fibers for those
networks. There is an interesting note on standards here. The
standards for the fiber optic cable plant required to support
IEEE 802.3ae 10G Ethernet are specific to the network (see
here for a list of most network fiber cable plant requirements)
and if testing is being done to determine if the cable plant
will support this network, testing must be done to the network
standards not the generic cable plant standards to ensure proper
operation. This is another common misconception of
standards. Read
more on the Noyes TRM(r) software.
Restoration Kits
TriNet Communications offers restoration kits for field
emergencies (e.g. backhoe fade), covering both temporary and
permanent repairs. Kits include cable with a specified number of
fibers, splice cases and mechanical splices. Here are links to
specs on both temporary and permanent repair kits.
Temporary
Restoration Kits
Permanent
Restoration Kits
Handheld OTDR
Advanced
Fiber
Solutions has introduced a new compact portable OTDR
that offers high resolution (to 1m) and light weight
(1.6 pounds, 0.72 kg) plus numerous wavelength and
range options. Here
is more information.
Magnetic Cable Management Hardware
Mounting
hardware for cable management in equipment or telecom
rooms can be difficult - what do you attach things to?
But RES has a unique idea - use magnets to hold the
hardware on racks or any metal parts. Neat
idea, see their products here.
Micro-Trenching, Cable Removal
Nano-Trench
offers products for micro (or I guess they call it
nano-) trenching and their
website is very informative. They also have Kabel-X,
a method of extracting copper cables from old conduit.
Both websites are informative and interesting. Watch
this video on the cable removal process!
Protecting Pedestals From Rodents
Pedestals
and
underground vaults can be damaged by rodents who come
up through the base and damage cables. Uraseal "Drain
N'Seal" foam deters mice from taking up residence in
your pedestals. They
have some good videos on using their product.
A Cable Tie That's Fiber Friendly
We're always
warning installers not to tighten cable ties too tightly
around fiber optic cable (or UTP copper cable either!) A
better choice is the hook and loop fastener ties (Velcro
is one trade name), but there is another type, the
Mille-Tie. It's an open tie that can be used at any
length, then cut off and the remainder used also. Take a
look a the video to see how it works.
Mille-Tie Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPVTQGKmcvE
Used Test
Equipment – Buy or Sell
http://www.testequipmentconnection.com/
Have you read the FOA
Tech
Topics on Cleaning?
More links on cleaning:
Westover
- AFL
ITW
Chemtronics
Cleantex
Alco Pads
MicroCare
Seiko-Giken
-
- FTTH
Notes:
Google Map Shows Worldwide FTTx Projects
One of the better sites to track FTTx projects is this Google maps
application that shows projects on a world map with details on the
project.
Click on the map above or here
to view the interactive web map.
Testing FTTH
JDSU shows how to test a PON with an OTDR: http://www.jdsu.com/other-literature/PON-OTDR_fop_an_ae.pdf
-
- Want To
Learn More About FTTx?
- The FOA has created a
special FTTx
resources section of our website with a FTTx
links page with lots of links to news, market reports,
technical articles and vendor technical and product
information. Here
is a great place to start learning more about FTTx.
- FOA's
CFxT FTTx Certification Program Explained
- Read
the Broadband Properties article about the FOA FTTx
certification program. Read
the
article about FOA President Jim Hayes being honored for
his work promoting FTTH.
-
|
-
Employment
New: Jobs Blog
Employability
Branding for Telecom Professional
The
telecommunications industry is no longer the blue collar market
for professional workers. Technology has evolved and requires
advanced expertise, even at the installation level. Ten years
ago, you would have one inside plant tech, one central office
tech and one network or desktop tech in one environment. We are
now in a Lean Sigma era and it has a profound affect on every
professional, including telecommunications technicians.
Thatʼs why
you must have a solid “employability brand”. This is your report
card, but it outlines who you are and how you are perceived. You
“MUST” spend time developing your employability brand. Your
career sustainability depends upon a strong brand and you can
build one in a short amount of time. I have 10 brand tips that
can help you get started. Work on these 10 areas and you will
see your employability brand increase in a short amount of time.
Visit my blog at http://apsicorp.net/?p=5422
for the 10 tips and more about Employability Branding for
Telecom Professionals.
Scott
Coulter is the founder and Chief Executive of APSi. Mr.
Coulter is an Author, Entrepreneur and Leader with over 20 years
of experience in IT Staffing, writing curriculum and providing
consulting services to clients around the U.S. and
internationally.
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.
One of the projects funded by stimulus money is the 1100
mile network of Maine
Fiber Company Inc. which has selected nextGen
Telecom Services Group Inc. as the installation
contractor. CFOTs:
NextGen has a link on their website for applying for
jobs
Job
Openings
FOA
Instructor
Certified
Fiber Optic Instructor to teach CFOT, Oklahoma City, OK
Date
posted: February 27, 2012
ERI seeks
immediate part-time contract instructor to teach 40-hour
Certified Fiber Optic Technician (CFOT) certification course to
adults in the Oklahoma City workplace. Adult teaching experience
required. Hands-on experience involved. The course has two
components: A theory component and a hands-on component where
emphasis is placed on the practical aspects of working with
fiber optic cables, including connectorization, fusion splicing
and testing. Hourly instructional rate plus paid preparation
time.
Contact
Heather Blake, heather@educationalres.com
Educational
Resources, Inc.
45064
Underwood Lane, #200
Dulles,
VA 20166
USA
Tel:
703-904-1800
Fax:
703-904-1856
http://www.educationalres.com/
Recruiter
Looking For Fiber Techs
Seeking
Fiber Analyst for long term role based in Mountain View, CA.
Excellent
pay and benefits, GREAT team and work/life balance.
Job
Summary
Industry
Test Standards/ Protocols/Methods: Telcordia SONET
OC-48/192/768, GR-468-CORE, GR-1209, GR-1221; ITU G.709, ITU
G.651, ITU G.652, ITU G. 653, ITU G. 654, ITU G. 655 LAN/WAN,
GigE, MIL-STD-217 & 883, ISO-9001, SCSI, Fiber Channel,
Telcordia SR-332 Reliability, FMEA, RoHS, DWDM
Strong
technical knowledge of DWDM based optical transmission systems
design (Networks, Devices, and Technology), component
qualifications, system simulation and link budget analysis.
Good
OTDR/PMD/CMD/ORL/Insertion Loss/Attenuation test experience
skills
Fiber
testing, CD, PMD, OTDR, ILM.
Fault
finding.
Analysis
of Fiber Optic Test Results.
Design
and execute system test plans.
Survey
existing fiber networks to enable the production of new fiber
designs.
Implementing
engineering scope of work.
Perform
formal and informal training on solutions and technology as
required.
Document
results of tests and system designs. Communicate results,
issues, next steps, etc. to partners, customers, and
management as needed to resolve problems.
Acceptance
Testing.
Perform
other duties as required.
Bachelors
degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or
equivalent work experience referred.
Required:
Three to
5 years DF testing, Fiber Analyst.
Excellent
communication skills.
Strong
customer support skills.
Ability
to troubleshoot complex FC issues to resolution.
Knowledge
of ODF, Patch Panels.
Knowledge
of DF types.
Eligible
to work in the US without sponsorship.
Accreditation/certifications/licenses
SCTE
IEEE
CCNA,
CCIE, etc.
Working
Conditions/Travel
Requirements
Normal
office environment.
Travel to
other locations as required. Travel 80 to 85%.
Plan,
facilitate and manage expansion work in Data Centers, POP’s.
It’s
long term (couple of years), about $45 per hour, maybe a bit
more for the right person.
Plan,
facilitate and manage expansion work in Data Centers, POP’s.
Work closely with the technical negotiation team to understand
terms of existing and new contracts and arrangements including
delivery targets and specific technical requirements related
to space, power, cooling and rack build out, DF, OSP, ISP.
Communicate target completion dates and ensure that all
internal requirements are being met in a timely manner.
Strong
project management skills to serve as primary vendor contact
for the delivery of space, power, HVAC, racks, cabinets, dark
fiber for new builds and expansion of existing sites.
Technical
knowledge of DWDM based optical transmission systems. Strong
knowledge of Telcordia GR 1275, 1502, 2981, NFPA
requirements.
Strong
understanding of interconnectivity requirements within carrier
hotels including LOA/CFA, physical interfaces, cable types,
connector types. Strong understanding of risers and all
aspects of ISP.
Strong
Experience with planning and delivery of space, power, cooling
and inside plant fiber, risers, routes and documentation of
same. Strong Experience with AC Power, UPS, Rectifiers, DC
Power, Battery Plant, HAVC, Grounding.
Strong
skills in development of Statements of Work (SOW), MOPs
and an understanding and managing vendor provided handover
packages – project managing internal teams to qualify handover
packages
Hands On
background in proper fiber cleaning procedures, radius bend
and fiber running procedures. Connector types, fiber
management, understanding, use of light meter, light
source, understanding of OTDR shots.
Good
understanding of OSP and interconnection hand off between OSP
and ISP.
Demonstrated
organizational project tracking and communications skills.
Proficient
with laptop and Windows applications.
Strong
Telco background
80%
travel required.
BS Degree
in a technical discipline or 6 years in a telecom related
field.
Strong
Project Management, Communications Skills along with Strong
Personal Relationship
Ability
to read and understand engineering provided drawings and wire
list. Visio, Excel,
Working
Conditions/Travel - Indoor and outdoor environments. 50% - 80%
travel required
More
Jobs For Techs
I’m
looking for a couple of techs for a 2+ year project that’s based
in NorCal doing trace analysis and audits nationwide. As the pay
range is between $35-40 per hour, this would be a good
opportunity for someone who has the training and experience and
is certified.
I’m also looking for a couple of FTTx Design Engineers for a
contract-to-perm role in Lincoln… these are just a couple of
examples of what I’m hiring for.
Contact:_______________________________________________________
Tami
Brittain | Technical Recruiter | Comforce Telecom
15305
Dallas Parkway Ste 250 Addison, TX 75001
Phone:
972-866-5145 | Cell: 972-217-5912
Email:
tbrittain@comforce.com
Fiber Optics Engineer/Technician (Feb 2012)
Are you crazy about new technology and how the
communications space is changing to meet the expanding
bandwidth requirements in the communication age? Have you
spent five plus years in the field working directly with
fiber and service providers and want to move into a
product development role that solves problems up front? If
working with a dynamic team and some of North America’s
top triple play service providers is a direction you want
to take your career, please email a covering letter
stating your experience and your resume to dhammersley@vplenterprises.com.
A little About Us:
Primex Telecom is a division of VPL Enterprises Ltd, a
plastic injection-molding company that specializes in the
manufacture and distribution of telecommunication and
building products. Primex specializes in developing,
producing and distributing flexible enclosure solutions
for the cable and
telecom industries. We offer turn-key and OEM solutions
for CATv, Copper and Fiber termination boxes in a series
of off-the-shelf products as well as ready-to-install
customized enclosures. At Primex, we makeeverything fit –
so you don’t have to.
Description:
You will work collaboratively with internal teams and
customers to build on product offerings using existing
ideas, and will use your industry experience to prioritize
and develop new features and designs. You possess a unique
blend of business and technical acumen and have the
ability to see the ‘big’ picture. You have the
determination to make the company’s vision a reality and
enjoy spending time in the market to understand customer
issues and develop innovative solutions.
General Duties and Responsibilities:
To work in close collaboration with Telecom sales,
engineering, customers and prospective clients to design
and build market ready optical fiber, copper, wireless and
OEM network termination, demarcationand connection
enclosures. Assist in strategically sourcing specified
components and alternates and follow through to completion
all relevant certification processes and requirements for
the Telecommarketplace. The Fiber Optics
Engineer/Technician is the technical sales support
resource responsible for working with front line sales
teams, marketing, customers and engineering teams to
conceptualize,design and execute the development and
market acceptance of Primex solutions.
Responsibilities: Capturing detailed requirements and
ensuring that our internal mechanical engineering team
understands all requirements & develop products that
are consistent with our brand and appropriate for the
marketplace.
Direct relationship management with external customer
engineering teams to develop solution- focused products.
Building and maintaining business relationships with any
partners and suppliers necessary to ensure the success of
the products, including vendor selection.
Research and analyze customer design proposals,
specifications and other data to evaluate the feasibility,
cost, and maintenance requirements of designs or
applications.
Assess customer network specifications and assist in
procuring specified components and work towards value
engineering part substitutions where possible to increase
value.
Specify system components or direct
modification of products to ensure conformance
with engineering design and performance
specifications.
Perform research and report on competitive
products; assist Marketing and Sales with
developing differentiating product positioning
strategies.
Provide technical customer service in
coordination with Sales as required.
Train internal staff on market trends, new
technologies and specifically the expanding role
of fiber optics in the communications space.
Required Skills and Qualifications
This role will require someone with
extraordinary technical abilities gained through
on site field experience. An academic background
in Electrical Engineering would be highly
relevant. Direct multi-year, OSP experience in
the telecommunications, fiber optics and cable
television market space.
Solid understanding of the telecommunications
market and specifically the role of fiber optics
in relation to FTTx market.
Direct experience with the last mile equipment,
termination and technologies – Fiber and Copper.
Thorough understanding of role and evolution of
both active Ethernet and PON networking systems
as well as working familiarity with RFoG systems
and new triple play technology developments.
Familiarity with compliance engineering, UL,
CSA and/or Bellcore/Telecordia.
The ability to research and anticipate
technology trends is essential in addition to
understanding competitors and their ‘roadmaps’.
Strong problem solving skills along with
excellent verbal and written communication
skills. Intellectual curiosity, creativity and a
passion for technology would be advantageous.
Project management skills demonstrated through a
PMP designation or work experience. Demonstrated
ability to understand and develop plans and
strategies to clearly communicate complex
business issues and technological solutions.
Fluent communication skills in English both
written and oral.
Ability to effectively work with
cross-functional teams and various geographical
locations. Willingness and ability to travel
within North America to support Sales and
Marketing efforts.
This position will be based at our Primex
Headquarters in Vancouver/Langley, BC, Canada.
Check out our website at http://www.primextelecom.com/
to learn more about our company and our flexible
enclosure solutions for the communications
space. Interested and qualified candidates should
email Donovan Hammersley, VP of Sales and
Marketing, at dhammersley@vplenterprises.com.
Only qualified candidates will be contacted for
future follow up.
Communications Installation Technician in Alaska
(Feb 2012)
We have an immediate opening for a Communications
Installation Technician in the Alaska market. We
are also expanding our installation crew in the PNW
market and would like to interview candidates for open
positions.
Jay Lewandowski
Install Project Manager
Steelhead Communications Inc.
(206) 384-5960 Cell
WASHINGTON CORPORATE OFFICE
28120 State Route 410 East
Buckley, WA 98321
(360) 829-1330 Office
(360) 829-1320 Fax
jay@steelheadcom.com
ALASKA OFFICE
700 West 58th Avenue
Unit J
Anchorage, AK 99518
(907) 569-0003 Office
(907) 569-0013 Fax
FOA lists jobs and
contracting opportunities on our LinkedIn
group. CFOTs are invited to join.
Do
listings in the FOA Newsletter Work? Here's feedback:
"We did great! We have over 15 interviews next
week."
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applicants and we have filled the position."
|
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. 
