Assembled here, in no particular order, are the top 12 chaotic ICT rack, cabinet, and patch cord fail scenarios recently seen posted to Reddit’s social media photo subgroups chronicling ubiquitous “cablefail” and “cablegore” conditions, as discovered by techs in the field.
The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) and the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) have entered into a Collaborative Workforce Development Agreement to advance critical workforce education and training for the broadband communications industry. The agreement promotes both associations’ workforce development programs: the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP), nationally sponsored by WIA for broadband and 5G technicians; and the Fiber Broadband Association’s Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path) program that trains fiber technicians.
Telecom carriers understand they must continually modernize their networks to remain, or become, industry leaders. Over the past decade, revenues have stagnated, and traffic demands have increased exponentially, exacerbated by people working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. This pressure has accelerated the adoption of central office rearchitected as a data center (CORD) technology in telco central offices (COs).
Since its establishment, the FOA has developed 14 basic and advanced certifications and has issued more than 110,000 certifications worldwide. Despite these significant accomplishments, installation by inadequately knowledgeable and experienced personnel continues. One reason for this continuation is insufficient knowledge of how to qualify fiber installers. This article present 10 questions you should ask, and answers you should receive, to avoid the selection of such unqualified or underqualified personnel.
Given the role that wired and wireless connectivity play in enabling smart building technologies, there is a need for assessment that takes a deeper dive into ensuring the ability to transmit data and power across a range of spaces, systems, and devices, while providing the resiliency to maintain operations and the bandwidth and capacity to support future technologies. One program that takes a closer look at connectivity is the SPIRE™ assessment and verification program developed by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and UL Solutions in coordination with numerous ICT technology stakeholders.
Expert opinions vary, but many agree that up to 75% of all fiber network problems are caused by contamination of patch cords, adapters, alignment sleeves or transceivers. Dirty endface connectors in particular are a real hazard to modern fiber-optic networks. The higher the light frequency in a network, the greater its sensitivity to contamination. This means that faster 5G networks, which need every milliwatt of power to function flawlessly, are more vulnerable to contamination.
Pearson Technologies recently updated three Fiber-To-The-Home/Passive Optical Network (FTTH/PON) hands-on training programs. One is an installation program, another a design program, and the third is a combination of design and installation. “Since the principles for design and installation of both FTTH/PON and optical LANs are similar, these programs develop the knowledge, skills and abilities (SKAs) for both,” Pearson Technologies said when announcing the updates.
The performance of a fiber optic system depends heavily on the cleanliness of the interfaces. Dirt particles, grease, dust, etc. can have a highly negative impact on the transmission characteristics. They can actually destroy a fiber optic connection depending on the circumstances. If the connector is plugged in without first being tested, it could well be too late. The high pressure in the connection means that particles are immediately pressed in and this causes irreversible damage. This is why it is becoming increasingly important to test all connectors and adapters, and, if necessary, to clean them before they are mated – even new products that have just come out of the packing.
Equipment cords are an integral part of any network—whether it’s a fiber jumper used to make connections between fiber patching areas and switches in the data center or a copper patch cord out in the LAN to connect end devices to the work area outlet. Unfortunately, they are also typically the weakest link in the network. They are handled and manipulated more than any other component, which makes them more subject to damage. They are also often considered a commodity item and some end users will seek to save money by purchasing them from lesser-known generic sources that may skimp on quality and compliance.
Read this interview with Doug Moore, Chairman of TIA’s Board of Directors and CEO of Fujitsu Network Communications. Moore explores the issues currently facing the ICT industry as the world begins to emerge after more than a year under work-from-home and social distancing advisory orders and discusses the challenges and opportunities lie ahead for our industry.
