PODCAST: CWA District 9’s Fiber Training Apprenticeship Program

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ICommunications Workers of America District 9 has been awarded a $5.8 million grant to expand an apprenticeship training program for fiber technicians. The new program designation for fiber splicing technicians is intended to support the state’s federally funded fiber broadband rollout expansion, as part of the BEAD Program. The grant will offer an employer boot camp program as a recruiting tool, where prospective employers can experience the apprenticeship program. CWA is also pursuing funding to reimburse employers for apprentice wages and benefits, and is assisting with providing tools and PPE for program participants.
Read the full article at: http://www.cablinginstall.com

Going the distance: What you need to know about breaking the 100-meter distance limitation

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with the adoption of smart building technologies, more devices than ever are being connected to and powered by the network. Today’s LAN environments commonly encounter situations in which a connected end device is located too far from the nearest TR to maintain the 100m distance limitation.
It has long been known that twisted-pair copper cabling is one standards-based option for connecting devices beyond 100m, but there is confusion in the industry about the distances that twisted-pair copper cables can reliably support at various transmission speeds and remote powering levels. To strategically address scenarios where a device is located beyond 100m with reduced risk, information and communications technology (ICT) professionals need to understand the pros and cons of the various options, technical factors involved, and key considerations surrounding testing to help them identify reality and navigate claims.

From the factory to the field: AgTech comes of age

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With the world’s population on track to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050, farmers will need to grow twice the amount of food they do today to avoid scarcity issues and social disruption. Agriculture technology or “AgTech” will play a pivotal role in alleviating the building pressure on farmers to produce more by providing improved control and real-time data insights of farming operations for more efficient management of crops, resources, and livestock.
A product of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), AgTech refers to the use of connected technology in agriculture, horticulture, and aquaculture. It empowers farmers to operate “smarter,” leading to higher revenues, lower costs, and increased margins. Like the IIoT, AgTech seeks to do more with less in leveraging a cross-section of networked devices to uncover ways to boost productivity without burdening already overtaxed natural resources.

TIA’s and UL’s SPIRE assessment gets to the core of smart buildings with connectivity criteria

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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.

Broadband associations partner on fiber, wireless workforce development

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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.

Managing Data Center Fiber Becoming Harder…and Easier

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Managing the growing density of fibers and cables throughout data centers is becoming a full-time job. If not done well, the ramifications can be severe. Beyond the eyesore of cabling spilling into the aisle, poor fiber management can create a variety of more costly issues. Overfilling cable trays, for example, can restrict air flow between the cables, increasing thermal loading and causing the cooling system to work harder than usually needed. The inability to identify, access and manage individual fibers, compromises meantime-to-resolution, turn-up speed, moves/adds/changes and more. All of this emphasizes the need for a carefully considered cable management strategy.

Advantages Of Turning Older Properties into Smart Office Buildings –

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As far as smart technology is concerned, most people wrongly believe that it only applies to newly built properties. Though smart technology is certainly easier to incorporate into new constructions, it doesn’t mean that older office buildings shouldn’t also benefit from a modern upgrade. In existing buildings, adding smart building technologies can improve energy conservation, increase productivity, improve indoor environments, and improve sustainability.

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