The Future of Smart Cities

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Smart Cities are fully connected, sustainable, energy efficient, and socially friendly communities that use their infrastructure to intelligently improve the quality of life of those who live and visit there. While technology enables much of what makes a city “smart,” – like sensors, data analytics, etc. – the future really isn’t about technology as an end itself, but rather serving the needs of the various stakeholders that comprise a community. Using technology to solve social problems while improving quality of life is truly the definition of “smart.”

7 Reasons Test Access Points Are Critical to Network Monitoring and Visibility

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 Whether you need to keep tabs on the endless wave of personal devices in the workplace, track the performance of third-party applications (or those in the data center), or ensure cyber criminals aren’t probing the network, the reality is that you can’t control what you can’t see. Having access to network traffic and properly distributing that data to the tools your business relies on is crucial for network visibility. That’s where the network Test Access Points (TAPs) come in.

Differences between OS2, OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, and OM5

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When it comes to fiber optic networks, there are a lot of options in how a network is designed. Knowing which fiber cable to use for your project really comes down to distance and speed. We cut to the chase of what the main differences between fiber modes are so you can make the right decision. While the complete list of design differences could fill several books, you can understand the key variations in design in a few minutes. This quick guide will highlight the characteristics of OS2, OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, and OM5 fiber cables.

Big Data and the IoT’s effect on Data Centers

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Technology usage patterns have evolved considerably over the decade. Today’s consumers are creating and churning data at an unprecedented rate. Mobile phones and tablets equipped with multiple sensors are constantly transmitting data. In the home, various automation devices like Nest thermostats and Dropcams are also contributing to the data glut. As our lives revolve around data, so the data center has become a virtual storage vault for this critical asset. 

Fiber Optic Transmission Windows

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One of the most common terms used in fiber optic communication systems is transmission windows, yet where did the term come from, why are “windows” important and will they continue to provide the roadmap for how we use fiber optics in the future? To understand the term “window” we need to review the early years of fiber optic technology. The main reason for the use of the term “window” applied to how a fiber span would initially operate at a specific optical frequency (wavelength).

Electric Utilities and The Future of Open Broadband

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Electric Co-Ops and Municipal Light Departments have been offering Internet Access over fiber for many years and more are beginning the process. The model has been to deploy fiber for “utility meter reading” and then, at near zero marginal costs, offer high speed Internet access. This may be clever, and very profitable, and in many rural areas it’s the only high-speed Internet Access game in town. However, in non-rural area this can have the effect of deepening the existing digital divide and creating a new one. This is not the future of broadband. It’s not fair to incumbent broadband providers or any other over-builder who can’t hide the huge fiber construction cost in an electric utility rate base.

Webinar: Scaling to 400G – The Need for Speed

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As transmission speeds increase in data center and enterprise networks, it becomes increasingly important to adopt a cabling-infrastructure strategy that considers multiple generations of network evolution. Deploying a cabling system that can support current and future needs requires thoughtful planning, and also requires an approach that is both robust and flexible. This webinar will describe in detail how to plan and implement a fiber-optic cabling infrastructure that supports port breakout for today’s applications.

The Road to Connectivity is on the Backbone Pathway

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Business owners and IT managers know high-speed internet is essential for productivity in the work place. A building with little or no connectivity does not work, literally. The typical means of connecting to a service uses optical networks for a single company or multi-tenant building. Cables or fibers run into optical connections located in the entrance facility (main telecom room). These rooms are also referred to as MPOP or the DMARC (DeMARCation) point. At that point, the service provider supplies a router as a handoff point somewhere outside the building. But this leaves a gap in service from the handoff point to the building and a backbone pathway is needed for connectivity.

White Paper »

White Paper – Get Connected: Smart Buildings and the Internet of Things

Light into Money: The Future of Fibre Optics in the Data Centre Networks

White Paper: Edge programmable industrial controllers for IIoT

White Paper: Next Generation of Fiber Optic Loose Tube Cable

White Paper: 400G Optical Interface Standards »

Webinar »

Webinar: Edge Data Centers

Webinar: High-Capacity Cabling Systems

Webinar: Cost-Effective Options for OLAN over MMF

Documenting Cabling Installations

Webinar: Designing infrastructure for industrial or manufacturing networks