The transportation and highway infrastructure is critical to the flow of goods, people, and resources throughout the country.  As we learned during the pandemic, transportation was the lynchpin to delivering goods to stores, homes, or people in need.

Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), also known as fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP), is when optical fiber is installed and connected directly to a single structure, such as a home, apartment, or business. This approach for delivering high-speed internet services and greater bandwidth continues to excel globally as it offers superior performance compared to non-fiber coaxial cable and DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) connections. 

The use of fiber optic cables for communications dates back to the 1950s when some of the first demonstrations of the world’s earliest transmission systems occurred. Since then, continuous innovation of optical fiber has significantly improved the performance characteristics to a level that now fiber optic cables serve as the backbone for global communications systems.

Interested in learning more about remote fiber test systems and how they work? Intended for those seeking a better understanding of solutions for successfully maintaining fiber optic networks, this article focuses on remote fiber testing systems, which are a valuable tool for network operations teams.

Along with being highly regulated, energy and electric utilities companies have faced a transitioning business model with declining electricity use resulting from increased competition, distributed generation, and growing use of renewable sources like solar and wind. Consumers ultimately have more choices now than in past years, making it more challenging for these companies to achieve their revenue growth and profitability goals.

The Importance of Reliable Fiber Networks

According to a recent study from the Fiber Broadband Association and RVA, LLC, broadband use during the pandemic became critical as individuals weathered the uncertainty from their homes. One area where broadband saw a significant increase was the use of video conferencing, a technology that requires high levels of reliable bandwidth, as well as online gaming and video streaming.  A Lightwave article notes that in the first quarter of 2020 bandwidth use increased by 47%, with, “the average broadband subscriber consuming a weighted monthly average of 402.5 GB of data.”

As broadband access expands to more communities and rural areas, the use and deployment of fiber optic networks continues to grow as residents rely heavily on the availability of faster broadband speeds to stay connected and utilize the latest apps and services. As a result, network reliability and availability is more critical than ever making monitoring and support by the service provider all the more important.

The term fiber optic network often conjures up images of Verizon FIOS commercials, Google Fiber, Comcast  Xfinity, or some other multi-billion dollar media and telecommunication company that promotes their reliance on fiber optic infrastructure for their business.

When supporting high-usage services, there is always a chance for service disruption, which directly impacts the customers. When service outages arise, service providers and businesses are in a reactionary position while attempting to locate the system failure. Depending on the structure of the troubleshooting protocol for a service provider or business, there can be many steps taken before a technician is deployed. Once the technician is deployed, there still is a chance that challenged can arise for them locating the exact fault.

In order to meet the growing needs of the local community, many municipalities have chosen to make significant investments to both deploy and maintain their own fiber optic networks for communications relating to a number of important areas: