Intelligent CIO North America Issue 13 | Page 64

INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Cabling

NEC launches Optical Fiber Sensing Solution using AI

The NEC Intelligent Optical Fiber Sensing Solution contributes to infrastructure maintenance by analyzing vibrations detected on existing optical fiber .

NEC Corporation has begun sales of the NEC Intelligent Optical Fiber Sensing Solution . This is a solution that allows Communications Service Providers ( CSPs ) and optical fiber owners from around the world to utilize optical fiber as a sensor .

This solution contributes to infrastructure maintenance by using AI to analyze vibrations detected with optical fibers , thereby enabling the detection of abnormalities , such as fiber damage , and helping to prevent future damages .
This solution utilizes NEC ' s optical fiber sensing technology , which is one of the first technologies of its kind , to enable sensing from existing optical fibers that are conventionally used for communications . and optical fiber owners need a system to support the efficient maintenance and management of fiber .
In addition , as optical fiber installations increase , it is increasingly difficult for CSP and optical fiber owners to quickly identify damaged areas in the event of fiber breakage , making it challenging for operators and maintenance personnel to quickly make repairs .
This solution , however , detects signs of potential fiber cable damage caused by unexpected construction work , deterioration , etc , by detecting vibrations that differ from normal conditions , and also enables quick identification and repair of damaged areas by precise mapping of fiber location information .
NEC has already examined the possibility of using optical fiber sensing technology to detect cracks in utility poles . Moreover , NEC and Verizon have conducted joint field experiments of a traffic monitoring system in the United States , where the companies confirmed the effectiveness of a traffic monitoring solution for assessing roadway traffic conditions .
This is in addition to the companies also verifying the effectiveness of the new NEC Intelligent Optical Fiber Sensing Solution in the field .
“ Optical fiber cable networks are becoming increasingly important as 5G becomes more prevalent . We have been working for many years on the practical application of fiber sensing utilizing optical fiber networks , and are excited to capitalize on this technology in order to improve the efficiency of network operations ,” said Kazuhiro Tagawa , General Manager , 1st Network Service Division , NEC Corporation .
In the future , NEC will expand the application of this solution and aims to create new value across a variety of fields , such as utilizing information acquired through wide-area monitoring with existing fibers to enhance the services of Smart Cities . p
In addition to a sensing device attached to one end of the optical fiber , this solution consists of software with a function that detects vibrations and external conditions that may cause an abnormality , and a mapping function that accurately displays location information , such as the latitude and longitude of a fiber section .
In recent years , with the spread of highspeed , high-capacity communications for 5G , the importance of optical fiber has increased , and more fiber is continually being installed . As a result , there is a growing impact from communications failures caused by damaged fibers . CSP
64 INTELLIGENTCIO NORTH AMERICA www . intelligentcio . com