FIBRE OPTIC TESTING
What ’ s next for fibre optic cable testing ?
With fibre optic installations becoming ever more pervasive and complex , testing procedures and equipment are following suit . Here , Nicholas Cole , EMEA marketing manager at AFL , talks us through what the future holds for the industry .
2016 was an exciting year for the telecommunications industry as it attempted to keep up with our insatiable desire for being connected anytime – anywhere . Cloud computing and mobility has fast become a norm in most developed societies , where smart devices can be seen glued to the hands of the many . This has caused an explosion of traffic which continues to drive up demand for network access , storage and bandwidth . These signs would suggest a bright future for fibre optics ; those humble strands of glass that keep our connected world ‘ clicking ’.
Most networks , whether they appear wired or wireless , are supported via fibre optics which pervade ever closer to the network edge . This has fueled the development of new technologies operating faster and further towards the consumer . GPON is a good example of a successful Fibre-tothe-Home ( FTTH ) technology for residential use , whilst 100GBASE- LR4 has proven to be economical for delivering high speed business connections , with the ever popular 10GBASE-SR making its way to users within the enterprise . As current as they may seem , each is threatened with extinction as we welcome the next generation ; XGS-PON , NG-PON2 and 25 / 40 / 100 / 400GB Ethernet .
So what does this mean for testing ?
With increased demand and new technology comes intense pressure on network architecture and materials . New components such as splitters and multifibre connectors such as MPO have increased complexity whilst higher bandwidth has reduced loss and length limits . This has heightened the need for measurement as network performance is put under scrutiny . As a result , testing is fast emerging as value-add rather than added-cost , which presents test vendors with an opportunity to rethink what they can offer .
26 | February 2017