Clearfield

Lighting the Globe-what does it mean…technically…socially = Surprise Birthday candles?

“Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber. The light forms an electromagnetic carrier wave that is modulated to carry information. First developed in the 1970s, fiber-optic communication systems have revolutionized the telecommunications industry and have played a major role in the advent of the Information Age. Because of its advantages over electrical transmission,

Posted 02/19/10 11:56 AM by Admin

Content is Not King

You may have heard the phrase "Content is King". This can be in reference to website content or more often media content ( TV shows or movies). Some very large companies must agree with that philosophy. Comcast agreed in December to purchase NBC. Comcast wants to own the content (although I'm sure they could get by without MSNBC ) You have recently seen squabbling between Cablevision and HGTV and the Food Network. Cablevision blacked-out those 2 channels from

Posted 02/19/10 11:46 AM by Admin

The Road Ahead

I've got a cigar lit and a hot cup of coffee in my cup holder. Driving through Iowa like I've done a hundred times before. But this day in January I'm fighting my way through a thick blanket of fog. Its hard to see more than a few hundred yards ahead. Got my cruise set on 70 and I can't see what's over that next hill. Maybe a semi pulled over to the side of the road? Or one of those infamous Iowa State Troopers? I've got to believe this is the way many

Posted 01/18/10 1:48 PM by Admin

Supply and Demand

Supply and Demand is one of those solid economic laws that never waivers. Here we go again. Those of us that were in telecom in the 90s have seen this before. Fiber, electronics, worker shortages. I remember Qwest was so afraid they couldn't get product in a timely manner they placed a $40M blanket PO for product from the company I worked for at that time. The madness is starting again with Broadband Stimulus. We aren't there yet, but many I talk with in our

Posted 11/11/09 11:41 AM by Admin

How Much Speed Do You Need ?

How much speed do you need? I only have a few vices. No drinking or gambling for me. I do like a good cigar, but my passion is fast cars and motorcycles. Do you think 6 motorcycles and 4 cars is enough? Ha! One of my rockets is a Yamaha VMax, 145 horsepower V4, 140 MPH in the quarter mile. Is that fast enough? Ya I think so. How much speed do you need to your house? Is 2.4 gb/s GPON with 1x32 splitters delivering(75mb/s) per house fast enough? We have all been

Posted 11/11/09 10:13 AM by Admin

The Perfect Carrier

The Perfect Carrier It doesn't get any better than glass and light, right? Einstien theorized nothing can exceed the speed of light. Recently, some theoretical physicists are disputing that. Matched/paired atoms on opposite sides of the earth have been proven to react simultaneously when one or the other is stimulated. Instant communication, pretty cool, that's Quantum physics. Einstein called it "scary science". Niels Bohr and Albert disagreed on this

Posted 11/11/09 9:57 AM by Admin

Set Picture ID-FTTH

Have you set up your cell phone/PDA to identify calls from your loved ones with their respective pop up picture ID photos yet or are you a bit like me having viewed my cell phone as strictly a communications device and work tool? Having had mobile phone communications/cellular phone devices in my Telecom work vehicle or on my person ever since 1979 (remember IMTS with the TRANSCEIVER suitcase in the trunk and a rotary dial phone on the console?) I just recently got

Posted 10/22/09 1:37 PM by Admin

Too Busy ?

Almost everyone I have met with over the past few years say the same thing. “We are really busy, but it sure beats the alternative.” Those of us that have been in the telecom industry for more than 15 years have seen this before. The mid-to-late nineties were a crazy time in our industry too. We also survived the lean times shortly after the telecom bust in the early 2000s. I sometimes wonder, if not for some small decisions early in life, what I would be

Posted 10/22/09 1:10 PM by Admin

Change is good

We’ve all heard it said that ‘change is good for us’. When I was a youngster I remember my mother telling me that a spoon full of cod liver oil is ‘good for you’ ….but that didn’t help it go down any easier. We’ve also heard it said that if we aren’t careful we can get ‘stuck in a rut’ and that ‘a rut is just a grave with the ends kicked out’. I wonder if Judge Greene had all the changes we’ve seen in the market place in mind when he made

Posted 09/25/09 9:26 AM by Admin

The Collapsing of a Network

Over the past 20 years we have seen a continuous collapse of network electronics from specialized functionality and rigid configuration rules into scalable multi service access and transport platforms. The result include economic benefits like reduced acquisition costs and ongoing operating expenses. But what about infrastructure? Too often it conforms to the old rules of fixed networks, services and little or no scalability. With the massive investment of fiber going

Posted 09/25/09 9:22 AM by Admin

Gift Horse

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” We’ve all heard that saying and it makes sense that when someone gives you something it could be considered rude to examine that gift too closely. Since it’s a gift, it’s free, right? I’ve been meeting with folks across the country and the hot topic over the past few months is the Broadband Stimulus Package. When are the rules coming? What will they look like? How can this benefit my company and my community?

Posted 09/25/09 9:11 AM by Admin

CHEMICAL RESISTANCE

When considering the realities of OSP cable, chemical resistance must be addressed.  The world is a nasty place, and fuels, oils and other kinds of chemicals can enter an OSP enclosure despite the best efforts of service providers and their technicians.  While inside-rated jumpers will degrade when exposed to such substances, cables meeting MIL-PRF 85045 are fully resistant. 

Some telcos’ standard field practices include fogging a fiber distribution pedestal,

Posted 08/28/09 10:48 AM by Admin

PEOPLE-PROOFING

Environmental factors are just part of the practical hurdles not fully addressed by OSP standards.  The number one cause of fiber optic network downtime is equipment damage resulting from human error, either through rough handling or improper cable routing.  Even the best-designed fiber solutions can be easily compromised by routing and handling fiber circuits incorrectly.

While most technicians are both highly trained and diligent, interconnect cable must be able to

Posted 08/28/09 10:47 AM by Admin

FTTH-OSP Standards Lag Reality

One of the continuing ironies of Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) interconnect cable products is that while a great deal of effort has been expended to develop optical components that perform well under harsh conditions, many of the materials and specifications essential to these products—despite the environmental, routing and physical handling demands found in FTTH enclosures—are better suited to indoor applications.

Outside Plant (OSP) equipment such as fiber

Posted 08/28/09 10:45 AM by Admin