Fiber Optics

Company Develops New Fiber Optic Installation Tool

Panduit has released a new tool for fiber-optic cable installers, the OptiCam 2.0 Termination Tool. The tool delivers an immediate calculated insertion loss, which improves productivity by shortening the time installers spend on the jobsite and increases contractor profitability by decreasing projec..

Windstream Launches Five New Fiber Routes

Windstream today announced the opening of five strategically located fiber routes on its nationwide long-haul fiber transport network. Secured as part of Windstream’s recent merger with EarthLink, these new routes offer customers cost-effective access to greater network diversity options, improved ..

Infinera Validates Fiber Optic Cable Technology

Infinera has announced a successful subsea field test with Canalink across its subsea cable. The test, conducted with the Infinera Infinite Capacity Engine (ICE4) and featuring Infinera’s fourth-generation photonic integrated circuit, demonstrated the capability to upgrade the cable capacity 13-fold..

Companies Sign Fiber Optic Cable Interconnection Agreement in Guam

Globe Telecom and Belau Submarine Cable Corporation have signed an agreement that would allow a submarine fiber optic cable spur, currently under construction from the Republic of Palau, to interconnect with the Southeast Asia-United States (SEA-US) cable for onward transport to Guam. “We are excit..

Company Launches New Fiber Optic Cable Technology

Pioneer Consulting, a company specializing in submarine cable consulting, has expanded its core capabilities by launching GoCable.io. This innovative cloud-based service provides a design platform for mapping, planning and analyzing new undersea cable systems. GoCable.io is an accessible, web-based..

Verizon to Accelerate Next-Gen Broadband Deployment with $3.1 Billion Acquisition

To scale and accelerate deployment of next-generation broadband services throughout the United States, Verizon Communications Inc. has agreed to acquire Straight Path Communications Inc. Verizon will purchase Straight Path for $184.00 per share, or a total consideration of $3.1 billion, in an all-s..

Verizon Awards $300 Million Fiber-Optic Cable Supply Contract

Prysmian Group has been awarded a $300 million contract from Verizon Communications to support the company’s US network expansion around a next-generation fiber platform that will speed the deployment of 5G services, while improving 4G LTE and other broadband capacity. The three-year contract wi..

Utilities Technology Council Launches the UTC Foundation

The Utilities Technology Council has launched the UTC Foundation at the annual Telecom & Technology conference in Charlotte, N.C. The UTC Foundation is a non-profit organization with the mission of sponsoring educational incentives and programs to attract, retain and support top technology and t..

West Virginia Targets Broadband Growth, Flood Protection

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Two newly signed laws in West Virginia are intended to extend broadband internet service to unreached parts of the state and help it better prepare for major flooding. The broadband measure acknowledges the Legislature and governor have set a primary goal of making ev..

Indiana Cities Rush to Control Wireless Equipment Installation

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Two Indiana cities are rushing to maintain control of where wireless equipment can be placed. The South Bend Tribune (http://bit.ly/2oENTxF ) reports that a plan approved by the Legislature will allow telecommunications companies to place equipment without a permit from loca..

Google Fiber Prepares to Start Construction in Louisville

Google Fiber today announced it will soon file its first permit for building its network in Louisville. The network construction will be done in phases, which will allow a more efficient build and reduce disruption. “Many have eagerly waited to hear these words: Google Fiber is coming to Louisville..

Industry Leaders Launch Fiber Optic Sensing Association

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association, the nation’s first trade association dedicated to fiber optic sensing, launched today with a focus on educating industry, government and the public on the benefits of this cutting-edge technology. The organization was formed with the mission to provide great..

Vac-Tron Equipment Develops Game Changer In Micro Trenching

Primarily an installation method for fiber networks, micro trenching involves cutting a narrow and relatively shallow trench, usually on an asphalt roadway. During the process, a vacuum system connected to the cutter wheel cleanly diverts and transports debris away from the worksite. Once the condui..

250 Miles of Fiber-Optic Cable Installed in Alaska

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — An Anchorage-based telecommunications company has recently finished installing 250 miles of fiber-optic cable connecting two communities in Alaska as part of a larger project to improve communications between Europe and Asia using the underwater cables. The Fairbanks ..

FTTH Council is Now the Fiber Broadband Association

FTTH Council President & CEO Heather Burnett Gold has announced that the association has launched a modernized brand that better reflects the evolution and makeup of the industry the organization represents and the consumer services its members deliver. The new brand and descriptor is “Fiber Broadba..

Shore Approaches For Fiber Optics Cable In Arctic Conditions

By Brian “Butch” Webb and Zachary Casey A communications company is installing a subsea fiber optics cable from Europe to Asia around North America through the Beaufort and Bering Seas. At various points along the main line, branching units are installed to allow for branch legs to be laid to vario..

Maine Utility Regulators to Consider $1.5B FairPoint Sale

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine utility regulators are ready to delve into details of the proposed $1.5 billion sale of FairPoint Communications, the country’s eighth-largest phone and internet company. Consolidated Communications, based in Illinois, announced in December it was buying FairPoint, assum..

Fiber Installation in Charlotte Causes $700,000 in Damage

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Officials in Charlotte have sent nearly $700,000 in repair bills to crews installing new broadband network lines across the city for AT&T and Google Fiber. The contractors are digging up areas across Charlotte to install the lines needed for the new service that promises inte..

Melfred Borzall FastBack System For Direct Pullbacks

Melfred Borzall’s FastBack is a new system for direct pullbacks without removing the drill head or installing a backreamer.  FastBack is a complete system and ideal for fiber installation, where access and space is often a concern. It enables the driller to do several bores a day and allows for mult..

Fiber, Sewer and Water Part of $1 Trillion Infrastructure Proposal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats on Tuesday will propose spending $1 trillion on transportation and other infrastructure projects over 10 years in an attempt to engage President Donald Trump on an issue where they hope to find common ground. Details of the plan provided to The Associated Press in..

SoCalGas to Use Fiber Optic Technology to Monitor Pipelines in Real Time

Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) will be one of the first natural gas utilities in the United States to incorporate innovative fiber-optic cable technology to detect impacts and leaks along its transmission and high-pressure pipeline system. The technology uses fiber-optic strands to tran..

Altice USA Unveils Full-Scale Fiber-to-the-Home Network Investment Plan

Altice USA, a subsidiary of Altice N.V., a leading global telecommunications, media and entertainment company, plans to invest further in the U.S. by building a next-generation fiber-to-the-home network capable of delivering broadband speeds of up to 10 Gbps across its footprint. Altice USA will ext..

Fiber Optic Network Provider Sold for $1.4 Billion

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — The Vancouver-based fiber optic network provider Electric Lightwave has sold to a Colorado company for $1.42 billion. The Columbian reports (http://bit.ly/2gILXzg ) that telecom infrastructure company Zayo Group announced the purchase on Wednesday and the deal is expected to..

Commission: Michigan Should Spend $4 Billion More Annually on Infrastructure

(AP) – A report ordered by Gov. Rick Snyder says Michigan must spend $4 billion more annually to upgrade infrastructure that includes roads, water systems and the power grid. The study released Monday says the state and local governments spend less than the U.S. average and in surrounding states. ..

FTTH Booming In Rural Texas Panhandle Fiber Installation All Going Underground

The steady growth of fiber optic cable deployment in the United States steadily continues with more and more households and businesses being directly connected to fiber. While newspaper headlines often announce big carrier plans to bring fiber to an increasing number of cities, fiber to the home (..

Maine Regulators Expand Investigation of FairPoint Communications

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — State utility regulators are expanding an investigation of FairPoint Communications for failing to meet minimum service standards for landline customers. The Maine Public Utilities Commission has been considering a $500,000 fine against FairPoint for failing to meet standards ..

Google Fiber Lights Up Music City

Nashville officially joined four other metropolitan areas as a fiber city when Google Fiber went live, April 27. As planned, Google Fiber was installed only in apartment and condominium buildings. Residents of these communities were able to pick up a self-installation kit at the Fiber Space, a store..

Google Fiber Plans Expansion In Several Cities With Pending Deals In Many More

by Robert Carpenter, Editor-In-Chief Google Fiber is a remarkable story and the tale keeps growing. At the recent Power & Communication Contractors Association annual convention, one of the speakers included a senior representative in charge of the Southeast U.S. construction. When I asked what the..

CNX Awarded Fiber Broadband Development Contract In Kentucky

Warren County Fiscal Court awarded Connected Nation Exchange (CNX) a contract for fiber broadband development on behalf of Warren County, KY in the advancement of the county’s goal to provide fiber-based broadband services throughout the county. CNX will develop technical and financial models in an..

Fiber Optic Networks Experience Huge Growth

The number of homes in the United States directly connected to fiber optic networks continues to grow – 13 percent in 2015, reports the Fiber to the Home Council (FTTH) survey released in November. More than 12.3 million homes in the U.S. are connected to fiber, said Michael Render, president of RV..