FEATURE FIBRE AND CABLE
fibre training schools, for example, the Fibre Optic Association (FOA) to produce a specialised cleanroom fibre cleaning kit. Tis kit contains all the supplies an instructor needs to demonstrate and teach proper cleaning techniques. ‘We’re basically selling this kit to any
independent fibre school at our cost. And we’re providing it straight to fibre schools, all around the globe, to avoid the mark-ups distributors put on to the products. ‘Most installers know they should clean. Te
real problem is the long-tail of money. It comes back to the contract and the performance specifications. Most contractors try to offer the lowest bid, just to win the business. Te root cause of network problems starts at the clients’ desks, with their deficient procurement procedures. ‘Don’t blame the installer, they’re just trying
to earn a living. Tere are hundreds of fibre training centres around the world. Every large company has their own in-house standards and training programmes. ‘Tere is sufficient training available.
Ultimately, what’s lacking is a willingness, on the part of clients, to pay for training.
You can train your techs all you want, but if you don’t give them the right tools and the right economic incentives, they won’t get the job done right
‘We have to train the operators and get them
the right tools; there’s no argument there. But the biggest challenge is the clients. Many of them fail to explicitly include cleaning in their procurement contracts. ‘Tink about this for a second. Clients are
totally in charge. Tey specify the routers, the multiplexers, and the quality of the fibre itself. But usually they ignore cleaning, or simply assume it is part of the procedure. So, I am suggesting that clients must include two new specifications in their contracts. First, every end-face must be cleaned in accordance with IEC 61300-3-35. Secondly, proof of end-face cleanliness, photographs must be included in the network acceptance paperwork.
24 FIBRE SYSTEMS Issue 20 • Summer 2018 Time is money for contractors, so it makes sense to take the training to them ‘Most operators are provided with tools by
their company. Te product selection decision isn’t with the technician, it’s with management. If management doesn’t think cleaning is important, they’re not going to provide the right tools for the job. It’s all about ‘false economies’. Te root cause is a focus on the cost to buy a product, instead of the right goal: the cost per cleaning. ‘You can train your techs all you want, but if
you don’t give them the right tools and the right economic incentives, they won’t get the job done right. Every installer must have an inspection scope that can record images of the end-faces. Lastly, every client should demand cleaning and inspecting to the IEC standard be included in their contracts and their budgets. Let me say it once more: it’s cheaper to clean and inspect than to repair. Manage the process properly and do it right the first time.’
Show of support An interim approach to the skills shortage currently being adopted by vendors is the tailoring of product offerings to help de-skill some of the installation processes involved. Tis is something that blown fibre solutions and ducted network provider, Emtelle, has been doing for some time, as UK sales manager, Simon Wade explained: ‘Te biggest issue that fibre networks face is the availability of skilled resource to deploy the fibre. Te numbers of people available to perform the high skilled tasks such as splicing, blowing
fibres and deploying cable, and the quality of work needed – it’s a highly-skilled profession. Tere’s a tremendous amount of work going on at the moment and the availability is becoming a key critical factor.’ To help provide support in this area,
Emtelle has worked to provide a range of products that need a lower skill base to deploy. An example of this is a pre-connected microduct system that requires no blowing or splicing for the install. Most recently, at this year’s Data Centre
World event, the company launched a new, de-skilled duct solution specifically for data centres. Te philosophy with this range is to reduce costly cable damage via quick and easy installation, using minimal training and tools. Te company’s de-skilled solutions have
been used by contractors undertaking works in numerous projects; from a large P2P FTTH project in partnership with GVO d.o.o. in Germany, to supply superfast fibre optics to 5,345 households; to working with EDF Energy in the UK on the Olympic Stadium. Te company intends to assist its global customer base by providing de-skilled solutions throughout the world, and has added a new facility in Germany in order to do so. ‘Te facility in Germany complements our
other facilities,’ Wade continued, ‘and that’s going to address the demand from continental Europe. We believe that the crest of the wave is happening now and we’re addressing that by having appropriate resources in place.’l
@fibresystemsmag |
www.fibre-systems.com
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