ANALYSIS & OPINION: SKILLS


Tose highly trained and experienced


technicians can then tackle more demanding tasks, and ultimately, work more effectively. And having first-time-right deployments means avoiding multiple truck rolls to solve an issue in the field. Tat all adds up to operational savings and greater efficiency. For everything from installation to turn-up


and troubleshooting, having the right tools at the right time can also improve productivity. Heren are some options available to communications providers to make the most of their workforce and outside contracted resources in 2022.


Adopting automation Testing network components using intelligent devices that automatically produce fast and accurate results is critical for helping technicians work beter and faster. One key area is identifying faulty connections, which can be a major impedance to quality of service by causing signal degradation or system outages. In fact, optical connections are a known source


of network failures, so testing in the field and not just relying on manufacturer testing is key. Fibre inspection probes that use automated analysis soſtware to assess connector performance make it easy and quick to assess the many points of connection in fibre optic spans, so even inexperienced technicians can operate like a pro. Fast fault detection on fibre spans where


poor splicing or macrobends can interfere with signal quality is also important. An automated optical loss test set (OLTS) can determine the total amount of loss in a fibre span. Compared to a standard light source and power meter (LS-PM), the automated version has an integrated source and power meter in each unit, providing bidirectional loss and optical return loss testing,


32 FiBRE SYSTEMS n SPRING 2022 n Issue 35


as well as length measurement capabilities. Another device in the working smarter toolbox


is an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) that can characterise fibre and identify issues easily and quickly. OTDRs augmented by iOLMs multipulse, adaptative acquisition provide insight during the deployment phase, validating fibre, connections and fusion splices. Reflectometers can also be used to monitor fibre optic networks. For service providers using outside contractor


services, it can be challenging to ensure that roll outs are being done in a manner consistent with company protocols and industry standards. Smart test equipment could be automated using a cloud-based orchestrator, accelerating fibre deployment by automating test measurements and centralising test results.


Monitoring roll outs to ensure quality Of course, OTDR and iOLM can be portable, but they can also be deployed in central offices and head-ends where field technicians using the latest advances in remote fibre test systems can use mobile applications enabled by a cloud-native application server to undertake these OTDR tests remotely. Te same centralised OTDR could be used to monitor the network 24/7 and detect degradation before it affects services. Such a centralised solution can help operators


reduce mean time to understand/repair (MTTU/ MTTR), meet service level agreements (SLAs), and improve customer experience. Testing capability from the central office to the optical network terminal (ONT) can be especially useful in FTTH applications.


Overcoming the resource shortage Fibre is going deeper into the network, driven by high-speed networking demands and 5G


ONE KEY AREA IS IDENTIFYING FAULTY CONNECTIONS, WHICH CAN BE A MAJOR IMPEDANCE TO QUALITY OF SERVICE BY CAUSING SIGNAL DEGRADATION OR SYSTEM OUTAGES


deployment, exacerbating the fibre optic technician resource shortage. By equipping technicians with automated, intelligent and easy- to-use test tools, network operators can maximise productivity of the available workforce while reducing operational costs. Until the resource shortage issue is solved, it will be imperative to work smarter, not harder, by adopting next- generation test and measurement solutions.n


Stéphane Chabot is vice president of test and measurement at Exfo


www.fibre-systems.com @fibresystemsmag


SFIO CRACHO/Shutterstock.com


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