Unleashing the Potential of Fiber Analytics for Enhanced Network Performance
As we know, fiber optic cables are now the backbone of modern communication networks, offering unmatched bandwidth and reliability. But just like any other technology these cables are susceptible to degradation over time.
As cables age, network owners and operators encounter several challenges that can impact the overall health and performance of their networks. One of the primary challenges is the gradual degradation of service signal quality over time. As fibers age, they are more susceptible to attenuations (optical loss) producing signal loss, leading to decreased data transmission rates and potential network slowdowns.
In parallel there is the increasing demand for higher data rates and bandwidth. As technology advances and data consumption surges, older fiber networks may struggle to keep up with the growing requirements, leading to bottlenecks and reduced network efficiency. Network owners/operators need to find ways to better maintain, upgrade, or optimize their existing fiber infrastructure.
Fiber optic cables experience physical wear and tear due to environmental factors such as weather, temperature fluctuations, mechanical movement, and strain (tension/compression). These external influences can cause fiber breaks or bend losses leading to connectivity issues and service disruptions. Issues can arise abruptly, or they can gradually build over time. There’s not much that can be done to avoid a fiber break due to someone cutting a through a fiber, but if you can spot an outage before it happens by looking for degradations and assessing fiber ‘health’, you’re in with a chance to do something about it.
The only way to assess fiber health would be through a program of regular checks with something like an OTDR, baselining a fiber and then manually comparing to the most recent OTDR measurement to look for changes. But that isn’t really practical, nor is it cost effective or scalable.
Without real-time insights into the health and performance of the fiber network, operators may fail to detect early signs of degradation, leading to unexpected outages and costly maintenance. To efficiently address the problem, optical network monitoring systems have emerged as a crucial tool for gathering the data needed. Think about it: a fiber monitoring system is designed to raise an alarm if there is a fiber break or once link losses exceed a set amount. To do this the system makes routine measurements night and day and any deviation from a baseline triggers an alarm. If that monitoring data were stored you would have a wealth of information to draw on, and all provided by your (existing) monitoring system.
One of the most significant advantages would be to identify ageing and predict degradation of fiber optic cables. Over time, the system can establish trends and patterns associated with cable wear and tear. Predictive analytics algorithms can then estimate when and where potential issues may arise, enabling proactive intervention before problems escalate.
By proactively detecting and resolving potential issues, this type of fiber analytics helps minimize downtime and network disruptions. Timely identification of deteriorating fiber optic cables allows network administrators to schedule maintenance during non-peak hours or planned maintenance windows, avoiding unexpected outages that could impact businesses, services, and end-users.
Apart from identifying potential problems, fiber analytics also offers insights into opportunities for tracking other key performance indicators (KPIs) and for network optimization. Network administrators can use information to fine-tune a network’s performance to enhance efficiency, reduce latency, and improve end-user experience. In doing so they can maximize and protect revenue from existing customers while attracting new business thanks to service quality reputation (think Net Promoter Score).
This is something which VIAVI has already built in the form of the fiber analytics capability for our remote fiber test system (ONMSi).
ONMSi with its fiber analytics capability is a transformative solution for network owners and service providers, enabling them to leverage data-driven insights and enhance network performance while delivering an unparalleled customer experience. By leveraging historical data for trend analysis, fiber analytics empowers network administrators to assess fiber optic cable health and take proactive measures to maintain optimal network performance. Through such proactive monitoring and intervention, businesses and service providers can harness the power of test data, driving substantial enhancements in network performance and service quality, ensuring their networks remain robust, reliable, and future-ready.
Lastly, this approach of fiber analytics can be applied to both dark and lit fibers.
To learn more, take a look at our ONMSi Fiber Analytics Brochure.
Douglas Clague is currently solutions marketing manager for fiber optic field solutions at VIAVI. Doug has over 20 years of experience in test and measurement with a primary focus on fiber optics and cable technologies, supporting the telecommunications industry. Prior to VIAVI, Doug held positions as manufacturing engineer, solutions engineer and business development manager. Doug has participated on numerous industry panels around fiber and cable technology trends. He attended Brunel University in London and graduated with an honors degree in electrical and electronic engineering.
