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Fiber optic cables act as fully distributed live sensors, providing owners and operators with real-time insights and alerts to improve safety and protect their infrastructure. But that's not all fiber optic cables can do.
Author: Brad Randall, Broadband Community
From detecting earthquakes to identifying if construction crews are excavating nearby, fiber optic sensing offers telecommunications and utility operators the opportunity to proactively warn, identify and address situations before a catastrophic failure occurs.
Those are the words of Paul Dickinson, president of the Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), a Washington-based nonprofit trade association whose mission is to raise awareness and provide education on the benefits of fiber optic sensing.
Dr. Dickinson holds a PhD in Polymer Science from the University of Connecticut's Materials Science Institute and has extensive experience in fiber optic technology and conduit infrastructure, and also serves as Director of Business Development for Dura-Line.
In a recent interview with Broadband Communities, Dickinson said that leveraging fiber optic sensing technology on existing and future fiber optic cables that are dedicated to broadband can provide a variety of additional use cases for end users.
Use cases include loss prevention, security, situational awareness, operational insights, network mapping, traffic monitoring and preventative maintenance, Dickinson said.
Dickinson said the benefits include improved safety and resilience, minimizing third-party interference and reducing operational and capital costs.
He said the technology could provide network builders with additional ROI justification, making rural routes more economically viable.
There is also an opportunity for stakeholders to further monetize their networks using sensing technology, Dickinson said. Here is Dickinson's description of the technology in his own words:
Paul Dickinson, President, Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA) and Director of Business Development, Duraline
How does it work?
“Fiber optic cables used for internet and broadband typically contain hundreds of individual optical fibers, transmitting signals across oceans, countries and communities.
When installed underground, they are typically installed within conduit runs for ease of installation and future expansion.
It leverages these available optical fibers in a unique way: by sending high-speed pulses of light down the optical fibers, they become sensors that continuously monitor return signals (backscatter) for vibration, strain and temperature to automatically monitor, detect, locate and classify activity along and adjacent to the roadway.
Locations of activity can often be detected within 10 feet on a GIS map, and sensing ranges typically cover 60 miles in one direction passively, meaning no other power is required beyond powering an optoelectronic “interrogator” at one end of the range.
Vehicles, excavations, drilling equipment, manhole entries, etc. can all be detected, located and identified, and alerts can be sent instantly via text, email or through existing operating system interfaces.”
Practical application of optical fiber sensing
Fiber optic sensing technology has been used for decades in military applications and border and border security.
They later became popular for monitoring pipelines for leaks and damage.
Dickinson is currently on a mission with FOSA to raise awareness of fiber optic sensing for emerging infrastructure applications as federal funding for broadband deployment and utility upgrades continues across the country.
“In the U.S. and globally, conduit and fiber optic networks are vast and ever-expanding to meet bandwidth needs, making them ideal for adding sensing capabilities,” Dickinson said. “And it's not the only relevant infrastructure: As artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles (EVs) and clean energy use rapidly increase, the demand for data centers and utility infrastructure will drive incredible overbuilding by utilities and an overall revitalization of aging infrastructure.”
Dickinson said bridges and roads also need to be upgraded.
“This presents a great opportunity for us to incorporate fiber sensing capabilities into our designs going forward. This optical network will function in our infrastructure in much the same way that the central nervous system functions inside our bodies.”
Smart Infrastructure for Smart Cities
According to Dickinson, smarter infrastructure is essential for smarter cities.
He said the first thing designers and providers should do is make sure they are using the latest high-optical-density microcable and microconduit technology.
Flexible, scalable infrastructure that can cost-effectively accommodate growing bandwidth requirements.
Dickinson added that microcable and microconduit technology allows operators to install additional conduit capacity and “add fiber optic cable as they grow” without incurring the expensive costs of digging up ground in the future.
“Instead of just focusing on the end point of the path for your bandwidth communications needs, let's design the entire linear route location of our fiber cables and conduits so that fiber sensing can optimize the value of our investment,” he says. “We're already reducing costs by using micro-cables and micro-conduits. What if we intentionally placed that conduit route adjacent to other existing or greenfield (new) infrastructure, enabling these unique use cases that impact ROI? The benefits are too significant to overlook.”
Proof of concept
The topic was the theme of a breakout session at the Fiber Broadband Association's Fiber Connect 2024 in Nashville, where Dickinson and industry panelists discussed the concept of “multi-use infrastructure” for existing and future builds.
The proof-of-concept demo provided by FOSA was so well received that it was judged at Fiber Connect 2024 and awarded the “Game Changer” award.
The presentation discussed testing and planning for Texas 811, a free pre-drilling call service, and implementing the technology among member utility companies.
Dickinson said Texas 811 hopes to mitigate harm to utilities by immediately alerting utility companies to unauthorized drilling in their areas.
FOSA website QR code
Additionally, representatives from open access provider Underline Infrastructure described their plans to use the sensors to provide value-added services to the communities they serve.
With so many different use cases and benefits, Dickinson told Broadband Community, “utilities and transportation network builders should incorporate fiber optic sensing into their designs and business cases to maximize potential applications.”
He also encouraged end users, engineers and designers to contact the Fiber Optic Sensing Association to receive advice and assistance from member companies.
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