A few weeks ago, Clearfield’s FieldSmart® FiberFlex 600 was named among the best in the industry. The 2025 Lightwave + BTR Innovation Reviews gave high marks to this active cabinet in the Optical Category, which included Carrier Fiber, Cable, Enclosures, and Accessories. A panel of industry experts from the optical communications and broadband communities awarded Clearfield an outstanding 4.0 high score, recognizing the company’s leadership in innovation.
There are numerous clichés about innovation, but it is truly a core principle at Clearfield. We’ve been successfully delivering breakthrough technologies to our customers for decades. We’ve had our efforts certified by the numerous awards we have been presented and continue to receive from the telecommunications industry and the general business community. These awards recognize our ability to deliver flexible, scalable solutions that empower our customers to deploy networks efficiently and effectively.
For another measure of our innovation, Clearfield has been awarded 55 patents to date by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and many more pending. As we continue to drive progress in the market with cutting-edge technology designed to meet the evolving needs of the industry, that number will only grow. We’ll keep launching products and solutions that incorporate new ideas to help service providers install fiber faster.
While creating new approaches can reduce total cost of ownership and make jobs easier, it also delivers new services and breaks traditional models. Migrating from copper to fiber has transformed the central office from cable management plants with fast switches into a data center and is quickly leading to the point where field enclosures are data cabinets housing edge computing resources. As these changes take place, we adopt and build new solutions to keep up with the times.
Which brings me to the shoes. If you are attending a trade show this year, such as FBA’s Fiber Connect event in Nashville this June, you’ll be able to spot us because we’ll be wearing Clearfield Blue Air Force 1s. These iconic sneakers will complement our classic all-black outfits when we’re on the exhibit floor. Part of the reason why we’re putting on blue shoes is to remind ourselves and our customers that Clearfield is evolving. The innovative Clearfield team is ready to take the next steps with our customers. As we go into the AI and IoT age, we’re transitioning from solely supporting internet to people to enabling the internet of things.
On exhibit floors around the country, you will be able to experience firsthand how we are using our knowledge, skills and technology to improve the fiber installation process. You’ll be able to try out the 3D interactive BILT mobile app. So, you can experience how easy and timesaving the intelligent instructions are compared to traditional documentation, especially in a field environment where you might not have the manuals and certainly don’t want to lug them all around.
You are also invited to the 288 PON Inspect & Connect Challenge. Here, you’ll be able to test your skills for inspection and cleaning connectors and see how much faster and efficient you can be by using Clearfield’s Connector Cleaning Dust Cap.
Come see for yourself. Visit us at an upcoming event and learn more about how we’re using Clearfield innovation to contribute to your success. Just look for the blue shoes and we’ll be happy to help.
Clearfield’s Chief Marketing Officer, Anis Khemakhem, is deeply passionate about technology, particularly in advancing fiber optics and telecommunications solutions. Throughout his career, he has consistently focused on leveraging cutting-edge technology to improve connectivity and enhance digital access across various sectors. His executive experience - including leadership positions at Clearfield, Amphenol and Carlisle Interconnect Technologies - demonstrates his executive engagement capabilities and capacity to handle complex, multi-stakeholder projects.