Sincere thanks to America’s telecommunications workers for keeping us connected in these trying times. It is incredibly important that we stay up to date on the latest developments and government guidelines on COVID-19, plus communicate with loved ones. This would be extremely difficult to do without all the hard work of these amazing men and women. Clearfield® is here to support you. Just let us know how we can help.
When reading communication from fiber technicians, we see how concerned they are not only with their safety, but also with the well-being of their customers. If a technician minimizes the time spent inside a home to do troubleshooting of the fiber plant, for example, that’s a huge benefit to everyone involved.
More companies are deploying optical network terminals (ONTs) indoors instead of on the outside of the home. Some fiber network designs do not call for a test access point (TAP) on the outside of the home because of the added cost of the extra termination and box. However, the technician must still enter the home to unplug the fiber from the ONT to do an OTDR trace or light level reading. We encourage fiber engineers that are designing FTTH/FTTx projects to utilize a TAP product, which reduces the tech’s time inside a home.
These TAP products are not only useful during pandemic situations. They make it easier for a tech to do their work during normal operations as well. It is no longer necessary for a customer to be home to troubleshoot the physical plant. This is more convenient for everyone and a tech can do more calls in a day.
Engineered to streamline FTTH connections, the Clearfield Home Deployment Kit (HDK) is a complete solution (everything you need in one box) that includes a TAP, jumpers and a plug-and-play fiber outlet. It can easily be added to your next build and benefits both you and your customer, with much of the work needed to connect the fiber done outside the home. Several options are available, depending on the application.
If you would like to discuss a solution for your FTTx projects, please contact Clearfield. We’re here to help you stay safe, connected and protected.
By Tom Warren and Josh Gardner – Clearfield Sales Engineers
For over 17 years, Tom Warren has worked with Clearfield in the engineering world of telecommunications. As a Clearfield Sales Engineer, Tom provides support to carrier customers and OEMs. Tom’s expertise includes in-depth knowledge of WDMs, FTTx, Small Cell and DAS Fiber applications.
Josh Gardner is a Clearfield Sales Engineer with almost 20 years of telecommunications experience. Before joining Clearfield, Josh’s roles included Program Manager with Google Fiber and MDU Account Executive with Cox Communications. He provides support to carrier customers and OEMs.