Full Course Description

The FOA specialist certification CFOS/D, “Fiber Optic Network Design,” covers how fiber optic networks are designed within the context of complete communications systems or construction projects. This training and certification focuses on how to design a fiber optic cable plant that will provide the transmission requirements of a desired communications system. It is intended for network users and operators, contractors, installers, architects and engineers, project managers and all others who are involved with projects that include fiber optics.

Fiber optic networks are widely used, not just for telecom, but CATV, computer LANs, cellular phone towers, municipal wireless, security surveillance systems, metropolitan data, intelligent highways, fiber to the home, or practically every communications network. Every fiber optic network is unique and requires a thorough process from conception to completion to ensure a successful design.

The FOA Certification is focused on the unique aspects of fiber optic network design since the fiber optic designer is a team member co-operating with the project manager overseeing the whole project design. The focus is on the cooperation between network owner/user and contractor to work with the designers to create the documentation that will facilitate the actual network construction. The FOA training curriculum includes these basic topics:

• Planning the network – establishing the needs for communications and the network route(s)
• Starting the documentation
• Choosing equipment, hardware and components,
• Understanding power and loss budgets
• Planning and supervising the installation process
• Planning for operation and restoration
• Hands-on case studies

What is not inherently part of the FOA curriculum but is left to the school and the students is the drawings, usually done in CAD, and GIS (geographic information systems) location of the routing. Too often fiber optic network design is thought of as only doing a set of drawings, but this course is intended to cover the actual project design where the personnel focus on the communications system and infrastructure that lead to proper documentation and drawings from which personnel can effectively build the project.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites for the training and certification include having a FOA first level certification (CFOT or CPCT) certification or equivalent knowledge and experience in fiber optic communication technology and installation.