SC465 - Optical Fiber & Cable- Enabling Existing & Future Networks
16 Mar 2026
09:00 - 12:00
Short Course Level
Advanced Beginner
Short Course Description
With nearly 8 billion kilometers of optical fiber deployed world-wide and millions of kilometers being added annually, the future has never looked brighter for optical networking. Optical fiber cable has long served as the backbone for long distance high-bit-rate networks and has become the preferred technology for network operators to enable “last-mile” connections to homes and businesses. Additionally, the drive to cloud services and Generative AI has resulted in large-scale investments in hyperscale data centers which rely on specialized optical fiber cables to connect servers, routers, and interconnect the data centers themselves. All of this provides the much-needed capacity to meet the ever-growing global bandwidth demand.
This short course will provide insight into the history of optical fiber, discuss the fundamentals of optical fiber manufacturing, and establish an understanding of key attributes which are important to optical fiber functionality. We will review the different categories of transmission optical fibers available today and look at how optical fibers are evolving to meet the challenges of future networks. A focus of this short course will also be on the cabling options, standards, and performance considerations for various environments, inclusive of the trade-offs that may exist for different cable types. Lastly, we will provide insight into non-transmission applications and emerging industry trends which continue to drive innovation.
Short Course Benefits
This course will enable you to:
- Describe the motivation for the invention and initial applications of optical fiber cables for telecommunications
- Understand at a high level the key optical physics principles enabling optical fiber to function as the backbone of high-speed communications
- Develop knowledge on how fibers are designed to meet specific application needs, inclusive of non-transmission applications
- Explain the different manufacturing processes and steps used in the fabrication of optical fiber
- Appreciate the relevant specified optical fiber attributes and their importance to network performance
- Compare the different transmission optical fiber types, associated ITU-T standards, and intended uses
- Understand specialty fibers and unique applications outside of traditional transmission use, e.g., sensor applications
- Provide an overview on primary optical cable types and relevant applications in transmission networks from trans-oceanic to datacenter to local access networks
- List the important performance elements and specifications for optical fiber cables to ensure successful deployments and longevity
- Comprehend future trends in both optical fiber and cable technology
Short Course Audience
This course is intended for the technical community seeking to understand the basics of optical fiber and cable for typical telecommunications systems, focusing on products which are standards-compliant and have the broadest application. In addition to specific fiber attributes, the course will describe cable designs to protect fibers from the stresses encountered in the service environment. While focused on current industry standards, the course will provide insight into future trends and evolving non-transmission applications.
Instructors
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Nilson Gabela
Corning Optical Communications, United States
NILSON GABELA is Global Market & Technology Development Manager at Corning, supporting cable products. Nilson has been with Corning for 20 years in a variety of challenging roles from field services engineering to enterprise sales, supporting both domestic and international accounts. In Market & Technology Development, Gabela supports hyperscale, enterprise and carrier customers, while providing valuable guidance on industry trends. In addition to his role at Corning, Nilson is also the current Chair of the Fiber Optic Sensing Association. Nilson has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and MBA.
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John Hedgpeth
Corning Optical Communications, United States
John Hedgpeth is Worldwide Applications Engineering Manager at Corning, supporting optical fiber products. John has held several positions during his 10-year tenure at Corning, including manufacturing support, quality management and product line management for submarine optical fiber. In addition to his work at Corning, John’s career has allowed for experiences in process engineering, research, and product management, all gained through working in the electronic components industry. John holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from NC State University.