CANCELED SC528 - Hands-on: Practical Optical Transmission and Fiber Network Testing for Real-World Scenarios
16 Mar 2026
13:30 - 17:30
Short Course Level
Advanced Beginner
Short Course Description
This advanced-level course is designed for professionals seeking deep, practical expertise in fiber optic transmission and network diagnostics. With a strong emphasis on hands-on learning in the classroom, applying engineering rules and advanced testing techniques in real-world scenarios.
Participants will gain exclusive access to live demonstrations of fiber network and transceiver testing solutions.
The curriculum blends foundational knowledge with cutting-edge technologies, covering:
- Transmission technology update and trends
- Current singlemode fibers (SMFs) and advanced optical fiber types such as Hollow-Core Fibers (HCFs) and MulIcore Fibers (MCFs), their characteristics, and applications
- Fiber network testing and troubleshooting
- Loss, Optical Return Loss (ORL), Chromatic Dispersion (CD) and Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD)
- Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) testing and trends
- Transmission testing and troubleshooting
- Transceiver evolution, characteristics and applications
- Transceiver validation, testing and troubleshooting
- Optical Signal-to-Noise Ratio (OSNR), Bit Error Rate (BER), packet loss, delay/latency, synchronization
- Application of engineering principles for network design and performance optimization
- Advanced applications in fiber optic networks
- Introduction to Distributed Vibration Sensing (DVS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) for advanced monitoring
- Exploration of quantum transmission concepts and the integration of quantum communication technologies
Short Course Benefits
This course should enable participants to:
• Apply advanced fiber optic transmission principles to real-world network scenarios.
• Identify and differentiate between current SMFs and emerging optical fiber types such as HCFs and MCFs, including their characteristics and use cases.
• Perform comprehensive fiber network diagnostics, including testing for loss, ORL, CD, and PMD.
• Utilize OTDR tools effectively and understand current trends in OTDR testing on SMFs and HCFs.
• Evaluate and troubleshoot transceivers, including understanding their evolution, characteristics, and validation techniques.
• Measure and interpret key transmission metrics such as OSNR, BER, packet loss, latency, and synchronization.
• Design and optimize fiber optic networks using engineering principles for enhanced performance.
• Explore and apply advanced monitoring technologies, including DVS and DAS.
• Understand foundational concepts in quantum transmission and the integration of quantum communication technologies into fiber optic networks.
Participants will gain hands-on experience with advanced testing and real-world diagnostic tools, enhancing their practical skills in fiber optic network analysis. They will be exposed to the latest technologies and trends in fiber optics and quantum communication, keeping them at the forefront of industry developments. Through exclusive access to live demonstrations on the OFCnet platform, learners will gain practical insights into networking solutions. The course will also strengthen participants’ problem-solving abilities for network troubleshooting and performance optimization. Ultimately, mastering these specialized and in-demand competencies will support career advancement and professional growth.
Short Course Audience
Participants will use industry-standard equipment to characterize and troubleshoot fiber optic links, gaining the skills to diagnose and resolve complex network issues. The unique opportunity to work on OFCnet during OFC 2026 enhances the course’s interactive nature, bridging theory and practice in a live, high-performance environment. Ideal for engineers, technicians, and network specialists, this course equips learners with the technical depth and practical skills needed to lead in the deployment, maintenance, and evolution of modern optical networks.
Instructors
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Gwenn Amice
EXFO, United States
Gwenn Amice is Subject Matter Expert and senior member of technical staff at EXFO, providing technical seminars, training, and support to customers navigating next-generation optical networks. He also offers technical advice, represents EXFO at industry events, and works with product development groups to ensure solutions are cutting edge. With 28 years of telecom network experience, Gwenn holds a degree in electrical engineering and industrial computing and is dedicated to continued learning and evolution.
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Christine Tremblay
École de Technologie Supérieure, Canada
Christine Tremblay is Professor at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) where she is the Founding Researcher and Head of the Network Technology Lab. With a background that includes senior roles in R&D and technology management across several organizations including Nortel, Roctest, EXFO and INO, she brings a wealth of experience in her research and teaching activities. Her team pioneered the research on filterless optical networking, a disruptive architecture now implemented on national networks. She has also served as co-instructor for OFC SC314 and SC210 hands-on courses on optical fiber and polarization measurements for several years. Her research interests include machine learning for optical communications, network monitoring and sensing, as well as quantum networking.