Resources on Fiber Optic Products

Your Network is Only as Strong as Your Weakest Link. Your Weakest Link Won’t be Clearfield.

In business school, we were told a story about the CEO of a large manufacturer in the Twin Cities. In his office was a placard that read “Price, Quality and Lead Time…Pick Two.” This always made sense to me because you cannot be all things to all people.

3 Ways to Overcome the Labor Shortage and Lack of Training in the Fiber Industry

As network builders pass more and more homes with fiber each year, it’s become abundantly clear the impact that properly trained technicians have on the industry. However, the number of available trained technicians has seen a steady decrease, leading to an industry-wide labor shortage. 

3 Ways to Overcome Barriers to Fast 5G Wireless Deployments

The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic make delivering reliable broadband connections more critical than ever. With broadband usage increasing, the demand for both coverage and capacity of the 5G radio access network (RAN) Fronthaul, Midhaul and Backhaul must also increase.

3 Ways to Radically Simplify 5G Fiber Deployment in the Wireless World

One of the biggest topics of discussion regarding 5G is the need for fiber. Due to latency and bandwidth demands, fiber must be further out in the network. 

3 Ways of Speeding Time to Revenue in the MDU/MTU

As people demand higher speeds and better reliability for phone, television and high-speed internet, innovative solutions are needed to provide reliable service for the customer and a fast, cost-effective deployment for the service provider. 

3 Considerations for Maximizing Installations in Your MDU/MTU Environment

Because both multi-dwelling unit (MDU) and multi-tenant unit (MTU) buildings vary greatly in design and number of units, they pose a challenge to both the designer and the installer.

3 Tips for Saving Money on Your FTTH/FTTx Deployment

As 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), small cells and many other network demands are increasing, having reliable fiber to the home (FTTH) and fiber to the “x” (FTTx) installations are key. 

3 Ways to Make Your FTTH/FTTx Deployment Successful

What are the keys for building fiber to the home (FTTH) and fiber to the “x” (FTTx) networks that give customers what they want? After many years of experience with FTTH/FTTx networks, we’ve got a few tips.

Clearfield Smart Tip: A Window into Wavelength Division

Windows play an important part in our lives, as shown in popular expressions such as a window of time, maintenance window, window shopping or a window of opportunity.

5 Tips for Designing FTTH/FTTx Networks

Starting a new fiber project is often daunting…and fiber networks all have challenges. We’ve got 5 tips to make your installation go smoother, future proof for the future of fiber and save you time. 

Clearfield Smart Tip: What a Contractor Wants

Increasingly, there is a need for faster and faster fiber network turn-up times. Having the right material that contractors like to use show up on time at the site makes the contractors more efficient and positively affects the return on investment (ROI). 

Clearfield Smart Tip: Flex Your MDU Fiber Muscles

I talk to many customers trying to solve MDU issues. One recurring challenge is that fiber drops are unterminated when entering the fiber distribution box on the wall in the communications room.

Clearfield Smart Tip: Safety First

On one of my customer visits, I spoke with a new technician who was very excited to start his splicing career. 

Clearfield Smart Tip: First Inspect, Then Connect

Scoping and cleaning fiber optic connections during test and turn-up are continually stressed to contractors...and for good reason.

Clearfield® Smart Tip: YOURx®-Terminal

In keeping with Clearfield’s “keep it simple” approach to fiber-fed deployments, features of the YOURx-Terminal, such as...

Clearfield® Smart Tip: One Chance

You only have one chance to do it right the first time.

Clearfield® Smart Tip: Consider Your Pathway

The importance of a well-designed communications cabling pathway cannot be overstated in today’s bandwidth-hungry environment...

Is Your Network Ready for the Big Race?

The stock car racing season is approaching fast and much like communication networks - it’s a balance of speed…

Grounding or No Grounding – What’s Required for Fiber?

Working with customers across the country to install our duct and buried fiber delivery solutions, we’re often asked how…

Best Drop Option for Your Build Priority

Recognizing that no two networks are alike, Clearfield has developed the industry’s widest choice of drop cable solutions –…

You Get What You Pay For

Customers go to great lengths when designing and building a FTTH network. The time, labor and cost is significant.…

It’s Time to Ribbonize

Technological advancements have made building a fiber network faster and more efficient. One of those advancements is the reintroduction…

You Want Fiber Where?

I'm an application engineer for Clearfield and just when I think I’ve seen the capacity of what fiber optics…

Finding Space in an Already Occupied Duct

A large carrier needed access to businesses to provide broadband services, and was running into the same problem in…

Getting Fiber to an MDU is Simplified with the Clearfield Collaborative Approach

A Clearfield distribution partner put me in touch with a customer planning to build out three large 50+ unit…

Optical Component Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions about WDM/CWDM/DWDM & Circulators 1. What is a WDM? WDM stands for Wavelength Division Multiplexer. In fiber-optic communications,…

Microduct – Cost Effective Ideas to Deliver Service to Areas Once Considered Unreachable

The Challenge: Meeting the rising need for broadband usuage. Customers think they can seemlessly access from network to network…

FieldShield Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need the FieldShield Assist to install FieldShield Fiber Cable?  FieldShield can be pushed by hand, but the…

Using FieldShield in the Cellular World

With the onset of LTE and other broadband hungry technologies, cell tower owners and operators have seen the need…

FieldSmart FDP-KIS Wireless Application Scenarios

Multiple Cell Back Haul Demarcation with Consolidation Point The Clearfield FieldSmart FDP-KIS box can be deployed as a stand-alone demarcation…

Using FieldShield in MDU Applications

MDU’S – In the communications industry, these three letters strike fear into the hearts of planners, engineers and construction…

Clearfield’s CWDM Information Guide

Would you like to know a little more about CWDMs? We have created this document to help define and…

Hub Collapse Cabinets

By: Tom Warren Many of Clearfield’s MSO customers have considered collapsing certain hub locations. The applications vary but the reason…

Distribution Networks

By: Brian Schrand When building a FTTH network, there are two basic architectures that you can choose from for your…

Is Plug and Play the Future of FTTH?

An FTTH Innovation Comes of Age by Brian Schrand Clearfield Senior Member of Technical Staff Service providers, consultants, engineering companies and contractors are…

Cookies