Tier 2 (Extended) Fiber Optic Certification

Tier 2 Fiber Optic Certification to Meet Visibility Demands

Unprecedented demand for more bandwidth, faster network speeds, lower latency, and improved data reliability and security all contribute to the increasing need for better network visibility. Industry standards have been established to ensure performance, consistency, and interoperability between network equipment vendors.

However, the consistent implementation and operation of these standards become even more critical as speeds and bandwidth increase. At the fiber infrastructure level, this also means more testing may be needed beyond the basic fiber end-face inspection certification and Tier 1 fiber optic testing. This is where Tier 2 fiber optic testing and certification comes in and provides a deeper level of link visibility unlike any other fiber infrastructure tests.

Pass/Fail Inspection and Beyond

While Tier 1 fiber optic tests can identify problems in terms of pass or fail, they cannot determine the root cause or location of the problem. Tier 2 fiber optic testing is used to pinpoint root-cause locations and the amount of loss and optical return loss (ORL) from each problem contributor and is performed selectively in addition to Tier 1 testing under specific conditions and situations. Tier 2 fiber testing provides a deeper level of link visibility unlike any other fiber infrastructure tests. The optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) is used to perform Tier 2 fiber optic testing.