wiredInUSA December 2017

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA) has released details of over 1,300 installations of distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) around the world. The data reflects the largest representative sample ever published. Using an interactive map, FOSA has provided a geographic breakdown of global DFOS installations in more than 75 countries. Key findings include that China has more deployments than any other nation, with roughly 11.3 percent of all identified installations, followed by Germany at 9.4 percent. The US appears third, with around 6.5 percent, and fourth is South Korea with 4.8 percent of installations. The assets most frequently monitored using DFOS include power cables (22.2 percent), tunnels (20 percent), pipelines (13.5 percent) and perimeters (8.4 percent). The identified installations span over 20,000 miles (33,300km) in length. “According to our data, the United States is well behind China and Germany in terms of total deployments of fiber optic sensing. We are committed to raising awareness of this powerful technology, which can help bring US infrastructure and asset security into the 21 st century,” said Mark Uncapher, director of FOSA. Fiber optic sensing enables highly precise remote monitoring of physical assets by measuring deviations of light in a fiber optic cable. Deviations occur as a result of acoustic, temperature or strain signals. Uncapher added: “Power cable faults and pipeline leaks can be detected and located instantly, and footsteps can be heard on a perimeter in the middle of the night. They are all detectable through fiber optic sensing.”

Fiber security

wiredInUSA - December 2017

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