On May 15, Prysmian Group, a global leader in the energy and telecom cables and systems industry platforms, announced its charter membership with the newly formed Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), the nation’s first trade association dedicated to fiber-optic sensing. With a portfolio spanning a broad range of fiber-optic applications, Prysmian Group cites itself as one of the key technology leaders in fiber-optic sensing, and intends to offer its industry expertise to raise greater awareness for the benefits of this emerging technology through FOSA.
“Fiber-optic sensing is the solution to many of today’s biggest infrastructure problems,” says Stephen Szymanski, vice president of telecom for Prysmian Group, North America. “We are honored to be a founding member of the Fiber Optic Sensing Association and to join forces with some of the most powerful players in the industry to bring awareness to the vital role this technology has on the future of our nation’s businesses, environment and infrastructure.”
As described by Prsymian, "Fiber-optic sensing uses deviations of light in fiber-optic cables to remotely measure acoustics, temperature and strain. Through fiber-optic sensing, an individual can detect pipeline leaks, vehicle traffic, foot traffic, digging, tunneling, seismic activity, unsafe temperatures, crumbling infrastructure and other conditions from miles away."
"Fiber-optic sensing has the potential to dramatically improve the lives of many millions of Americans, enhance business operations, and create jobs,” contends Thomas Cohen, FOSA's executive director. “Businesses, institutions, and government agencies already deploy these applications to make our roads safer, protect our environment and strengthen our security. However, to further these improvements and impact, industry, consumers, and government need to better understand the value of and get greater access to information on this advanced technology. This is why we are creating FOSA.”
FOSA will hold its inaugural meeting with its members in Washington, D.C. this month. For more information about FOSA, its mission, members and programs, visit www.fiberopticsensing.org. For more information about Prysmian Group, visit na.prysmiangroup.com.