The Fiber Optics Technology Consortium (FOTC) of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) recently elected its slate of officers for 2017. Serving for his tenth consecutive term as consortium chair is Rodney Casteel of CommScope. Vice chair is Lee Kellett, AFL/Light Brigade; standards chair is Cindy Montstream, Legrand; membership chair is Robert Reid, Panduit; communications chair is Dede Starnes, Corning.
“The Fiber Optics Technology Consortium continues to play an important role in educating the industry,” said Casteel. “There is a real need for information and training among network designers, consultants and end users, and it’s very powerful to have representatives from different companies present a unified, vendor-neutral message.” Casteel mentioned that one of the FOTC’s priorities is to work to interpret structured cabling standards. “As data rates increase and loss budgets decrease, it underscores the need for products that meet stringent industry standards. Complying with standards is crucial to continued network performance.”
In 2017 the FOTC will continue to focus on educational materials, webinars and seminars. “Last year we hosted eight webinars,” said Casteel, “all of which were eligible for BICSI continuing education credits. The webinars are a great way for our members to offer training, information and guidance to interested people worldwide like network designers, consultants, engineers, technicians and end users who need the most current standards-based information.”
The Fiber Optics Technology Consortium further explained that as a group it “represents technology leaders committed to providing the most current, reliable and vendor-neutral information about fiber optics and related technologies for advancing new and better communications solutions.”
You can access the consortium’s free network-architecture model, watch webinars, or read white papers, fiber FAQs or standards updates at its website here.