Fiber Optics Institute
FO-C

FO-C · Certified Fiber Designer (Level C)

Course lessons

1 Network architecture selection

### Match topology to service, not fashion **Point-to-point active Ethernet** dedicates a fiber and port per customer: maximum capacity and…

2 FTTH outside-plant design

### The canonical chain CO/POP → feeder → **FDH** (fiber distribution hub with splitters) → distribution → **NAP/drop terminals** → drops →…

3 PON technologies: GPON, XGS-PON and beyond

### The installed base and the upgrade **GPON** (ITU-T G.984): 2.488 Gb/s down / 1.244 up, 1490/1310 nm, ODN classes B+ (28 dB) and C+ (32…

4 WDM systems and transport engineering

### Multiplying a fiber Wavelength-division multiplexing sends many independent channels down one fiber. **CWDM** (G.694.2): 18 channels,…

5 Loss-budget engineering, formally

### The governing equation Available budget = **minimum Tx power − receiver sensitivity − system penalties**. Consumed budget = Σ fiber…

6 Advanced testing: CD, PMD, iOLM and monitoring

### Beyond loss High-rate and long links add characterization beyond Tier 1/2. **Chromatic dispersion (CD)** testing maps ps/nm across…

7 Data-center and premises fiber design

### A different physics of scale Inside a data center, distances are short but counts are enormous and change is constant. Design pillars:…

8 Project management for fiber builds

### The project triangle in fiber terms Scope = homes passed / links delivered to acceptance criteria; schedule is dominated by permits and…

9 Safety management systems for fiber operations

### From personal habits to a managed system Level A taught personal safety; Level C builds the **system**: hazard identification, risk…

10 Emerging technologies and the road ahead

### Fibers of the next decade **Hollow-core fiber** guides light in air: ~30% lower latency and radically low non-linearity; early…

Exam rules

  • 100 questions, randomly drawn and shuffled per candidate
  • 120 minutes — the exam auto-submits when time ends
  • Pass mark 70% · certificate valid 3 years
  • Levels must be passed in order: A → B → C
Question bank: 3000