NEC Corporation announced that it started sales of the NEC Intelligent Optical Fiber Sensing Solution that allows Communications Service Providers (CSP) and optical fiber owners to utilize optical fiber as a sensor.
NEC, a leading telecom equipment maker, said this solution contributes to infrastructure maintenance by using AI to analyze vibrations detected with optical fibers, enabling the detection of abnormalities, such as fiber damage, and helping to prevent future damages.

This solution utilizes NEC’s optical fiber sensing technology to enable sensing from existing optical fibers that are conventionally used for communications.

NEC said this solution consists of a sensing device attached to one end of the optical fiber, software with a function that detects vibrations and external conditions that may cause an abnormality, and mapping function that accurately displays location information, such as the latitude and longitude of a fiber section.

It is difficult for CSP and optical fiber owners to identify damaged areas in the event of fiber breakage, making it challenging for operators and maintenance personnel to quickly make repairs. This solution detects signs of potential fiber cable damage caused by unexpected construction work, deterioration, etc., by detecting vibrations that differ from normal conditions.

NEC has examined the possibility of using optical fiber sensing technology to detect cracks in utility poles. Moreover, NEC and Verizon have conducted joint field experiments of a traffic monitoring system in the United States, where the companies confirmed the effectiveness of a traffic monitoring solution for assessing roadway traffic conditions.

“We have been working  for many years on the practical application of fiber sensing utilizing optical fiber
networks, and are excited to capitalize on this technology in order to improve the efficiency of network operations,” said Kazuhiro Tagawa, General Manager, 1st Network Service Division, NEC.