FBA's supply chain working group last summer produced a report which indicated lead times for fiber optic cables hit 52 to 60 weeks, while lead times for multiport terminals and other key products ranged from 20 to 35 weeks. While routers, switches, and transceivers often have upgrade cycles of 3 to 5 years, properly installed and maintained fiber cabling systems can last 15 years or more — spanning multiple hardware generations. Effective lifecycle management of fiber optic cables, from selection and installation to daily maintenance and replacement, is essential. f mitigation strategies to ensure project success. The Fiber Broadband Association has collected vital statistics regarding the ongoing changes in the market and interviewed representatives from each sector of the fiber broadband industry to learn how they are protecting their fiber related. Fiber industry executives expressed cautious confidence on a webinar this morning about the state of the fiber supply chain as compared to last year.
[PDF Version]