In general, a fiber to the premises (FTTP), also referred to as fiber to the home (FTTH), system includes one or more passive optical networks configured to deliver media content, in the form of optical signals, from a provider's central office to a plurality of subscribers' homes. The passive optical network includes a series of fiber links extending between the central office, homes, and other components of the network.
Many of the fiber links are suspended above ground between telephone poles and other structures. For example, in the “last-mile” or “last-kilometer” of the network, a series of fiber links may be suspended above ground between a splicing component and the subscribers' homes.
Any fiber link suspended above ground is susceptible to a number of hazards, such as fallen tree limbs, wind, or ice that could damage the fiber optic cable. The damage could be in the form of a number of cuts or a complete break in the fiber link. A damaged fiber link may distort, diminish, or terminate the fiber optic cable's ability to carry an optical signal and thus interfere with the provider's ability to provide service to a particular subscriber or subscribers. In addition to potentially damaging the provider's goodwill with its subscribers, such damage also adds to the provider's cost of maintaining the network.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds