Amanda from NIS | Episode: Protecting Critical Infrastructure: Before Damage Happens.
Think about how much we depend on fiber optic networks every day. From internet connectivity and financial transactions to healthcare, emergency communications, and transportation, fiber is the backbone of our connected world.
But what happens when that infrastructure is damaged?
A single accidental fiber cut can disrupt essential services, leave homes and businesses without connectivity for days, and result in costly, time-consuming repairs.
And with today's high-capacity fiber optic cables carrying hundreds of individual fibers, the consequences of a single excavation mistake can be significant.
Traditional damage prevention efforts focus on identifying where underground utilities are located and encouraging excavators to avoid them. Programs like 811 are essential, but what if we could add another layer of protection?
What if we could detect potentially damaging activity before a cable is ever struck?
That's where Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) comes in.
DAS uses fiber optic cables as continuous sensors, detecting vibrations and disturbances along the cable route. This technology allows operators to monitor miles of critical infrastructure in real time, identifying activity such as digging, excavation equipment, and other potential threats.
And because the technology can identify and classify different types of activity, it can help reduce nuisance alarms, allowing operators to focus on events that actually require attention.
Explore VANGUARD FOCUS: Optical Intrusion Detection System
At Network Integrity Systems' Rock City Research & Demonstration Facility, we've been testing how fiber optic sensing can identify excavation activity near buried fiber infrastructure.
Using our VANGUARD FOCUS™ technology, we've demonstrated the ability to detect digging activity along buried fiber routes, including excavator activity and manual digging with a shovel.
We've also observed how the system can detect passing vehicles without generating unnecessary alarms.
The goal isn't simply to detect everything happening near a fiber route. It's to identify activity that could pose a threat and provide actionable information before damage occurs.
Explore VANGUARD FOCUS: Optical Intrusion Detection System
As our reliance on fiber optic infrastructure continues to grow, protecting these networks becomes increasingly important.
Fiber optic sensing offers an opportunity to move beyond responding to damage after it happens and toward identifying potential threats in real time.
Because when it comes to critical infrastructure, the best damage is the damage that never happens.
Watch the latest episode of Amanda from NIS to see how fiber optic sensing is helping change the way we approach damage prevention.
WATCH: Ep. 5: Protecting Critical Infrastructure: Before Damage Happens