News

FOSA Member News

Smart cities: Why public-private-partnerships are necessary for funding smart city initiatives

DAS is an example of how cities can build new intelligence into existing infrastructures, advancing monitoring and future planning capabilities. Augmenting fiber optic cables with DAS platform technologies can provide city authorities with real-time data streams

FOSA Member News

Fotech presents ‘new and promising’ research showing DAS sensitivity in leak detection

“The benefit of what we’ve shown is not just for leak detection in pipelines....The [DAS] technology has greater benefits for the safety of the human race, long term.” [explains Dr. Peter Hayward of Fotech Solutions]

FOSA Member News

Best Practices for Extending Trencher Component Life

…trenchers are efficient and effective digging machines for installing pipe and cable. To keep trenchers hard at work on the job and in peak performance, operators and rental yards must monitor and maintain the machine and components over time. Chain, teeth and sprocket components need to be replace

FOSA Member News

Prysmian Group returns in the submarine optical cable business

Prysmian Group, world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, through its submarine telecom division NSW, showcase[d] for the first time, after the merger with General Cable, its state-of-the-art range of products and services for the submarine telecommunication cable industry

FOSA Member News

Sercel extends boundaries of well exploration with SigmaWave

Chris Shannon, Fotech Solutions CEO said, “SigmaWave represents the best of two industry leaders and demonstrates how, together, we continue to push the boundaries of innovation in upstream applications – with the opportunity to enable the best of DAS technology for the seismic industry.”

FOSA Member News

Prysmian to Supply Cables for French Floating Wind Farm

Cable systems manufacturer Prysmian Group…has been awarded a contract worth approximately €30 million to develop of a turnkey submarine cable system for EDF Renewables' Provence Grand Large (PGL) floating offshore wind farm project in South France.

FOSA Member News

Technology could make a hard border disappear, but at a cost

For remote borders with little or no infrastructure, there are various techniques that can keep an eye, or rather an ear, out. QinetiQ, a British firm, has a system called OptaSense, which uses a fiber-optic cable laid in the ground. Sound from above creates vibrations in this cable.

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Urges “Smart Infrastructure” Technology be included in Infrastructure Legislation

FOSA has urged the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Commerce Committee to incorporate advanced technologies to help make the nation’s infrastructure safer, more resilient, and longer lasting.

FOSA Member News

OFC 2019: Fiber Optic Sensing Association present[ed] "Towards 1 Billion Sensors"

Dr. Chris Minto, Engineering Director of member company OptaSense…[presented] “Towards 1 Billion Sensors: Distributed Fiber Sensing as a Pervasive IoT Contributor” on behalf of FOSA during…Optical Networking and Communication Conference (OFC) in San Diego, California.

FOSA Member News

OFS launches AcoustiSens single-mode optical fiber for enhanced vibration sensing

“OFS recognizes the value of DAS and sees a need for significant improvements in how optical waveguides support this problem-solving technology," comments Mike Hines, market manager for OFS [and FOSA Vice Chairman].

FOSA Member News

Hifi Engineering Announces 50 Patent Milestone and Fiber Optic Flow Monitoring Patent Approval

Hifi Engineering Inc….announced a major intellectual property milestone with their portfolio growing to over 50 patents approved and pending.

FOSA Member News

Security: Monitoring measures, methods and the benefits of digital security technologies

Technologies such DAS...provide coverage of an entire perimeter and raise alerts in real-time, give security teams a comprehensive overview of their operations. In particular, the ability to detect potential intrusions at the earliest possible opportunity

FOSA Member News

Frauscher Sensor Technology acquired by Delachaux

Delachaux Group completed the acquisition of a majority stake in wheel sensor and axle counter manufacturer Frauscher Sensor Technology

FOSA Member News

Fiber Optics for High-Power Applications

As new applications require more laser power, components make the difference between success and failure for fiber optics laser and delivery systems

FOSA Member News

Securing the perimeter: Enhancing airport perimeter security with DAS

Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS)…[offers] a platform to significantly enhance the efficacy of security monitoring at airport perimeters.

FOSA Member News

AP Sensing Deploys DTS/DAS Combo in Denmark

AP Sensing's latest power cable commissioning deployed both DTS and DAS technologies in Copenhagen, Denmark.

FOSA Member News

Digitalization crucial to maintaining legacy water infrastructure

Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS)...will allow water companies to digitize their pipeline infrastructure and detect and monitor ruptures and leaks in existing pipes. Through the use of DAS technology — which harnesses optical fiber cables installed parallel to the water pipes

FOSA Member News

The Energy Excellence Awards Announces Its Inaugural List of Nominees!

Energy Excellence Awards [Hifi Engineering nominated for Operational & Project Excellence in Pipelines & Facilities]…nominees from across Canada’s energy industry, who through their ongoing work, display excellence….

FOSA Member News

The Toro Company Announces Charles Machine Works Acquisition

The Toro Company announced Feb. 15 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held The Charles Machine Works, Inc., an Oklahoma corporation and the parent company of Ditch Witch

FOSA Member News

Prysmian involved in the upgrade of Washington, D.C. area’s power transmission grid

Prysmian Group, world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, will carry out a project aimed at upgrading the U.S. Capital area's power transmission system.

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Presents at OFC: "Towards 1 Billion Sensors"

Dr. Chris Minto, Engineering Director of member company OptaSense, will present “Towards 1 Billion Sensors: Distributed Fiber Sensing as a Pervasive IoT Contributor” on behalf of FOSA during this week’s Optical Networking and Communication Conference (OFC) in San Diego, California.

FOSA News

5 Minutes With… JJ Williams chairman of the Fiber Optic Sensing Association

Fiber optic sensing technology converts cables installed alongside transport infrastructure, such as railroads or highways, into an array of thousands of sensors which can detect acoustics, temperature or strain signals by using optical sensing techniques.

FOSA Member News

Fotech Solutions: Building the transport infrastructure that cities of the future need today

Chris Shannon, CEO, Fotech Solutions discusses the need to improve transport infrastructure for cities today….Combining cutting-edge photonics, AI and edge computing, new sophisticated distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) platforms can interpret this acoustic data.

FOSA Member News

Ditch Witch: Ditch Witch to Feature the HX30 Vacuum Excavator and More at ARA Show

Ditch Witch …versatile new HX30 Vacuum Excavator [showcased] at the ARA Show.

FOSA Member News

AP Sensing: Reservoir Water Pipeline Monitoring

An AP Sensing Linear Pro Series DTS solution was selected to monitor two reservoir water pipelines in northern Germany. These pipelines are used to dispose of water leftover from oil and gas production, which cannot be discarded above ground due to its natural, slight radioactivity.

FOSA Member News

A simple technology could secure the US-Mexico border for a fraction of the cost of a wall

"Our approach has always been that when fiber-optic sensing is used, it's usually one of many other solutions," Mark Uncapher, the director of the Fiber Optic Sensing Association, told INSIDER.

FOSA Member News

OFS: OFS Announces AcoustiSens™ Single-mode Optical Fiber for Enhanced Vibration Sensing

“OFS recognizes the value of DAS and sees a need for significant improvements in how optical waveguides support this problem-solving technology," said Mike Hines, Market Manager for OFS, [and FOSA Vice Chairman]. “AcoustiSens helps by meeting the challenge of greatly increasing Rayleigh backscatter

FOSA Member News

OFS: Testing Optical Fiber: Undersea and Downhole Applications

Many land and undersea oil operations rely heavily on temperature sensing for improved safety and functionality in harsh environments. Silica-based optical fibers have been increasingly used for distributed temperature and acoustic sensing applications….In recent work, OFS performed an experimental

FOSA Member News

NKT Photonics: NKT Photonics Koheras Harmonik Laser System

NKT Photonics is introducing the Koheras HARMONIK system: A high-power, frequency-converted and ultra-low noise laser system offering up to 7 W output. With a market leading low phase noise and narrow linewidth at 775-780 nm, it is ideal for ultracold atom applications.

FOSA Member News

OptaSense: 'Build the wall' with fiber optics

For intrusion detection, OptaSense uses a distributed acoustic sensing setup that analyzes the Rayleigh scattering....The strain signature of a fiber-optic cable around 50 km long can be deconvolved to detect movement at distances of around 10 m from the fiber with a 1 m accuracy.

FOSA Member News

AP Sensing: AP Sensing A 2019 Top Employer

Focus, a leading German business magazine, ranked AP Sensing as one of its Top Employers of 2019. AP Sensing achieved the outstanding position of 11th in the industry segment of ‘machinery and equipment,' an important industry in Germany. The survey ranked 750,000 German companies.

FOSA Member News

Frauscher Sensor Technology USA Inc.: Frauscher USA exhibits strong growth

The North American Frauscher team proudly states that every Class 1 freight railroad in North America has installed the company’s sensors.

FOSA Member News

OFS: Lighting Up Dark Fiber

At the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Dr. Jonathan Ajo-Franklin is using dark fiber to measure seismic signals. Dr. Ajo-Franklin’s team gained permission to access a section of a dark fiber network between Sacramento and Calusa, California.

FOSA Member News

Frauscher Sensor Technology USA: Three years of Frauscher USA: A look back - and beyond

In a short time, [Frauscher Sensor Technology has] successfully achieved positive recognition of the company and products within the US and North American railroad markets.

FOSA Member News

Hifi Engineering: Hifi Engineering of Calgary can detect leaks within a ten-meter radius of pipelines that are thousands of miles long

We can tell where the leak is detected and when,” says Steven Koles, president of Hifi Engineering in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Hifi uses a specialized fiber-optic sensing technology to measure sound, temperature changes and kinetic energy – movement and vibration – in pipelines.

FOSA Member News

Frauscher Sensor Technology USA: 'Saluting the Stalwarts' an Initiative to Honor Railway Legends

Legendary Railway Signaling and Telecom Engineers who completed five decades of serving across the world making significant contributions in the field of Railway Signaling and Telecom were honored….Global CEO Frauscher Sensor Technology Michael Thiel.

FOSA Member News

Fotech Solutions: Breaking Boundaries with DAS

There is enormous potential for our DAS solutions to enable city authorities to improve traffic flows and gain new insights to manage road and transport networks better. [Fotech Solutions] partnered with the city of Calgary.

FOSA Member News

Asymmetric Technologies: I&M Using Drones to Inspect Fort Wayne Transmission Lines

Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) will use drones to inspect transmission lines…. I&M is contracting with Asymmetric Technologies.

FOSA News

Hurd Receives 2018 Champion of Innovation Award from Fiber Optic Sensing Association

FOSA recognized Representative Will Hurd (R-TX) as a recipient of FOSA’s Champion of Innovation Award for 2018. The selection, based on the extraordinary leadership demonstrated by Hurd in the 115th Congress to make U.S. security programs more effective

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Elects Board Members

FOSA, the nation’s premier trade association dedicated to fiber optic sensing, announced the election of five board members, as well as its officer slate for 2019, at the organization’s Annual Meeting in Washington DC.

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Presents 2018 Champion of Innovation Awards to Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and Representative Will Hurd (R-TX)

Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and Representative Will Hurd (R-TX) recognized as recipients of FOSA’s Champion of Innovation Award for 2018. The selection was based on their extraordinary leadership in the 115th Congress to make U.S. security programs more effective through advanced technology.

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Calls for U.S. Pipeline Safety Test Facility

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA) today called for the federal government and the pipeline industry to work together to establish a pipeline safety test facility in the United States.

FOSA Member News

Fotech Solutions: The importance of intelligent traffic systems to smart city initiatives

When it comes to smart cities, DAS is set to be a vital part in the technology puzzle.
Due to its flexibility, DAS is likely to be one of the first ‘live’ installations of true smart city technology.

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Applauds Rail Study Results

FOSA applauds Transportation Technology Center, Inc. study Fiber Optic Availability and Opportunity Analysis for North American Railroads. “The findings of this Federal government study confirm that fiber optic sensing can make significant cost-effective contributions to enhancing rail safety,"

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Urges Government Action on Pipeline Safety Issues

Fiber Optic Sensing Association urges Congress and the Trump Administration to move forward with development of standards for pipeline leak detection technology and other actions designed to enhance pipeline safety in the United States.

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Applauds “Dig Once” Legislation

FOSA applauded the enactment of “Dig Once” legislation designed to facilitate the deployment along U.S. highways of fiber optic cables for purposes of extending broadband and fiber optic sensing networks.

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Releases Installation Considerations for Pipelines

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), the world’s premier trade association for distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS), today released a brief primer entitled FOSA Installation Considerations for Pipelines.

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Urges Rail Safety Technology Testing

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), the nation’s premier trade association dedicated to fiber optic sensing, urged a House subcommittee today to provide greater funding to the Federal Railroad Administration for testing of advanced technologies to improve U.S. rail safety.

FOSA News

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Data on Global Installations

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), the world’s premier fiber optic sensing trade association, released details on more than 1,300 installations of distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) around the world. The November 2107 data reflects the largest representative sample ever published.

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Elects Board Members, Officers

FOSA officer slate for 2018: Greg Williams, Prysmian, was elected to the Board, and Geoffroy Lacoin, Omnisens, Gordon Youle, OZ Optics, and Vivek Caroli, Frauscher Sensor Technology USA, Inc. were reelected, to serve 2-year terms. Mike Hines Mike Hines of OFS, rose from Vice Chair to Chair.

FOSA Member News

Fotech Solutions: Global Partnership with Sercel to Deliver Next Generation of Advanced Downhole Technology

Fotech Solutions has entered a partnership with Sercel to jointly develop future borehole seismic and distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) monitoring technology. Within the partnership, Fotech Solutions will contribute DAS measurement solutions.

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Releases New Data on Global Installations

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), the world’s premier fiber optic sensing trade association, today released details on more than 1,300 installations of distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) around the world. The data reflects the largest representative sample ever published.

FOSA Press Releases

FOSA Applauds PHMSA Nominee’s Focus on Technology

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA) today applauded PHMSA Administrator nominee Howard Elliott’s focus on technology solutions to address safety issues, including in the pipeline and rail sectors.

FOSA Press Releases

FOSA Applauds U.S. House Action to Facilitate Pipeline Safety

FOSA applauded recent action by the U.S. House of Representatives to facilitate greater pipeline safety.

FOSA News

What is Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing?

Distributed and quasi-distributed fiber optic sensors are systems that connect opto-electronic interrogators to an optical fiber (or cable), converting the fiber to an array of distributed sensors.

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Applauds Pipeline Agency for R&D on External Leak Detection

Fiber Optic Sensing Association today applauded the U.S. Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for promoting research and development on pipeline safety, including taking the first step in developing a Recommended Practice document for external pipeline leak detection.

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Association Names Technology Committee

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association announced the creation of a Technology Committee consisting of industry experts. As an initial activity, the committee will address fiber sensing installation considerations at a high level.

FOSA Press Releases

Fiber Optic Sensing Experts Address Opportunities for Telecom Sector

Fiber Optic Sensing Experts Address Opportunities for Telecom Sector, Panel at FiberConnect Conference and Exhibition discusses technology and case studies

Industry News

Fiber Optic Sensing for Perimeter Security

Fiber optic sensing solutions have been used for some time in a wide array of perimeter security applications to detect suspected intrusions. The slightest deviation in the beams of light that are sent through fiber optic cables, which are made up of thin strands of plastic or glass, makes them idea

FOSA Member News

Frauscher: Preventive and Predictive Maintenance based on FOAD

Over the past few years, Fiber Optic Acoustic Detection (FOAD) has attracted a lot of attention throughout the global railway industry, Frauscher Sensor Technology officials say. By combining this technology with proven wheel detection systems and axle counters, the company has created a system call

FOSA Member News

AFL: The Evolution of Optical Fiber Cable Design for Sensor Applications

Optical fiber based systems have enabled improvements in capabilities and functionality that are simply not possible with copper-only systems.

FOSA News

Fiber Optic Sensing Business Gets a Voice

Twelve companies have banded together to form a new trade association focusing on the fiber optic sensing business. The new group, the Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), officially launched on 24 April 2017, and is slated to hold its first public meeting on 17 May.

Industry News

Could Fiber Optic Technology Help Detect Leaks on Oil Rigs and Pipelines?

For both environmentalists and oil companies, last Thursday was a grim anniversary. April 20, 2017 marked the seventh anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which gushed 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf Mexico in the largest accidental marine oil spill in history. Preventing another

FOSA News

Industry Leaders Launch Fiber Optic Sensing Association

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), the nation’s first trade association dedicated to fiber optic sensing, launched today with a focus on educating industry, government and the public on the benefits of this cutting-edge technology.

FOSA Member News

New Ditch Witch MT16 Microtrencher Cuts Cost-Per-Foot on Fiber Jobsites

To increase productivity and improve ROI on fiber jobsites, the Ditch Witch organization, a Charles Machine Works Company, has introduced the MT16 microtrencher. The cost-effective microtrencher creates an ideal trench in a single, quick and efficient pass when working with the Ditch Witch RT55 or R

Industry News

Trump Eyes Easing Obama Rules for Sprawling Pipeline Network

Complaints Obama agency went ‘overboard’ with its tough rules
Thousands of miles of new pipelines will boost leak risk

Industry News

Colorado bill would make oil and gas pipeline tampering a felony

Some recent cases have emerged in some Western states where activists enter drilling sites and change the pressure on pipelines. Some have videotaped the act and posted it online.

Industry News

States Wire Up Roads as Cars Get Smarter

Planners say ‘smart roads’ will unlock benefits from self-driving cars, curb accidents, but costs are high

FOSA News

SoCalGas to Use Fiber Optic Technology to Monitor Pipeline Leaks

Southern California Gas Company has officially announced that the company will be one of the first natural gas utilities in the United States to incorporate innovative fiber optic cable technology to detect impacts and leaks along its transmission and high-pressure pipeline system.