FOSS has a very extensive track record and operational capabilities to design, install and maintain fibre-optic cable installations for long haul, metro, and access networks.

Our experience and expertise makes us unique in our ability to provide “TRUE TURN-KEY” solutions, for our partners and clients. We can complete a project in its entirety, from Out Side Plant (OSP) construction of dark fibre routes and interconnects to network transmission equipment activation and “lighting” the network.

Our OSP offering is a total Outside Plant Engineering service with expertise in virtually all areas relating to the planning, design, construction, project management, splicing and testing of fibre optic networks, in long haul applications, as well as in the local loop environment. Our OSP expertise spans more than a century and a half, with the average length of experience of our field engineering force being more than 11 years. This experience has been developed over the years by providing installation services to UK public telecommunication service providers such as BT, Cable & Wireless and Cable TV operators.

This expertise allows us to provide the most innovative and economical solutions to any Outside Plant challenge, and complete our projects on schedule, under budget and with an extremely satisfied customer.

FOSS OSP services cover the following activities:

• Site survey and specification of products and services.
• Civil Works.
• Fibre network design including loss budget assessment.
• Project management of fibre installation.
• Fusion splicing / ILM (Insertion Loss Measurement) testing / OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer) testing.
• Installation and termination of external fibre optic networks.
• Maintenance of existing internal and external fibre networks, 24 x 7 x 365
• Fault finding / diagnosis
• Network fibre plant audits including Polarisation Mode Dispersion (PMD) and Chromatic Dispersion testing that provides the full optical fingerprint of the fibre optic infrastructure.
• Network equipment installation and commissioning.

Project Capabilities

We are able to provide our customers with turnkey OSP solutions, from the initial conceptualisation of a network, through planning, budgeting, design, construction and finally commissioning of the completed system.

Our services, as a typical example of a project are shown below:

1. Conceptual Network Consulting:
   At this initial phase of the project, we consult with our customer to determine their specific plan for the development of a fiber network. This round of discussions will determine the course of action to be taken, and will determine if the customer’s best interests will be served by spending the funds necessary to design and build a fibre network.
2. Budgetary Planning:
   This work is normally done as a part of the Conceptual Network Consulting activity, but can also be completed separately and at a later date. The work is normally done from the desktop (without field visits) and is based primarily on our experience working in certain regions of the country, as well as the world. During this work, we will provide the customer with a general cost of constructing a network.
3. Route Feasibility Analysis:
   This phase of the project will see personnel in the field to determine specific routing for a network. The network is planned to most efficiently serve the customer’s business plan. During this work, the various authorities where construction will take place are contacted for initial feedback as to the routing of the network and the permit requirements that will be encountered.
4. Detailed Design:
   This phase of the project is where FOSS sends field engineers to the project-area to perform detailed route design. This design will then be turned into the finished construction documents, and is the “blueprint” for the construction vendors to work from. Detailed design efforts will identify exact placement of the network in relation to other utilities in the street or aerial, and may change the planned route slightly depending on existing utility congestion and building entrance locations.
5. Computer Aided Design:
   During this portion of the project, FOSS’ CAD department will transform the hand-written field engineering notes to a finished CAD document. This is submitted to the customer for approval, and then to the authorities for permits and the construction vendors for placement.
6. Project Management:
   This project activity encompasses all project activity to ensure timely and efficient completion of the identified project. While the project management of the engineering effort is included in pricing for that effort, this item can also stand alone in the management of the construction effort, as well as the overall project. Our Project Managers have the technical expertise to perform all required fieldwork, but spend the majority of their time working with the customers and managing a number of concurrent tasks (not to mention concurrent projects).
7. Construction Inspection/Supervision:
   FOSS team performs construction inspection and supervision. FOSS will conduct periodic and scheduled inspection and/or supervise the construction crew(s) of ongoing construction projects to ensure that the design specifications are adhered to.
8. Splicing:
   Once the cable is installed, FOSS team then moves on to the last phase of the OSP project, splicing and network test of the installed system. FOSS allows for extremely competitive pricing and timely project completion within the GCC regions.
9. Final As-Built Documentation:
   This task is completed after construction has been finished, and all actual installation data is “red-lined” on the CAD construction prints. In addition, all optical test data is reviewed internally and is then included within the full documentation package. This item is included in our detailed design pricing, and is completed as early as possible after the project is completed. This final document will serve as the customer’s basis for operating and maintaining the fibre route, and will be revised as new lateral routes are installed or added.

On-Going Support

Once the initial route has been completed, FOSS OSP Services are able to offer post installation support in the form of on-going engineering, preventive maintenance and emergency response services.

The initial construction is only the beginning. Once the backbone route is finished, customers must be connected to it in order to generate revenue. The work involved in connecting buildings to the network is similar to the steps identified above, with more emphasis being placed on customer and building-management relations.

FOSS has extensive experience working with building managers and customers to identify the route least disruptive to the building’s existing tenants. The determination of this route is critical to the acceptance of the work by the building manager/owner.

Project References

• TwoFour54 – Abu Dhabi Media Zone
• Du
• TDIC
• ADWEA
• UAE Defence
• Abu Dhabi Municipality
• EMAL
• Ciena
• Abu Dhabi Airport