Overview
What it does
OPS America Outside Plant builds and repairs everything between the central office and the customer: feeder and distribution fiber, fiber distribution hubs with passive splitters, distribution terminals on poles, aerial strand with anchors and guys, handholes, vaults and splice closures.
On OPS Hub
OPS Hub → Internet, poles & faults and the Operations centre.
On the phone
Crews take construction and restoration jobs in OPS Work.
What players physically do
Everything below happens in the world, with your character, where other players can see it.
- Set fiber distribution hubs (FDH) and fit FDTs on utility poles
- Place messenger strand between poles and lash fiber to it
- Set handholes and vaults and pull fiber through conduit
- Fusion-splice fiber in aerial, dome and underground closures
- Shoot the OTDR to find a fiber cut, then fit a closure and re-splice
- Work the roadside safely with cones, signs and traffic control
How the system works
How OPS America Outside Plant's part of the world fits together — and what breaks when it doesn't.
US fiber network (OPS America)
One operator, every layer
There is no single US network company. OPS America plays a large US fiber operator that owns its access network end to end: customer premises, fiber access, PON, OLTs, aggregation, metro, core, internet edge, peering and transit, plus the OSS, BSS and NOC that run it.
Customer premises
The ONT terminates the fiber and hands Ethernet (1, 2.5 or 10 GbE) to the customer’s gateway, which does IPv4/IPv6, DHCP, NAT, firewall, routing and Wi-Fi. The ONT is tied to the subscriber in inventory and must be authorised by the OLT before service works.
PON & splitters
A passive optical network shares one OLT port among many homes through unpowered splitters (1:8 to 1:128). XGS-PON gives about 10 Gbit/s each way per PON; each customer’s speed is set by their service profile, not the PON total.
Feeder, distribution & drop
Feeder fiber runs from the central office to fiber distribution hubs (FDHs); distribution fiber runs to fiber distribution terminals (FDTs) on poles or in pedestals; the drop goes from the FDT to the house, aerially or buried in conduit.
Outside plant
Aerial plant hangs fiber lashed to messenger strand on utility poles, held with anchors and guy wires. Underground plant uses conduit, handholes, vaults, manholes and pedestals. Splice closures protect joins; slack is stored for repairs.
Central office
Fiber terminates on the ODF and is patched to OLT PON ports. OLTs uplink to aggregation routers and switches. DC power (rectifiers, batteries, generator) and HVAC keep it running; access control, CCTV and fire systems protect it.
Aggregation, metro & core
Aggregation collects many OLTs with redundant links. Metro networks join COs, data centres and edge sites. The core carries traffic between regions on 100–800 Gbit/s links, often over DWDM optical transport with ROADMs and amplifiers.
BNG & internet edge
BNGs handle subscriber sessions, IP addresses and policies. Edge routers connect to transit providers, internet exchanges and content networks using BGP; inside the network IS-IS or OSPF route traffic.
OSS, BSS & the NOC
OSS keeps the inventory, GIS, IPAM, provisioning and fault management; BSS handles orders, billing and customers. The NOC watches every layer and dispatches field techs. In OPS Hub these are the ISP pages, the maps, the Operations centre and Alerts.
When it goes wrong
One house down: check the ONT, optical power, connectors and drop. Many ONTs on one PON down together: the fault is shared — a fiber cut, damaged feeder or distribution cable, a failed splitter, an OLT port or power. The NOC traces it with inventory and sends OSP with an OTDR.
Every job
Every job OPS America Outside Plant does. Open one to see who it's for, what the customer pays, what the engineer earns, the certificate needed, the parts used and exactly how the server checks the work was really done. A job is only paid when its check passes.
US outside plant construction & splicing
Build the outside plant: feeder and distribution fiber, FDHs, FDTs, aerial strand, handholes, vaults and splice closures.
Fiber distribution hub (FDH) install
$2,400engineer earns $1,000
Set a new FDH cabinet to serve the neighbourhood: feeder in, splitters fitted, distribution out.
Who it's for
Money
Customer pays $2,400; the engineer is paid $1,000 wages when it's signed off. The rest goes to the company.
Certificate
US outside plant & splicing required to accept this job.
How it's created
Raised automatically for customers around the city, and by customers on the phone. Covered by a warranty after completion.
How the server checks it was really done
1 × street cabinet (PCP), street cabinet (FTTC), 3-door street cabinet or 3-door street cabinet (open) must be placed within 80 m of the job, after the job was accepted.
Parts used from company stock
Training: US outside plant construction & splicing — the full step by step, tools, PPE and hazards for this job.
Fiber distribution terminal (FDT) install
$900engineer earns $420
Fit an FDT on a pole near the site so homes can be dropped from it.
Who it's for
Money
Customer pays $900; the engineer is paid $420 wages when it's signed off. The rest goes to the company.
Certificate
US outside plant & splicing required to accept this job.
How it's created
Raised automatically for customers around the city, and by customers on the phone. Covered by a warranty after completion.
How the server checks it was really done
1 × CBT / FDT (12 port), CBT / FDT (4 port), CBT / FDT (8 port) or alt-net CBT must be placed within 80 m of the job, after the job was accepted.
Parts used from company stock
Training: US outside plant construction & splicing — the full step by step, tools, PPE and hazards for this job.
Aerial strand & lashing
$1,400engineer earns $650
Place messenger strand between poles and lash new fiber to it (at least 60 m of fiber along the route).
Who it's for
Money
Customer pays $1,400; the engineer is paid $650 wages when it's signed off. The rest goes to the company.
Certificate
US outside plant & splicing required to accept this job.
How it's created
Raised automatically for customers around the city, and by customers on the phone. Covered by a warranty after completion.
How the server checks it was really done
At least 60 m of new fibre must be laid within 150 m of the job.
Parts used from company stock
Training: US outside plant construction & splicing — the full step by step, tools, PPE and hazards for this job.
Feeder / distribution fiber placement
$2,000engineer earns $900
Place high-count feeder or distribution fiber from the hub along the route (at least 120 m).
Who it's for
Money
Customer pays $2,000; the engineer is paid $900 wages when it's signed off. The rest goes to the company.
Certificate
US outside plant & splicing required to accept this job.
How it's created
Raised automatically for customers around the city, and by customers on the phone. Covered by a warranty after completion.
How the server checks it was really done
At least 120 m of new fibre must be laid within 200 m of the job.
Parts used from company stock
Training: US outside plant construction & splicing — the full step by step, tools, PPE and hazards for this job.
Handhole / vault installation
$1,200engineer earns $550
Set a handhole or vault for underground plant at the site.
Who it's for
Money
Customer pays $1,200; the engineer is paid $550 wages when it's signed off. The rest goes to the company.
Certificate
US outside plant & splicing required to accept this job.
How it's created
Raised automatically for customers around the city, and by customers on the phone. Covered by a warranty after completion.
How the server checks it was really done
1 × handhole / footway box, vault / chamber or manhole must be placed within 60 m of the job, after the job was accepted.
Training: US outside plant construction & splicing — the full step by step, tools, PPE and hazards for this job.
Splice closure & splicing
$1,100engineer earns $520
Fit a splice closure and fusion-splice the fiber into it (closure plus at least 20 m of new fiber).
Who it's for
Money
Customer pays $1,100; the engineer is paid $520 wages when it's signed off. The rest goes to the company.
Certificate
US outside plant & splicing required to accept this job.
How it's created
Raised automatically for customers around the city, and by customers on the phone. Covered by a warranty after completion.
How the server checks it was really done
1 × splice closure, dome closure, underground closure or in-line closure must be placed within 80 m of the job, after the job was accepted.
Parts used from company stock
Training: US outside plant construction & splicing — the full step by step, tools, PPE and hazards for this job.
US fiber restoration & testing
Restore fiber cuts fast and prove routes with OTDR and power-meter testing.
Fiber cut restoration Emergency
No chargeengineer earns $600
Emergency: a fiber cut has taken customers down. OTDR to the break, fit a new closure at the break and re-splice every fiber.
Who it's for
Money
Customer pays nothing (fault, emergency or covered work); the engineer is paid $600 wages when it's signed off. The rest goes to the company.
Certificate
US outside plant & splicing required to accept this job.
How it's created
Raised by a customer, a fault or staff for a specific site. Emergency: tight SLA, top of the board.
How the server checks it was really done
1 × splice closure, dome closure, underground closure or in-line closure must be placed within 150 m of the job, after the job was accepted.
Parts used from company stock
Training: US fiber restoration & testing — the full step by step, tools, PPE and hazards for this job.
OTDR & power-meter acceptance test
$400engineer earns $300
Test a new route end to end: OTDR trace for splices, connectors and loss, then power-meter readings at the far end.
Who it's for
Money
Customer pays $400; the engineer is paid $300 wages when it's signed off. The rest goes to the company.
Certificate
Not required — the US outside plant & splicing course covers it.
How it's created
Raised automatically for customers around the city, and by customers on the phone. Covered by a warranty after completion.
How the server checks it was really done
OTDR and power-meter testing the route: the engineer works on site within 40 m of the job for 60 seconds.
Training: US fiber restoration & testing — the full step by step, tools, PPE and hazards for this job.
Training & safety
Each group of jobs has a course in OPS Academy: the lesson below, a health & safety module, an exam and a practical. You can read all of it here, or take it on OPS Hub → Classroom, in the OPS Academy app on the phone or laptop, or at opsacademy.sa in game.
US outside plant & splicing · certificate required
US outside plant construction & splicing
Build the outside plant: feeder and distribution fiber, FDHs, FDTs, aerial strand, handholes, vaults and splice closures.
Overview
Outside plant (OSP) is everything between the central office and the customer. Feeder fiber leaves the CO in high-count cables and runs to fiber distribution hubs (FDHs) — street cabinets holding passive splitters (1:8 up to 1:128) that share one PON port among many homes. Splitters need no power and do not switch traffic; they just divide the light. Distribution fiber continues from the FDH to fiber distribution terminals (FDTs) on poles or in pedestals, where drops are connected. Aerial plant uses utility poles: a steel messenger strand is placed between poles, held with anchors and guy wires, and the fiber is lashed to it. Underground plant uses conduit, handholes, vaults and manholes. Fibers are joined by fusion splicing inside splice closures, and every fiber is recorded in the network inventory and GIS so the NOC can trace any customer to the OLT port.
The equipment — and what it does
Cabinet where feeder meets distribution fiber and passive splitters share PON ports.
/towers → OPS America Fiber → Outside plant · cabinets & underground → FDH.
Terminal on a pole or pedestal with ports for customer drops.
/towers → OPS America Fiber → Outside plant · aerial → FDT (also G on the pole).
Sealed enclosure protecting fusion splices — aerial on the strand, or underground in a handhole.
Aerial closure / dome closure on the pole, or an underground closure in a vault.
Steel strand between poles that carries the lashed fiber; anchors and guy wires balance the pull.
/towers → OPS America Fiber → Messenger strand & guy wires.
Underground access points for conduit, slack and closures.
/towers → OPS America Fiber → Outside plant · cabinets & underground.
Stores spare fiber on the strand for future splicing and repairs.
Fit on the pole (G) → slack storage.
Tools & protective equipment
Melts two cleaned and cleaved fibres together into one low-loss joint.
Measures how much light arrives down a fibre, and where along it a break or bad splice is.
Reaches walls, ceilings and pole steps. Place it at a 1-in-4 angle on firm ground.
Opens chamber lids and pulls cables through underground ducts.
Keeps people and traffic away from open chambers, cabinets and ladders on the pavement.
Labels both ends of every cable and port so the next engineer knows what is what.
Makes you visible to traffic and protects your head from falling objects and low beams.
Clipped to a pole or anchor point, it stops a fall when you work above 2 m.
Protect your eyes from fibre shards, drilling dust and laser light.
Rated gloves for work near live electrical parts and for sharp metal edges.
Step by step
- Set up the work zoneCones, signs and barriers around the pole, cabinet or handhole; traffic control if in the road.
- Locate utilitiesMark buried utilities before any digging (call before you dig).
- Place the structureSet the FDH, FDT, handhole or vault exactly where the design says.
- Place strand or conduitAerial: messenger strand between poles with anchors and guys. Underground: conduit between handholes.
- Place and lash the fiberPull fiber from the reel, lash it to the strand or pull it through conduit; leave slack at closures.
- SpliceStrip, clean, cleave, fusion-splice, sleeve and tray every fiber in the closure, FDH or FDT.
- Label and recordLabel every fiber and record splices, ports and routes in inventory and GIS.
- TestOTDR each fiber and take power-meter readings; fix any high-loss splice.
Health & safety — hazards and controls
Falls; contact with power conductors above the communications space.
Harness and pole strap; stay in the communications space; keep clearances.
Being struck while working at the roadside or in the road.
Hi-vis, cones, signs, and proper traffic control.
Bad air or gas can overcome you.
Test the air, ventilate, never enter alone.
A strand or guy under tension can whip if it fails.
Use proper anchors and tensioning tools; stand clear of the line of pull.
Hitting buried power or gas; trench collapse.
Locate utilities, hand-dig near marks, shore deep trenches.
What goes wrong if it's done badly
Customers land on the wrong PON — services fail to activate.
Every customer behind it gets weak light — flapping service.
Future repairs need new fiber pulled — long outages.
The NOC cannot trace faults — every outage takes longer.
The pole leans and the strand sags or fails.
Assessment
US outside plant & splicing · certificate required
US fiber restoration & testing
Restore fiber cuts fast and prove routes with OTDR and power-meter testing.
Overview
When many customers on the same path go offline, the NOC uses inventory and alarms to find the affected section and dispatches OSP. The tech connects an OTDR at a known point and reads the distance to the break, then uses the inventory and GIS to find that spot on the ground. A new splice closure is fitted at the break and every fiber is re-spliced in order. Each fiber is then tested with the OTDR and a power meter, the NOC confirms the ONTs are back, and the ticket is closed. Acceptance testing on new routes uses the same tools: an OTDR trace shows every splice, connector and loss event with its distance, and power-meter readings prove the light at the far end.
The equipment — and what it does
Gives the distance to breaks, splices and connectors along the fiber.
Tool kit → OTDR.
Measures end-to-end loss in dBm.
Tool kit → power meter.
Protects the new splices at the break.
/towers → OPS America Fiber → closures.
Aligns and fuses the fibers.
Tool kit → fusion splicer.
Tools & protective equipment
Melts two cleaned and cleaved fibres together into one low-loss joint.
Measures how much light arrives down a fibre, and where along it a break or bad splice is.
Reaches walls, ceilings and pole steps. Place it at a 1-in-4 angle on firm ground.
Keeps people and traffic away from open chambers, cabinets and ladders on the pavement.
Labels both ends of every cable and port so the next engineer knows what is what.
Makes you visible to traffic and protects your head from falling objects and low beams.
Clipped to a pole or anchor point, it stops a fall when you work above 2 m.
Protect your eyes from fibre shards, drilling dust and laser light.
Rated gloves for work near live electrical parts and for sharp metal edges.
Step by step
- Take the NOC handoverWhich PON, which section, how many customers — and the last known good point.
- Shoot the OTDRFrom the FDH or a closure, read the distance to the break.
- Find the breakUse the distance with the route on the map to find it on the ground.
- Make safeCones and signs; isolate the area if the cable is in the road.
- Fit a closure and re-spliceFit a new closure at the break and splice every fiber in order.
- Test and hand backOTDR and power-meter each fiber; the NOC confirms ONTs are back.
Health & safety — hazards and controls
Rushing at a roadside break.
Set out traffic control first, every time.
A cut may be next to damaged power cable.
Check for damaged power and keep clear until the power company makes it safe.
Glass slivers at a messy break.
Glasses, gloves and a sharps container.
What goes wrong if it's done badly
Customers come back on the wrong PON — or not at all.
A second bad splice is missed — the outage returns.
Digging or climbing in the wrong place — hours lost.
Assessment
Certificates
| Certificate | Valid for | Needed for |
|---|---|---|
| US outside plant & splicing | 60 days | Fiber distribution hub (FDH) install, Fiber distribution terminal (FDT) install, Aerial strand & lashing, Feeder / distribution fiber placement, Handhole / vault installation, Splice closure & splicing, Fiber cut restoration |
Stock & suppliers
Parts this company keeps in stock. Jobs use them up; managers reorder from suppliers with purchase orders, and stock below its minimum raises an alert.
| Part | Unit | Cost | Reorder below | Supplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber distribution hub (FDH) cabinet cab-pcp | each | $900 | 1 | LS Cable & Wire 1 h delivery · On account |
| Fiber distribution terminal (FDT) cbt | each | $140 | 4 | LS Cable & Wire 1 h delivery · On account |
| Distribution / feeder fiber fib-drop | m | $1 | 500 | LS Cable & Wire 1 h delivery · On account |
| Splice protectors splice | each | $0 | 100 | LS Cable & Wire 1 h delivery · On account |
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