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.
Jobs this covers
us_fdh, us_fdt, us_strand, us_feeder, us_handhole, us_splice — certificate: US outside plant & splicing (required)
The equipment — what everything does
Fiber distribution hub (FDH)
Cabinet where feeder meets distribution fiber and passive splitters share PON ports.
In game: /towers → OPS America Fiber → Outside plant · cabinets & underground → FDH.
Fiber distribution terminal (FDT)
Terminal on a pole or pedestal with ports for customer drops.
In game: /towers → OPS America Fiber → Outside plant · aerial → FDT (also G on the pole).
Splice closure
Sealed enclosure protecting fusion splices — aerial on the strand, or underground in a handhole.
In game: Aerial closure / dome closure on the pole, or an underground closure in a vault.
Messenger strand, anchors & guys
Steel strand between poles that carries the lashed fiber; anchors and guy wires balance the pull.
In game: /towers → OPS America Fiber → Messenger strand & guy wires.
Handholes, vaults & manholes
Underground access points for conduit, slack and closures.
In game: /towers → OPS America Fiber → Outside plant · cabinets & underground.
Snowshoe / slack storage
Stores spare fiber on the strand for future splicing and repairs.
In game: Fit on the pole (G) → slack storage.
Tools & PPE
Fibre fusion splicer
Melts two cleaned and cleaved fibres together into one low-loss joint.
Optical light meter / OTDR
Measures how much light arrives down a fibre, and where along it a break or bad splice is.
Ladder
Reaches walls, ceilings and pole steps. Place it at a 1-in-4 angle on firm ground.
Spade & draw rope
Opens chamber lids and pulls cables through underground ducts.
Cones & barriers
Keeps people and traffic away from open chambers, cabinets and ladders on the pavement.
Label printer
Labels both ends of every cable and port so the next engineer knows what is what.
Hi-vis vest & hard hat PPE
Makes you visible to traffic and protects your head from falling objects and low beams.
Fall-arrest harness PPE
Clipped to a pole or anchor point, it stops a fall when you work above 2 m.
Safety glasses PPE
Protect your eyes from fibre shards, drilling dust and laser light.
Insulated gloves PPE
Rated gloves for work near live electrical parts and for sharp metal edges.
Standalone servers: tools are in your van (OPS Work → My van & tools). Items servers: collect them — and the job’s parts — at an OPS depot.
Step by step
Cones, signs and barriers around the pole, cabinet or handhole; traffic control if in the road.
Mark buried utilities before any digging (call before you dig).
Set the FDH, FDT, handhole or vault exactly where the design says.
Aerial: messenger strand between poles with anchors and guys. Underground: conduit between handholes.
Pull fiber from the reel, lash it to the strand or pull it through conduit; leave slack at closures.
Strip, clean, cleave, fusion-splice, sleeve and tray every fiber in the closure, FDH or FDT.
Label every fiber and record splices, ports and routes in inventory and GIS.
OTDR each fiber and take power-meter readings; fix any high-loss splice.
Health & safety
Work at height on utility poles
Risk: Falls; contact with power conductors above the communications space.
Control: Harness and pole strap; stay in the communications space; keep clearances.
Traffic
Risk: Being struck while working at the roadside or in the road.
Control: Hi-vis, cones, signs, and proper traffic control.
Confined spaces (vaults & manholes)
Risk: Bad air or gas can overcome you.
Control: Test the air, ventilate, never enter alone.
Strand tension
Risk: A strand or guy under tension can whip if it fails.
Control: Use proper anchors and tensioning tools; stand clear of the line of pull.
Excavation
Risk: Hitting buried power or gas; trench collapse.
Control: Locate utilities, hand-dig near marks, shore deep trenches.
In game you confirm these in a risk assessment before starting. Skipping them on risky work can cause a fall or a shock — and it’s logged as a safety incident.
When it’s not done correctly
Wrong splitter or port at the FDH
Customers land on the wrong PON — services fail to activate.
High-loss splice
Every customer behind it gets weak light — flapping service.
No slack left at closures
Future repairs need new fiber pulled — long outages.
Unrecorded splices
The NOC cannot trace faults — every outage takes longer.
Missing guy on a dead-end pole
The pole leans and the strand sags or fails.