Fibercop and Nokia to test the use of optical fibre as a distributed sensor

• Memorandum of Understanding signed on fibre sensing to test the use of optical fibre as a distributed sensor, capable of detecting climate events, anomalies and potential faults
• Analysis of the light signal, enabled by artificial intelligence, allows the fibre-optic access network not only to transmit data, but also to monitor the condition of the infrastructure and the surrounding environment

Rome, Italy – FiberCop and Nokia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on testing innovative technologies capable of transforming the fibre-optic access network into an advanced monitoring platform.

Fibre sensing can support two main areas of application: network protection and monitoring of the surrounding environment. In operational contexts, it enables the detection, location and classification of problems caused by events such as landslides, fallen trees, roadworks or acts of vandalism, supporting faster interventions, reduced field operations and greater service continuity. The same infrastructure can also enable environmental monitoring services, detecting phenomena such as wind, temperature changes, seismic activity, flooding, leaks or traffic.

The agreement announced today aims to explore both of these areas. The collaboration involves joint research and testing activities on solutions that enable fibre not only to transmit data, but also, thanks to artificial intelligence, to detect events and changes along the infrastructure in real time.

"This collaboration is an important step in the evolution of fibre infrastructures, which can become ever more intelligent and capable of providing new information that is useful for their management," said Stefano Paggi, Chief Technology & Operations Officer of FiberCop. "The goal is to explore solutions that help strengthen network reliability and open up new application possibilities to support the economy."

The technologies at the heart of the collaboration use the network as a distributed sensing system, capable of detecting physical and environmental changes, such as vibrations, temperature variations, or mechanical stresses, through analysis of the optical signal. In this way, fibre evolves from being a connectivity infrastructure to a platform that can generate information useful for the management, security and resilience of infrastructures.

"AI is radically changing what networks need to do. Networks no longer simply carry data; they also help operators understand what is happening in real time," said John Harrington, Executive Vice President and Head of Europe at Nokia. "By combining Nokia Bell Labs’ innovation with our AI-enabled fibre sensing, we can help FiberCop transform its fibre network into an intelligent monitoring platform that provides reliable infrastructure capable of sensing, understanding and acting in real time. Working together, we can support faster detection of network issues, enable new sensing-as-a-service applications, and create a more resilient network."

The planned activities will focus on two main areas: advanced monitoring and predictive maintenance, in order to identify anomalies, performance degradation and potential outages before they occur; and fibre sensing, to detect external events and environmental conditions, such as vibrations and movements, across the infrastructure network. These capabilities can help improve network security and support more accurate monitoring of the surrounding environment.

The tests will be conducted in controlled environments, including dedicated FiberCop laboratories and isolated fiber sections, with the aim of evaluating various technologies in terms of performance, accuracy, and applicable use cases.