House Intelligence Committee on Oversees Sellers

Earlier this week the U.S. House Intelligence Committee released a detailed report warning U.S. companies against Huawei and ZTE. Reuters and other news sources reported that these two companies have been classified as potential threats to U.S. security due to their close ties with the Chinese government. Companies that had used Huawei equipment reported allegations of unexpected behavior, including routers allegedly sending data to China late at night. While the committee did not go as far as banning the companies, it did urge American businesses to avoid Huawei and ZTE in their telecommunication projects. This new report has made it even more difficult for the two companies to expand in the U.S. market. 

The biggest concern brought to light by the committee, as outlined in the report, was that allowing Chinese organizations access to the telecommunications networks in the U.S. could compromise the nation’s infrastructure. A key part of the report was that the country’s infrastructure is highly interconnected and includes everything from rail networks to water systems. The report indicated that a disruption in one could have a ripple effect that could compromise many others. 

"Throughout the months-long investigation, both Huawei and ZTE sought to describe, in different terms, why neither company is a threat to U.S. national-security interests. Unfortunately, neither ZTE nor Huawei have cooperated fully with the investigation, and both companies have failed to provide documents or other evidence that would substantiate their claims or lend support for their narratives," "Huawei, in particular, provided evasive, nonresponsive, or incomplete answers to questions at the heart of the security issues posed. The failure of these companies to provide responsive answers about their relationships with and support by the Chinese government provides further doubt as to their ability to abide by international rules," stated the report.

-The Approved Team

From Neighborhoods to Fiberhoods

The FTTH Council convened in Dallas on Monday to update the community on the progress of fiber-to-the-home networks all across North America. Their report emphasizes running fiber directly to individual homes, so FTTC (fiber-to-the-curb) and FTTN (fiber-to-the-node) were not represented in the report. The findings of the report indicated a very bright future for the fiber optics industry in this country and North America as a whole. Though, this information should come as no surprise to those in the field as the need for products and services in the fiber optics world have been steadily increasing over the last decade.

With nearly nine million homes already connected, up from around six million in 2010, growth in this sector seems poised to make large bounds. An estimated 24 million homes passed (homes passed being the number of homes where a fiber connection is available, such as a homeowner with a pre-existing connection, or that could call and order a connection) have shown a gain of about ten percent in the last six months alone.

Reasons for this growth could be that many larger companies have come aboard the fiber train, chief amongst them Verizon and its Fios internet. Google as well has stepped into the scene with its fiber network as it is now finally being deployed in Kansas City, and AT&T is increasing the number of homes being developed with FTTH compatibility. Although, it would be negligent not to mention the contribution smaller companies are making to get both current and future residences fiber ready. While these companies are making some rather remarkable strides, one has to remember that in the grand scheme of things this technology is still a fledgling one compared to the infrastructure of other communication technologies. Nonetheless, it is one that has and will continue to show growth in North America and across the globe.

According to the president of RVA LLC (the market research firm in charge of tracking FTTH data for the council), Michael Render, it was revealed that the number of parties interested in FTTH services had risen to 44% in the US alone. Statistics such as this strongly imply a positive trend for the community. As the rise in companies and organizations interested in fiber optics grows, so too will demand for high quality components for the industry. Knowing this, we here at Approved Optics have taken the steps necessary to provide quality products to this industry.

Approved Optics is a company fully prepared to fulfill the needs that this growing market demands. With an emphasis on quality, Approved tests all of its products and includes a lifetime warranty for your peace of mind. Fiber to the home will one day be as commonplace as copper wiring is today. While the execution of such a monumental task may seem daunting, it is a necessary step towards progress, progress that Approved Optics is proud to be a part of.

-The Approved Optics Team