Fiber Splicing and Testing Services
Draftech-managed crews splice installed fiber, test the completed paths and document the results. Our in-house engineers keep field execution connected to the approved splice plan.
Get installed fiber ready for acceptance
Draftech International delivers fiber splicing services for installed networks, from cable preparation and fusion splicing through testing and closeout. Draftech-managed crews perform the field work under Draftech's QA/QC and safety program. You receive completed connections, test results tied to the fibers tested, and records that let your team review the work against the project's acceptance criteria.
An installed cable does not establish that the intended path is connected or that its optical performance meets specification. A wrong connection, a failed splice or a test file without a fiber ID can hold up acceptance. We address the physical connection and its supporting evidence together, so the owner can follow each completed path from the enclosure to its test record.
Splicing is part of our utility construction program, which offers full turnkey construction with a single point of accountability. Engage Draftech for a defined splicing package on a route under construction, or include the work in a broader fiber construction scope covering cable placement and customer drops.
Prepare the cable and complete the connections
Field work starts with confirming the cable, enclosure and work limits against the current approved package. Crews need identifiable cable ends, usable slack and access to the intended work location. A mismatch at this stage needs resolution before fibers are cut or joined. Carrying an uncertain cable identity into the splice creates a connection that even a passing loss measurement cannot validate.
Draftech-managed crews prepare the cable and fibers for the specified connection, perform fusion splicing and organize the completed work within the enclosure. The scope includes splicing in enclosures, cabinets, pedestals and terminals. Cable preparation, fiber handling, splice protection and routing follow the applicable installation requirements, with attention to the space needed to close the enclosure without disturbing the fibers.
Single-fiber fusion splicing serves individual connections. Ribbon fiber splicing joins aligned fibers using mass fusion where the cable construction and approved work call for that method. For high-count (mass fusion) fiber splicing, keeping ribbon identity and tray organization consistent with the field record is essential. Completing a ribbon splice does not remove the need to identify and test its individual fibers under the acceptance plan.
Where the design calls for mid-span access, crews open the designated cable section and access the fibers included in the work while preserving those intended to pass through. The field package must make that boundary clear. An unexpected cable condition or conflicting identifier goes back for resolution before the affected connection proceeds.
Connect FTTH distribution and drops
As an FTTH installation and splicing contractor, Draftech connects the distribution network through the drop work included in the agreed scope. We establish which terminals, drop connections and customer endpoints belong in the package before work begins. That boundary keeps the completion record aligned with the physical connections the owner expects to receive.
At each connection, crews confirm the applicable terminal and fiber references, complete the specified splice and preserve those references in the field record. A finished drop needs a traceable relationship to the distribution plant. Otherwise, the next team can reach a customer endpoint without a dependable record of the path serving it.
Distribution sections and drops may be completed in different construction stages. We coordinate the splicing sequence with cable availability and access to the required test endpoints. The record identifies the scope actually completed and tested, so partial construction does not appear to be a finished end-to-end path.
Apply the project criteria to fiber splicing and testing
Draftech performs OTDR testing and insertion loss testing against the project's acceptance criteria. Before testing starts, we establish the fibers and endpoints in scope, required test directions, specified wavelengths, acceptance limits and reporting format. These requirements come from the project specification and acceptance plan. A generic loss threshold cannot replace them.
An optical time-domain reflectometer, or OTDR, helps locate and characterize events along the fiber. Its traces support review of splice locations and other events that need investigation. We test from both ends where the acceptance plan requires it, retain the directional results and evaluate them using the specified method. Differences in backscatter between fiber sections can affect how a splice appears from either direction, so a favorable trace alone is not proof of acceptance.
Insertion loss testing uses a light source and power meter to measure loss across the defined path. It answers a different question from locating events on an OTDR trace: whether the tested path meets the applicable overall loss requirement. Our test package keeps these methods identifiable and connects their results to the same fiber and endpoint references.
The estimated loss displayed by a fusion splicer is not a substitute for the required optical tests. As your fiber splicing and testing contractor, Draftech evaluates the completed installation using the agreed acceptance process. The owner receives the specified test evidence, with enough context to identify the path, direction and test conditions represented by each result.
Correct failed work before turnover
When a splice or span fails acceptance, we identify the affected fiber and investigate the result. Review begins with the test setup and the physical path represented by the record. The finding determines the corrective work, whether the issue concerns a splice or another condition along the tested span.
Failed work is reworked and retested before turnover. A corrected splice must be supported by the required follow-up measurements, including the affected path tests called for in the acceptance plan. We retain the connection between the original finding, corrective action and retest result so a reviewer can see how the failure was resolved.
This process keeps an unresolved result from disappearing inside a folder of passing traces. The completion package identifies the work covered by the final results and supports the owner's acceptance review.
Keep field decisions connected to engineering
Draftech's engineering is 100% in-house. Our engineers prepare the splice design, settling fiber assignments and enclosure locations before crews arrive. When Draftech engineers the plan and delivers the splicing, the field team has a direct route back to the people responsible for those decisions.
If installed conditions differ from the approved package, crews document the discrepancy and return it to our engineers. The affected work follows the resolved direction, and its records capture the approved change. That prevents a field adjustment from remaining only in a conversation while the owner receives documents describing an earlier arrangement.
For a contractor bringing us a route already underway, we first establish the current approved package and the process for resolving field questions. The splicing scope then follows a defined basis that construction, engineering and the owner can use consistently.
Receive records that identify what was built and tested
A fiber splicing company needs to deliver records that remain useful after the enclosure is closed. Draftech collects the connection details with the field work and reconciles them with the approved design and authorized changes. Cable and fiber identifiers carry through the splice records, enclosure labeling and test files.
The agreed construction closeout documentation package includes:
- Splice records identifying the completed fiber connections and their enclosure and tray context.
- Enclosure labeling information that corresponds to the owner's asset references.
- OTDR traces and insertion loss results tied to each tested fiber and its endpoints.
- Corrective work and retest records showing the disposition of failed results.
- Approved field changes and the final record revisions required for turnover.
We establish file formats and naming requirements before collection, including native test files where specified. A reviewer should be able to select a fiber in the completion record and retrieve its supporting results without relying on a technician's memory. Draftech prepares the package for review; the owner's designated authority retains acceptance control.
Fiber Splicing and Testing Services FAQ
Can we hire Draftech only for splicing on a route we are building?
Yes. Draftech can act as the fiber splicing contractor for a defined portion of your build. We establish the installed cable scope, approved package, access conditions, test endpoints and turnover requirements before field work starts.
Who uses this service?
We serve ISPs, electric cooperatives, municipalities, BEAD subgrantees and contractors building fiber routes. For funded projects, the scope incorporates the acceptance and documentation requirements supplied for that project.
What should buyers compare among fiber splicing companies?
Compare the included connections, testing methods, correction responsibilities and closeout deliverables. Confirm that each proposal addresses the same fibers and endpoints, including required tests from both ends. A splice count alone does not describe the work needed for acceptance.
Can Draftech splice both individual fibers and ribbon cable?
Yes. Draftech-managed crews perform single-fiber fusion splicing and mass fusion of ribbon cable. The cable type, approved connection requirements and enclosure arrangement determine the field approach.
What information is needed to scope the work?
Provide the route information, current approved splice package, cable types and counts, enclosure details and construction status. Include the acceptance specification, required deliverable formats and known access restrictions. We use these inputs to define the splicing, testing and documentation scope.
Put your splicing package in motion
Bring Draftech the installed route, the connections you need completed and the requirements your owner will use to accept them. Contact our team to scope field splicing, testing, corrective work and the closeout package for your build.
info@draftech.com | 305-306-7407 | Miami Lakes, FL