Fiber Focus

Many of the industry’s air-blown fiber solutions feature outdoor- or indoor-rated fiber bundles that require splicing at every environmental transition, every single time fiber is installed. FutureFLEX® Air-Blown Fiber® was designed for seamless installations without those stops and starts. 

Listen in as Yuko Agano explains how FutureFLEX’s flame rating is achieved in the pathway itself; once in place, OSP-, plenum-, and riser-rated tube cables form a continuous path that enables FutureFLEX fiber bundles to be jetted through the entire network from end to end. Eliminating those fusion-spliced transitions removes a common source of signal loss and labor cost – saving time and money on Day One and through every future fiber upgrade ahead. 

Yuko also unpacks the FutureFLEX one-size-fits-all tube cable that accommodates 6- to 72-fiber bundles, our maintenance-free blowing-equipment lease program, and warranty options extending up to 25 years, installed exclusively by Licensed FutureFLEX Installers.

Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X. 

As market demands accelerate data center construction timelines, more and more of the work that once took place on-site is moving to the factory. Senior Manager Product Development and Technical Resources, Greg Pierce returns to Fiber Focus to explain why and what this trend means for the people who build and maintain networks. 

Greg walks through the tradeoffs between pre-connectorized solutions and field splicing, and why very small form factor connectors are tipping the balance toward factory-built solutions. He also brings in a splice cassette for a bit of show-and-tell, breaking down how cassettes segment a dense panel into smaller, protected groups of fibers – simplifying troubleshooting and adding a layer of strain relief. 

It all comes back to a simple idea: in a world that runs on fiber, safeguarding that infrastructure is everything. 

Tune in to the conversation to learn more and join us in Booth G1317 at SCTE TechExpo, from September 29 to October 1, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X.

Episode Links 

Cable Assemblies: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/product/cable-assemblies

Cassettes & Interconnect Panels: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/product-category/data-center-solutions

AI-Ready Connectors: https://blog.sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/ai-ready-connectors-for-facilities-of-any-size

SCTE TechExpo 2026: https://techexpo.scte.org

Greg on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/greg-pierce-4b977b10

Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly

Connect with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave

Website: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave

First-time Fiber Focus guest Javier Oñate is an applications engineer with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave who’s passionate about bridging the gap between complex technical solutions and real-world applications. In this episode, he explains why the success of an air-blown fiber installation is decided before fiber bundles even arrive on-site.

Javier comes to the table with recommendations for network operators to set themselves up for ABF success. His suggestions include keeping runs as straight and level as possible, easing into gentle, sweeping curves instead of sharp bends, placing access points where people can actually reach them, and "walking the path" with the drawing in hand before blowing in fibers. 

Tune in to the conversation to learn more and stay to the end for a preview of what's next in blowing equipment. We will have a live demonstration of FutureFLEX® Air-Blown Fiber® in Booth 901 at BICSI Beyond 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada, from August 30 to September 2.

Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X.

Episode Links 

FutureFLEX® Air-Blown Fiber®: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/product-category/futureflex-air-blown-fiber-solutions

BICSI Beyond 2026: www.bicsi.org/conferences-and-events/bicsi-events/conference-and-exhibitions

Javier on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/javieronate22

Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly

Connect with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave

Website: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave

In data center builds where there is essentially no room for error, packaging is what protects your investment against the realities of shipping and handling as products move from the manufacturer’s facility to the field. 

Josh Seawell, director of product management for Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, appears on this episode of Fiber Focus to explain why careful attention to packaging and shipping specifications can save significant time and money. 

He breaks down the conversation that every data center operator, designer, contractor, and vendor should be having up front, and he shares practical insights on collaboration, verification, and why bringing all stakeholders together early can keep a project on schedule and within budget.

Tune in to this conversation to learn more, and if you are planning to attend ISE Expo next week in Nashville, Tennessee, visit us in Booth 1207. 

Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode,

and follow along on LinkedIn and X.

Episode Links

Plan First, Build Faster: https://blog.sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/plan-first-build-faster

ISE Expo: https://www.iseexpo.com/2026/home

Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-seawell-09770979

Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly

Connect with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave

Website: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave

Greg Pierce has spent more than 35 years in the telecom industry – long enough to have watched it transform from plain old telephone service to the AI era. As a senior product manager at Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, Greg is one of a generation of industry veterans who will eventually be passing the torch.

He spends this episode making a personal, enthusiastic case for why a career in telecom is full of possibilities. The field is vast, constantly evolving, and has room for technical and non-technical thinkers alike. And the time to get in is now.

Tune in to the conversation to learn more.

Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X.

Episode Links 

Be Part of a Global Company: https://sumitomoelectric.com/careers

Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-pierce-4b977b10

Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly

Connect with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave

Website: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave

Multi-core fiber has been proving its value in subsea applications for years. Multiple cores packed into a single fiber multiply bandwidth without multiplying space. Now this technology is making its way into next-generation data centers, and the possibilities are extraordinary.

Loren Rapp, product line manager for fiber optic cable at Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, breaks down how multi-core fiber works, where it shows the most exciting potential, and what needs to fall into place before it becomes a mainstream reality. Tune in to this conversation to learn more.

Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X. 

Episode Links

Contact Us: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/contact-us/

Loren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loren-vitter-rapp-a268a61a/

Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly

Connect with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave

Website: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave

In this episode of Fiber Focus, Yuko Agano discusses what actually drives the life cycle of a fiber network. From material degradation to evolving design standards to the role of routine maintenance, Yuko draws on her experience as product manager for FutureFLEX® Air-Blown Fiber® solutions, making a compelling case for why the pathway can matter as much as the fiber inside it.

The longer your fiber infrastructure stays relevant, the greater the return on investment. Tune in to this conversation to learn more.

Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X.

Episode Links

FutureFLEX® Air-Blown Fiber®: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/product-category/futureflex-air-blown-fiber-solutions/

Yuko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuko-agano-504927106

Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly

Connect with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave

Website: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave

Not every data center needs liquid cooling – yet. But as rack densities climb into the territory that AI and high-performance computing demand, the conversation is changing fast.

Josh Seawell, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave's director of product management, returns to Fiber Focus to cut through the noise on one of the hottest topics in the industry. He shares the key threshold where liquid cooling needs to enter the decision-making process, why the hybrid model is where many facilities are headed, and what operators who haven't made the leap yet can start doing today to prepare. Tune in to this conversation to learn more.

Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode,

and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X.

Episode Links

Data Center Solutions: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/market-application/data-center-network-solutions/

Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-seawell-09770979

Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly

Connect with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave

Website: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave

When Lauren Deloatch hits the road, she isn't just visiting customers – she’s walking into communities where massive data center projects are reshaping daily life. As a program manager of outreach with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, Lauren is spending time in towns where land, power, and water make AI factories possible. Some residents are energized by the prospect of thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent positions taking root in their communities; others are understandably wary of the change.

Lauren has a knack for helping people connect the dots between these infrastructure builds and the everyday moments they already depend on — the thermostat adjusted before getting out of bed, the navigation app guiding the morning commute, the banking and healthcare systems quietly running in the background. Data centers, she explains, enable it all.

Tune in to this conversation to learn more.

Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X.

Episode Links

Connect with Us: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/contact-us/

Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ldeloatch/

Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly

Connect with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave

Website: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave

We are back with Greg Pierce in the studio! As senior product manager specializing in hyperscale data center and enterprise network hardware products, Greg is up close every day with fiber optic connector innovations. He summarizes the current state of connectivity evolution, exploring both the upsides and challenges related to next-generation connector types. This conversation covers topics including MMC, SNMT, and EBO connectors; optical circuit switches; and emerging high-bandwidth, low-latency fiber technologies. Tune in to this episode to learn more. 

Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X. 

Episode Links

AI-Ready Connectors Blog: https://blog.sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/ai-ready-connectors-for-facilities-of-any-size

Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-pierce-4b977b10/

Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly

Connect with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave

Website: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave