Data Signal-Based Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing#

Jasmine Parkes (Comtek Network Systems and Bangor University)

• Why: Physical fibre plant causes roughly a third of network outages, and conventional distributed fibre sensing (DAS) requires dedicated fibre pairs and extra lasers — capex that blocks most operators. This is the physical-infrastructure talk of the program.
• What: A "Data-Driven Sensing" architecture from a joint R&D initiative (Bangor University's DSP Centre of Excellence, Sorrento, and Comtek Networks) in which the live, revenue-carrying data signal itself acts as the sensor. Validated to classify and localise fibre faults with ~98% claimed accuracy, with no extra fibre assets, no additional lasers, and no downtime — eliminating the standalone-DAS capital overhead. The talk closes with a research roadmap toward simultaneously monitoring physical infrastructure running alongside fibre routes.
• How: DSP-based analysis of the active data signal's own impairments/reflections to detect, classify, and locate faults on the in-service fibre, instead of injecting a separate sensing signal on a dark pair.
• Where applicable: Operators of backbone or critical leased routes without spare fibre to dedicate to sensing. This is R&D-stage output from an academic/industry collaboration, not a shipping product — treat it as a strong signal of where fibre monitoring is heading rather than something to procure this quarter.