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    The educational content of this category relates to core/copper upgrades and conditioning for Telecom/Communications Service Providers' (CSPs) mobile and fixed networks.  Best practices and guidance are targeted to telecom providers, contractors and others aligned with the ICT industry.

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    American Manufacturing: Build America, Buy America

    Recent

    Don With Truck
    Copper Expert

    400 Columns + One Farewell

    May 1, 2022
    Don McCarty, ISE magazine's Copper Expert, reflects on his career as a trainer and columnist.
    ISE Columnist Don McCarty, OSP Expert
    Columnist

    How come?

    April 1, 2022
    Field technicians call or send emails or texts to me asking questions about a problem they are encountering when provisioning and maintaining the copper infrastructure. These ...
    ISE Columnist Don McCarty, OSP Expert
    Columnist

    Save the cable, keep your technicians, and develop loyal customers.

    March 1, 2022
    Each cable pair that is placed from a central office or a remote to a customer costs a few thousand to the telco for engineering, placement, heating up, and installation. […]
    ISE Columnist Don McCarty, OSP Expert
    Columnist

    More on Fault Location in the Copper Infrastructure

    Nov. 1, 2020
    I’ve received many queries about use of the open meter and TDR functions on multifunction test sets — and I offer some tips and knowledge in this month’s column. The […]

    Recommended

    ISE Columnist Don McCarty, OSP Expert
    Columnist

    Using Your Test Set

    Oct. 1, 2020
    … and Using Your Noggin — In my columns for the past 3 months, we have been discussing fault locating in the copper infrastructure with a multifunction test set. Based […]
    ISE Columnist Don McCarty, OSP Expert
    Columnist

    Cable Fault Locating and Repair

    July 1, 2020
    Part 2. Identifying a Faulted Pair — In my previous column (Part 1 in the June 2020 issue), I discussed the evils of the fast, easier “cut to clear” solution […]
    ISE Columnist Don McCarty, OSP Expert
    Columnist

    Cable Fault Locating and Repair

    June 1, 2020
    Part 1. Short-Term and Long-Term Approaches — Are your technicians efficient in quickly finding and repairing copper cable problems? Or are they doing what’s been done before ...
    ISE Columnist Don McCarty, OSP Expert
    Columnist

    Manufactured Cable Characteristics and Their Effects on Test Set Accuracy

    May 1, 2020
    We constantly hear in the field that a test set is not performing its advertised tasks. My resistance bridge missed that trouble by 75 feet or This open meter measured […]
    ISE Columnist Don McCarty, OSP Expert
    Columnist

    Take care of your customers NOW!

    April 1, 2020
    New life for the old copper infrastructure — This column describes causes of service disruption. Upcoming columns will offer easy processes for identifying the location of the...