CHESAPEAKE, Va. — We hear the term fiber optics but many of us may not know what that is.
”It is basically pulses of light traveling down a glass strand that is about the size of a human hair. The glass strand itself and the speed of light it, can transfer an immense amount of information," said Kent Coleman, owner of Genesis Fiber Optic Splicing company.
The retired Navy telecom tech started the company in Chesapeake twenty years ago because of his keen interest and understanding of the technology.
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“By putting these pulses together, they represent a command or a word of information and by speeding up that process by doing millions and billions of flashes within a short time, you can transfer communication over great distances,” he explained.
But when those fragile strands of glass get damaged and break, your internet goes down. You call your service provider, and they often call a company like Genesis.
“You might start 20-30 miles from where the cable is damaged and you have to trouble shoot and figure out where it's cut,” said Karl Swartzfeld.
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The senior technician is part detective, part surgeon. He and other techs work out of a ‘fiber optic ambulance’ of sorts.
“It's like welding glass. You’re splicing individual strands together,” said Swartzfeld.
With the help of this fusion splicer, the techs reconnect the glass fibers which are sensitive to the cold.
“Right when it gets below freezing to a certain degree then fibers start to break and we start getting calls for that,” said Swarztfeld.
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I was really surprised to hear what day they get the most calls every year.
“Surprising how many people go out on New Years Eve and shoot up in the air and they randomly hit cables, And we spend New Years day out there fixing them,” he told us.
While these fiber optic doctors are out in the worst of weather in dangerous conditions, they say what they fear most is distracted drivers.
“If you see traffic cones, heed those traffic cones, slow down. 100 percent concentration on what you are approaching,”
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Recently, two of Coleman's techs were hit by a distracted driver while they working. They're okay but it could’ve been catastrophic.
He has a friendly reminder to drivers when they see utility workers.
“Slow your speed down and move over, do not accelerate to get around other vehicles,” he said.
That way everyone gets home safely.
Keeping us connected no matter what the conditions, this homegrown and veteran-owned company is Positively Hampton Roads.
