Rethinking what “fast” really means in high-fiber-count networks

What's really eating up technician time during critical workflows in fiber-dense environments?

AI high-fiber count deployments are exposing a hard truth: deployment time is not a simple function of test time.

Let’s be clear. For essential Tier-1 certification where measurement speed is the primary requirement, the PXM/LXM 24-fiber solution continues leading with its 1-second execution, one-cord referencing with no Y-cables, native 8/12/16/24F and native duplex testing.

But here’s what most teams miss: when a technician stands in front of a rack with hundreds of high-density fiber cables, measurement time is only one part of the equation. We must also consider everything surrounding the test process to understand where pitfalls might lie in terms of project delivery quality and timeline.

That’s exactly why the FTB Lite 975 was launched; to eliminate the friction around critical tests and accelerate total deployment time.

Hidden time killers no one talks about

Below is the list of areas where deployments accumulate delays in the end-to-end workflow: 

• Referencing mistakes and false negatives
• Guesswork during connector cleaning
• Walking across a campus to reset a baseline
• Switching tools when troubleshooting isrequired
• Re-testing links because something failed without clear visibility
• Manual start/save cycles
• File naming chaos

Those are the silent time killers. The solution here is more than test speed; it must consider the process holistically. 

FTB Lite 975: boosting total deployment time

With troubleshoot-as-you-build capability and end-to-end automation, the FTB Lite 975 compresses the entire certification process with innovative features that ensure quality while removing friction in the overall test process:

• Instead of hoping the reference is correct→ The FTB Lit 975 innovates with SmartRef™, which delivers one-touch, error-proof referencing with built-in validation before testing begins. This unprecedented capability drastically reduces false negative measurements.

• Instead of switching tools when a link fails→ Integrated OTDR, bidirectional OLTS, and ORL enable true troubleshoot-as-you-build, providing visual diagnostics that pinpoint exactly where the problem is.

• Instead of manually launching and saving every test→ Touchless testing and automated result import keep technicians hands on the cable.

• Instead of walking long distances to reset a baseline→ Remote referencing keeps crews productive at their station.

• Instead of carrying different instruments for different link types→ Native simplex, duplex, and multi-fiber (8/12/16/24) support ensures full versatility in environments with multiple connector types.

• Instead of relying on costly proprietary cords→ Simplify field logistics and reduce total cost of ownership by using standard cables.

That’s not simply incremental improvement, the FTB Lite 975 delivers risk elimination and true deployment acceleration. In large-scale AI data center builds, this type of innovation changes everything.