FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 23, 2009

FOA Publishes New Textbook On Fiber Optics

The Fiber Optics Association (FOA) has published a new textbook on fiber optics, the FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics. This textbook is designed to be used for training fiber optic technicians, studying for FOA certification and as a reference guide for anyone interested in fiber optics. This textbook was developed from new material on the FOA Online Reference Guide website (www.foaguide.org) and is complemented by hundreds of web pages on additional topics. The book is available from Amazon.com for $24.95 and will soon be available on the Amazon Kindle electronic book reader.

The FOA has always tried to provide the world with sources of technically correct, unbiased information on fiber optics using both print and electronic media. The FOA textbook The Fiber Optic Technicians Manual, originally published in 1997 and now in its 3rd edition, was the first textbook written especially for training fiber optic installers. With the FOA's experience in certifying over 27,000 fiber optic techs in the last 12 years, we have reorganized the materials in this new book to make them better arranged for training. We have also added new materials on fiber optic datalinks, FTTH and testing, as well as complete new chapters on fiber optic network design and installation as requested by students, instructors and other FOA members.

The FOA Online Reference Guide to Fiber Optics (www.foaguide.org) on the FOA website (www.thefoa.org) is probably the largest and most used reference site about fiber optics on the Internet. For those who prefer reading printed material, we offer this new book, a basic reference for fiber optics and a study guide for FOA certifications. Supplementary materials with even more depth on many subjects, are, of course, on the FOA Reference Guide website.

The FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics will be used as the new reference guide for training students for the FOA Certified Fiber Optic Technician (CFOT) certification in 2010.

More on the book: http://www.thefoa.org/FOArgfo.html

Review Copies
Review copies of the book are available from the author. Contact Jim Hayes at jim@thefoa.org or 1-760-451-3655 to request a copy.

Tech Tidbit
Textbooks have become incredibly expensive in the last few years, our own Fiber Optic Technicians Manual included. With the new FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics, the FOA is using the latest technology in publishing, called "publishing on demand." Rather than print and inventory hundreds or thousands of books, the book is kept as electronic files and printed only when ordered. A 200 page book can be printed in minutes when needed at a fraction of the cost of printing, warehousing and distributing conventional publications. Using this technology and distributing the book through Amazon.com keeps the cost of the book a very reasonable $25.95. And the FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics will soon be available for downloading on the Amazon Kindle electronic book reader.

About the Author
Jim Hayes has over 30 years experience in the fiber optic communications industry as an technologist, entrepreneur and trainer. He is a co-founder of the FOA, author of several textbooks on fiber optics and a columnist for several magazines.

About the FOA
The Fiber Optic Association, Inc. is an nonprofit educational organization chartered to promote fiber optics through education, certification and standards. Over 230 FOA-Approved schools around the world have certified more than 27,000 fiber optic technicians. The FOA offers free online introductory fiber optic programs for everyone and training for instructors at FOA-Approved schools.

For more information on the FOA, see the organization's website http://www.thefoa.org/, email info@thefoa.org or call 1-760-451-3655.

 

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