"Cheap Fiber Optic Patch Cords" - Beware of Knockoffs!

In recent years, there has been an influx of counterfeit fiber optic cables, connectors, pigtails and patchcords coming into the U.S. from China and other Asian nations. These bogus fiber optic cables may have a phony UL number, or they may purport to contain a name-brand fiber.

On the other hand, there are also authorized manufacturers and distributors in these very same nations that produce legitimate products. How do you tell if a particular fiber optic cable or patchcord is authentic?

Evaluating Fiber Optic Cable Distributors

When evaluating fiber optic cable and patchcords, there are several things you can do. For example, you may notice something odd about the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) number that's printed on the cable jacket (e.g. too many numbers, odd numbering sequence, etc.). If so, you can go to the UL website, www.ul.com. There you can click on "Online Certifications Directory," which will take you to a page where you can type in the cable's UL number. If the number is not recognized by UL, you can assume that your fiber optic product is counterfeit.

Even if the UL website shows that the number is registered to a legitimate company, this is no guarantee that the suspect company didn't copy it. To be certain, you can contact the registered firm to determine if the vendor who provided you with the fiber optic cable is one of their authorized distributors.

Another ploy of unscrupulous manufacturers is to print on the cable jacket the name of a leading optical fiber manufacturer. Again, if you suspect misrepresentation, you can contact that manufacturer to determine if the vendor is an authorized distributor. The manufacturer may request that you send a sample of the fiber optic cable so that they can examine it first-hand.

Also, be aware that counterfeit fiber optic cable may also have misrepresentations on the cable jacket as they apply to RoHS compliance, fire ratings, and so forth.

Fake Fiber Optic Connectors

As an example of how fast and loose some vendors are in terms of the products they sell, consider the recent experience of a leading fiber optics distributor. Upon receiving a product sample and price quote for fiber optic LC connectors from a vendor, the price seemed too good to be true. Suspicious, the distributor asked the vendor if the LC connectors were licensed, as is required by law. The vendor then replied, "Oh, you want the licensed version." He then produced a different sample, which he said was available at a higher price.

Fiber Optic Buyers Beware

As a fiber optic installer, the last thing you want to do is to purchase counterfeit fiber optic cable or pigtails from an unknown manufacturer. Joining optical fibers whose glass chemistry is even slightly different can:

• Make it difficult or impossible to get a clean fusion between the two optical fibers
• Create high back reflection and loss, due to an imperfect fiber optic splice
• Cause the fiber optic splice to fracture and fail after the installation is complete

Finally, inferior counterfeit products can erode confidence in the fiber optics industry as a whole. If you are offered questionable fiber optic products, you can report your suspicions to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR). This is a joint operation between U.S. Customs and the F.B.I. that is set up to combat the distribution of counterfeit goods. To contact the IPR, dial (202) 927-0810.