Fibre Optic Testing & Certification

Professional fibre optic testing and certification

Certified test results are the difference between assuming a network works and proving it does. Whether you are commissioning a new fibre optic installation, diagnosing a fault or evidencing compliance for an audit or handover, testing gives you measured evidence for every link.

ACCL is a member of the Fibre Optic Industry Association. Our engineers test with calibrated equipment and issue full certification reports covering insertion loss, reflectance and length for every link, giving you a complete, auditable record of network performance.

Why certified testing matters

Uncertified fibre is a liability. Without documented test results you cannot prove a link meets standard, support a warranty claim or satisfy an auditor. Intermittent faults can also go undetected until they cause an outage.

Certified testing gives you measured evidence of performance, a baseline to compare against in future and the documentation required for compliance. It is the final step that turns a fibre installation into a verified asset.

How OTDR testing works

An optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) sends pulses of light along the fibre and measures what is reflected back. The trace maps the whole run and shows each splice, connector, bend and fault as an event at a measured distance.

We test bi-directionally and at every relevant wavelength, because a single-direction trace can over- or under-state the loss of a joint. The trace is also the best baseline for future fault finding.

Testing an existing fibre network

We test fibre we did not install, as well as our own. Periodic and annual verification of existing links detects degradation early, and gives you an up-to-date record before a move, an upgrade or a change of maintainer.

A fibre assessment or installation audit starts with the links you rely on most: backbones between comms rooms, links to other buildings and anything feeding critical systems. Where the results show faults, our fibre splicing and repair engineers can put them right and retest.

Fibre test equipment and calibration

Results are only as good as the tester and the method. Our fibre optic test equipment includes optical loss test sets and OTDRs, and it is kept on a regular calibration cycle so results are accurate and defensible.

We do not sell or distribute test equipment. If you are comparing testers for your own team, the questions that matter are the same ones we specify for every job: wavelengths, reference method, launch arrangement and the acceptance limits the results are judged against.

Copper cable testing and network audits

This page covers fibre. For copper data cable testing, outlet certification and a wider review of your cabling and cabinets, see our network auditing service. Many sites have both, and one visit can cover the fibre backbone and the copper links together.

Fibre testing on critical infrastructure

Our engineers have tested and certified fibre in demanding commercial and financial environments, transport infrastructure and data centre settings, where accuracy and documentation matter. The same approach applies to every project, from a single link to a full campus, and pairs with our fibre splicing and termination work.

Where we test fibre

ACCL is based in London and Orpington and tests fibre across London, Kent, Surrey and the South East. Larger fibre projects have taken our engineers further afield, such as DHL East Midlands Airport. If your site is outside our usual area, tell us the scope and we will say whether we can help.

What affects the cost of fibre testing

Cost depends on the number of links, their length, fibre type, the tests required (insertion loss, OTDR or both), wavelengths, access, working hours and the reporting you need.

We confirm the scope and send an itemised quote before any work starts.