Frequently Asked Questions

Marketing efforts and revenue allocation will continue as usual, with local sales teams offering the best solutions from Lightera’s portfolio in a transparent and professional manner. 

We are uniting Lightera, Furukawa Electric LatAm, and the Fiber and Optical Cable business units of Furukawa Electric—to better serve our global customers. This integration combines our global expertise and technologies, enabling faster innovation, more agile customer service, and a broader, regionally tailored product portfolio. In short, we’re enhancing collaboration to build on our shared legacy of quality, knowledge, and experience. 

Lightera 

Lightera blends “light” and “era” to symbolize a new age of innovation and connectivity. Our name reflects our mission to harness the transformative power of optical technology to create a brighter, more connected future. 

Our vision is to become a global leader in optical technology, continuously delivering innovative, reliable solutions while expanding our market presence and strengthening customer and partner relationships. 

Our logo symbolizes guidance and progress, much like a lighthouse cutting through the fog to illuminate the way forward. It reflects our role as a reliable, innovative partner in the optical fiber industry—one that harnesses the power of light to create connections and drive positive change. Just as a lighthouse stands as a beacon of direction and safety, our brand represents clarity, trust, and the future of optical communication. 

Global Reach, Local Expertise: We are expanding our presence in numerous countries while maintaining dedicated regional teams. 

Innovation & Quality: Leveraging international expertise, our products will continue to meet global standards while addressing local market requirements. 

Improved Service: Expect expedited delivery, bringing comprehensive and value-added access to cutting-edge technologies. 

The new company structure will take effect on April 1, 2025. 

In total, there are more than 4,500 employees worldwide (as of January 2025).  

We are integrating operations for optical fibers, cables, connectivity solutions, and specialty photonics. This covers business units across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. 

The operational headquarters of the new company will be in Norcross, Georgia, U.S., and the legal headquarters will be in Japan. Regional teams will address local demands, while a diverse global corporate team manages overall operations. 

FEC will remain the ultimate beneficial owner of Lightera group. 

Your current contacts will remain the same. You’ll experience the excellent customer service you’re accustomed to, thanks to stronger regional teams and improved global collaboration, but day-to-day interactions will continue as usual.  

No. Existing contracts will remain valid because our legal identifiers (CNPJ/EIN) will not change. (Final confirmation for NAR and APAC is pending.) 

Yes. Once legal documentation updates are complete, all new agreements will be made under the Lightera name. 

Invoices will be issued under the new name from April, following the official name change with the appropriate government bodies. 

No. This integration leverages our combined strengths to enhance customer service and innovation—there are no financial problems driving this change. 

No. The integration is designed solely to streamline global operations. We remain fully compliant with all tax and production regulations. 

If you have questions that aren’t immediately answerable, please contact your regional representative. We are also compiling a comprehensive Q&A resource on our website. 

Our website, email addresses, and social media channels will update to the Lightera brand effective April 1. 

None.  We are working with the NTIA and government officers to make sure the appropriate changes are updated. 

None.  We are working with the government officers to make sure the appropriate changes are updated. 

Yes, we will maintain the same quality standard.  

Product rebranding will be gradual. We will update packaging starting in April while preserving the legacy of our products. Quality, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness remain our top priorities. 

Existing inventory will continue to be sold as usual. As the new branding rolls out, partners can transition gradually until all stock under the old brands is phased out. 

No. The names of our solutions will remain unchanged. 

No. All existing warranty policies and after-sales support arrangements will remain unchanged. We are committed to delivering the same level of service and support. 

By combining global expertise and technology, the integration will accelerate innovation and product development, ensuring that our offerings meet the evolving needs of the market. 

Our commitment to ESG remains unchanged. We will continue to invest in sustainable practices and community initiatives as part of our ongoing mission. 

Nenhum.  Estamos trabalhando com os funcionários do governo para assegurar que as alterações apropriadas sejam atualizadas. 

Absolutely. We are committed to maintaining the high-quality standards that you expect from Lightera, FEL, and FEC Fiber and Cable. 

Yes. A streamlined version of this Q&A will be available on our website for easy reference. 

All current certifications will remain valid and will be updated according to their expiration dates and local regulations. 

Lightera will be led by: 

Chairman & CEO: Foad Shaikhzadeh 

President & COO: Holly Hulse 

The new name marks our evolution. It conveys our commitment to driving innovation through optical technology and creating lasting connections worldwide. 

No. Fiber optics are not heated by the light they carry, and therefore do not emit heat or cause any other type of heating effect.

The number of fibers in a fiber optic cable is called “fiber count”.  Fiber count will vary depending on the application.  Today, it can range from one fiber up to about 7,000 fibers.  Cable manufacturers are continually finding ways to increase fiber count to accommodate the growing demand for bandwidth.

The number of components making up a fiber optic cable will vary depending on the end-use. Some designs are simple when applications are light-duty. The harsher the environment the fiber optic cable will be exposed to, the more complex the cable structure. In simple terms, a fiber optic cable has 5 basic components:

The core of the optical fiber which may vary in size between 8 microns and 2000 microns.
The cladding which is the layer that surrounds the core. This is usually silica and can sometimes be plastic.
The coating. This is the outer layer of the optical fiber. It is extruded and may be colored for easy identification in multi-fiber cables.
A strength member which will provide additional protection from breakage / signal deterioration.
An outer jacket to provide a final layer of protection for the optical fiber inside.

Fiber optic cables come in various constructions depending on the end-use. They range anywhere from a simplex construction (one strand of fiber with an outer PVC or other plastic) to cables consisting of hundreds of fibers grouped in tubes and stranded around a central strength member with a plastic outer jacket. Multimode fibers are usually constructed in simplex, duplex, zipcord designs and may be either tight-buffer or loose-tube configurations that incorporate anywhere from 1 to several 10’s of fibers. Single-mode fiber optic cable constructions are more complex and may incorporate hundreds of optical fibers.

The cable construction for either type of optical fiber cable is there to provide protection to the optical fiber inside: Protection from excessive bending, crushing, strenuous pulling, etc. The outer jacket of the cable may be made from a variety of plastic materials ranging from PVC to Polyurethane to Polyethylene to name a few.

There are two main categories of optical fibers: single-mode and multimode. “Mode” refers to a ray of light traveling down the fiber. Multimode (multiple rays of light) fiber is further classified as either graded-index or step-index. The index profile describes the way the multiple rays of light travel down the fiber. In a multimode graded-index fiber, the light travels in a sinusoidal pattern down the length of the fiber to arrive at the end pretty much all at the same time. This type of multimode fiber is used in a short distance, data communications networks such as within a building or between buildings in an office park. In a multimode step-index fiber, the multiple rays of light travel down the fiber in a haphazard manner with each ray arriving at the end at different times. These types of fibers are also used in short-distance, harsh industrial and aerospace environments to provide secure communications. Larger core multimode step-index fibers may be used to transmit laser energy in places like the operating room, to clean graffiti from historical monuments, and to direct energy in military defense systems. Multimode fibers vary in core size from 50 to 2000 microns. They may be made from pure silica quartz, plastic, or other materials.

Fiber optic cables are made up of glass fibers that transmit light signals over short and long distances. They are used in industrial communications settings as well as telecommunications networks for high-speed data transmission. They are also used to transmit high-power laser energy in such applications as medical lasers for surgery and military laser defense systems. In communications applications, optical fibers are replacing copper wire because they can carry much more information than copper does and at much higher speeds.

A fiber optic cable contains anywhere from one to several hundred optical fibers within a plastic casing. Fiber optic cable (or optical fiber cable) transfers data signals in the form of light and travel anywhere from a few feet to hundreds of miles significantly faster than signals in traditional copper cables.

No. To connect the OLT’s optical ports to one ONU, becomes necessary to review the ONU’s optical sensibility and then through devices and gadgets as splitters and connectors, attenuate the power of the issued signal by the OLT. Otherwise, if they’re directly connected it’s possible to damage the devices.

Yes, it´s possible to access the equipment through the “NETWORK” interface with the following default IP: 192.168.20.1/24.

No, the OLT only have access through CLI (Command Line Interface). This access could be through Console (Interface Serial), Telnet or SSH.