Podcast
Fiber Focus
Hosted by Sumitomo Electric Lightwave · EN
Fiber Focus is the podcast from Sumitomo Electric Lightwave that explores the technology, tools, and techniques behind modern fiber optic networks. From product innovations to practical insights for data center and on-prem environments, each episode helps industry professionals stay connected to what matters most.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Built to Last and Built to Change
1w ago00:11:24Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Fiber Focus, Yuko Agano discusses what actually drives the life cycle of a fiber network. From material degradation to evolving design standards to the role of routine maintenance, Yuko draws on her experience as product manager for FutureFLEX® Air-Blown Fiber® solutions, making a compelling case for why the pathway can matter as much as the fiber inside it.The longer your fiber infrastructure stays relevant, the greater the return on investment. Tune in to this conversation to learn more.Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X.Episode LinksFutureFLEX® Air-Blown Fiber®: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/product-category/futureflex-air-blown-fiber-solutions/Yuko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuko-agano-504927106Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneillyConnect with Sumitomo Electric LightwaveWebsite: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave
Transcribe →The Heat is On: What Network Operators Need to Know About Liquid Cooling
3w ago00:20:12Tap to summarizeNot every data center needs liquid cooling – yet. But as rack densities climb into the territory that AI and high-performance computing demand, the conversation is changing fast. Josh Seawell, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave's director of product management, returns to Fiber Focus to cut through the noise on one of the hottest topics in the industry. He shares the key threshold where liquid cooling needs to enter the decision-making process, why the hybrid model is where many facilities are headed, and what operators who haven't made the leap yet can start doing today to prepare. Tune in to this conversation to learn more. Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode,and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X.Episode LinksData Center Solutions: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/market-application/data-center-network-solutions/Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-seawell-09770979Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly Connect with Sumitomo Electric LightwaveWebsite: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave
Transcribe →Small Towns, Big Builds
May 1800:09:46Tap to summarizeWhen Lauren Deloatch hits the road, she isn't just visiting customers – she’s walking into communities where massive data center projects are reshaping daily life. As a program manager of outreach with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, Lauren is spending time in towns where land, power, and water make AI factories possible. Some residents are energized by the prospect of thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent positions taking root in their communities; others are understandably wary of the change.Lauren has a knack for helping people connect the dots between these infrastructure builds and the everyday moments they already depend on — the thermostat adjusted before getting out of bed, the navigation app guiding the morning commute, the banking and healthcare systems quietly running in the background. Data centers, she explains, enable it all.Tune in to this conversation to learn more.Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X.Episode LinksConnect with Us: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/contact-us/Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ldeloatch/Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneillyConnect with Sumitomo Electric LightwaveWebsite: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave
Transcribe →Rethinking the Connectors of Tomorrow
May 400:13:42Tap to summarizeWe are back with Greg Pierce in the studio! As senior product manager specializing in hyperscale data center and enterprise network hardware products, Greg is up close every day with fiber optic connector innovations. He summarizes the current state of connectivity evolution, exploring both the upsides and challenges related to next-generation connector types. This conversation covers topics including MMC, SNMT, and EBO connectors; optical circuit switches; and emerging high-bandwidth, low-latency fiber technologies. Tune in to this episode to learn more. Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X. Episode LinksAI-Ready Connectors Blog: https://blog.sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/ai-ready-connectors-for-facilities-of-any-sizeGreg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-pierce-4b977b10/Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly Connect with Sumitomo Electric LightwaveWebsite: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave
Transcribe →How to Turn Struggle into Success
Apr 2000:09:47Tap to summarizeFiber optic cable is not one thing. It is a precision-engineered and manufactured whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts. The high-quality optical fibers, coating, jacketing, strength members – all integral parts and materials – together form the backbone of the digital age. In this episode of Fiber Focus, Loren Rapp contributes her insight on this complex supply chain as product line manager for Sumitomo Electric Lightwave’s fiber optic cables. She explains how AI- and broadband-driven demand for optical products impacts manufacturers and suppliers alike, then reminds us that the industry has always been about innovation and resilience. Now more than ever, companies that can plan, pivot, and build relationships with multiple vendors are less likely to struggle and far more likely to succeed.Tune in to this conversation to learn more.Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X. Episode LinksConnect with Us: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/contact-us/Loren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loren-vitter-rapp-a268a61a/Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly
Transcribe →Customer-Centric Design
Mar 3000:12:32Tap to summarizeFiber Focus pulled James Deane away from his desk for this episode to discuss his work as senior product design engineer for Sumitomo Electric Lightwave’s fiber optic cables. Driven to make a positive impact on society through engineering, James considers every person who his work impacts, beginning with material mining and extending all the way through a cable’s lifecycle. Especially as it relates to customers in the AI Boom, he is focused on innovative ways to deliver the high-density bandwidth that network operators need on time with long-term reliability. His customer-centric approach aligns with the company’s, and it includes thoughtful packaging designs and time-saving deployment methods. Tune in to this episode to learn more. Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X. Episode LinksOptical Fiber Cable Solutions: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/product-category/optical-fiber-cable-solutions/James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-deane/Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly
Transcribe →Time to Say Goodbye
Mar 900:20:26Tap to summarizeThis episode of Fiber Focus features Josh Seawell, our director of product management, who is enthusiastic about the ways AI is poised to change people’s lives at home and work. For network operators, that potential comes with extraordinary opportunity in the near term to both deliver and seize tremendous value. The path to those customer experiences (and revenue) is through strategic investments in their infrastructure, and the time is now. Legacy networks – any infrastructure built with mature technologies, whether greenfield or brownfield – make organizations less competitive and decrease their profits. Josh discusses some of the practical steps that operators can take to better meet the expectations of their customers starting today. Tune in to this conversation to learn more. Josh will be among the industry experts speaking at DCD>Connect from March 23-24 at the Marriott Marquis, Times Square in New York. Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X. Episode LinksRedefining “Legacy Network” Blog: https://blog.sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/what-is-a-legacy-network-in-2026DCD>Connect New York: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/dcdconnect-live/new-york/2026/Josh on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-seawell-09770979/Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly Connect with Sumitomo Electric LightwaveWebsite: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave
Transcribe →Looking on the Bright Side
Feb 2300:09:06Tap to summarizeAt a time when hyperscale network infrastructure projects are consuming most of the available bandwidth – both literally and figuratively – product manager Yuko Agano is here to let everyone else in on some good news. Air-blown fiber technologies are consistently available to ship in two to three weeks! Sumitomo Electric Lightwave manufactures air-blown fiber bundles right here in Raleigh, North Carolina, and as a subsidiary of Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (SEI), benefits from the collective purchasing power and supply chain relationships of 421 subsidiaries and affiliates in more than 40 countries around the world. This ready availability is one bright spot. Another is that air-blown fiber offers network operators some relief from having to compete with larger projects for skilled labor, since it requires fewer technicians and less time to install than conventional cable deployments. Tune in to this conversation to learn more. To see FutureFLEX® Air-Blown Fiber® for yourself, connect with us in Booth 1658 at OFC 2026, March 17-19 in Los Angeles, California. Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X. Episode LinksFutureFLEX® Air-Blown Fiber®: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/product-category/futureflex-air-blown-fiber-solutions/About Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.: https://sumitomoelectric.com/companyRegister for OFC 2026: https://www.ofcconference.org/registration?_gl=1*15rfs7i*_up*MQ..*_ga*NDIxNTg0ODA5LjE3NjU1NzA5MjA.*_ga_WCQ36P9K1M*czE3NjU1NzA5MjAkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjU1NzA5MjAkajYwJGwwJGgwYuko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuko-agano-504927106/Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly Connect with Sumitomo Electric LightwaveWebsite: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave
Transcribe →Giving Back to the Industry
Feb 900:15:12Tap to summarizeSean Kelly, RCDD, general manager and technical director at Light Brigade, visited Sumitomo Electric Lightwave’s headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina for this episode of Fiber Focus. Early in his nearly 30 years in the industry, Sean helped develop some of the innovative connector products that shape today’s networks. Now his heart is set on evolving and improving the industry through its workforce. These efforts are particularly crucial at this moment, when network demand is skyrocketing and there is only one new technician entering the field for every five that cycle out into management roles or retirement. Light Brigade, in partnership with industry-leading organizations, offers certified fiber optic education and hands-on skills training with focus areas that include installation, testing, troubleshooting, engineering, and design. Tune in to this episode to learn more. Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X. Episode LinksLight Brigade Certified Fiber Optic Training: https://www.lightbrigade.com/Sean on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skelly328/Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly Connect with Sumitomo Electric LightwaveWebsite: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave
Transcribe →Trusted Suppliers Help Customers Navigate Extreme Demand
Dec 100:11:08Tap to summarizeWhen the clock is ticking and lead times grow longer, solid manufacturer/customer relationships are invaluable.In his more than 35 years of telecom experience, senior product manager Greg Pierce has seen it all. He reflects in this episode of Fiber Focus on the state of the industry, especially how massive, AI-fueled demand is straining global manufacturing capacity for fiber optic cabling and connectivity products. This scenario is a familiar one for Greg, who offers some advice for customers navigating supply uncertainty.He underscores the importance of working closely with trusted suppliers, proactively if possible, and having design flexibility. Solid communication, collaboration, and deep product portfolios enable a creative mix of in-stock and custom products to uniquely meet any given network’s requirements and project timetable. Tune in to this conversation to learn more.Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn and X. Episode LinksContact Us: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/contact-us/Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-pierce-4b977b10/Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly Connect with Sumitomo Electric LightwaveWebsite: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave
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