FBR Solutions
Modules
Company field curriculum for OSP techs on Spectrum high-split / DAA-RPHY plant. Start with what the project is and what FBR does, then safety and access, prints, hardline craft, actives, testing, and fiber literacy. Written quizzes support readiness; live-plant authorization stays with supervision and SOPs. New hires: start with What Is High-Split, then Basic Safety, then How to Read a Print.
All modules
New hires start with What Is High-Split, then safety, then print reading.
26 modules
1Why We're Here
What Is High-Split — And What Is Our Job?
Why Spectrum is rebuilding the plant for high-split, what FBR / Next Solutions actually does on a night’s evolution work, and what you are not authorized to invent. Start here before safety, prints, and tools.
20 min·2 pages·10 quiz QOpen →
2Safety & Field Access
Basic Field Safety — Mindset, PPE & Stop-Work
The foundation every OSP tech starts with: job briefing, PPE, traffic and public awareness, weather and worksite control, and the authority to stop work when conditions are unsafe. Ladder and bucket modules build on this.
18 min·2 pages·10 quiz QOpen →
3Safety & Field Access
Ladder Safety — Selection, Setup & Tie-Off
Field-ready ladder safety for OSP work: selecting the right ladder, inspecting it, setting the 4:1 angle, securing top and base, safe climbing, electrical clearance, and when a ladder is not the right access method.
22 min·3 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
4Safety & Field Access
Bucket Truck Safety — Aerial Lift Operations
Aerial-lift safety for OSP crews: qualified operation, daily inspection, traffic control, stabilization, harness and lanyard use, power-line clearance, safe positioning, emergency planning, and shutdown criteria.
25 min·3 pages·13 quiz QOpen →
5Safety & Field Access
How to Read a Coax Hardline Print
The FBR night-by-night method: pull tonight’s assignment, learn the legend, find street then house number, read notes, and stay in scope. Practice on AM103 (Heim Rd, Buffalo) and a worked Taverly Drive example.
35 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
6Safety & Field Access
Tools & PPE Overview — Know the Kit Before You Roll
Visual introduction to the safety gear, hand tools, cable prep, test gear, and hardline hardware on the truck. Brand-new hires start here after Basic Safety.
25 min·1 pages·10 quiz QOpen →
7HFC Foundations & Hardline Craft
HFC Plant Fundamentals
Hybrid fiber-coax architecture from headend through hub, fiber, node, and hardline cascade — forward and reverse paths, DOCSIS shared return, design map basics, dBmV level language, and the noise funnel that governs modem performance.
20 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
8HFC Foundations & Hardline Craft
Hardline Cable Sizes & Construction
Hardline coax construction from center conductor through flooding compound and jacket; velocity and attenuation; size tradeoffs; messenger wire; bend radius; reading jacket print; and matching connectors to verified cable series.
15 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
9HFC Foundations & Hardline Craft
Coring Tools & Technique
Coring science for hardline pin connectors: size-matched mandrels, blade wear, square cuts, side-load failures, size stamps, jacket strip vs core depth, flood cleanup, and field cleaner discipline.
18 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
10HFC Foundations & Hardline Craft
Pin Connectors — Anatomy & Install
Hardline pin connector anatomy, O-ring sealing, seizure theory, positive stop engagement, pin length, male/female pairing, heat shrink sequencing, and moisture failure modes on aerial and underground splices.
15 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
11HFC Foundations & Hardline Craft
Full Cable Prep Sequence
End-to-end hardline prep using manufacturer cut marks: measure, square cut, core, clean, inspect, stage hardware, install, and QA — with .625 vs .750 differences and common reject criteria.
18 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
12HFC Foundations & Hardline Craft
Coring, Splicing & Cut-Outs
Hardline cut-out rules, minimum section lengths, expansion loops, torque from the AOI moto card, time-stamped documentation, and splice QA — integrated with coring and defect drills from evolution field standards.
18 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
13HFC Foundations & Hardline Craft
Plant Powering & Electrical Safety
How HFC plant power works in the field: 60/90 VAC on coax, power supplies and inserters, ferroresonant regulation, power-passing taps and amps, fuses, and safe DMM/NCV habits. Coax plant is never RF-only.
18 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
14HFC Foundations & Hardline Craft
Field Safety — Plant, Power & RF Hazards
Technical safety before amp and pedestal work: plant AC on coax, housing hazards, NCV and DMM verification, aerial strand practices, 811 dig requirements, RF burn awareness, lockout/tagout for modules, and task PPE. Take this before balance/replace modules.
20 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
15Passives, Actives & High-Split
Directional Taps
Directional coupler theory applied to taps: through vs tap loss, value selection, cascade math intro, terminators, power passing, GigaXtend 5–1225 MHz bandwidth, and high-split upstream relevance.
18 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
16Passives, Actives & High-Split
Passives — Splitters, DCs & Power Inserters
Trunk and distribution passives: 2-way and 3-way splitters, directional couplers, power inserters, equalizers as passives vs amplifier EQ, housing seals, and orientation discipline.
15 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
17Passives, Actives & High-Split
Line Extenders (LE) & AOI Gear
Line extender role in cascade, gain/tilt/noise figure at tech level, AOI QuantumLink internals overview, diplexers, −20 dB test points, lid power supply, boosters vs LE naming, pad calculator, AOI equipment video, and safe replace sequence.
20 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
18Passives, Actives & High-Split
Mini Bridgers, Distribution Amps & Boosters
Bridger vs LE vs booster roles, multi-port outputs, legacy FlexNet recognition, when to deploy each type, ALC/MAN concepts, power doubling/hybrids overview, and safe replacement discipline.
18 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
19Passives, Actives & High-Split
High-Split Architecture & Field Deployment
Deep dive into Spectrum high-split frequency plans: classic 42/54 vs mid- and high-split classes, DOCSIS 3.1/4.0 drivers, symmetrical multi-gig goals, field BOM changes, ingress criticality, leakage compliance, and node vs amplifier work boundaries.
22 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
20Testing, Balance & Fault Finding
Signal Testing with Viavi OneExpert
Comprehensive field test workflow: Viavi OneExpert modes, OneCheck acceptance, ingress scan, channel and DOCSIS checks, spectrum analysis, forward/reverse sweep, test point math, MER/BER awareness, and when to sweep versus level-only verification.
20 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
21Testing, Balance & Fault Finding
Amplifier Replace, Balance & Verification
Photo-first amplifier replacement and balance: diplexer verification for high-split, pad and EQ selection theory, ALC vs MAN gain modes, LED diagnostics, order of operations, post-work meter verification, and job documentation standards.
20 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
22Testing, Balance & Fault Finding
Systematic Plant Troubleshooting
Symptom-to-cause diagnostic trees for low/high level, tilt, noise, water ingress, seizure failure, open center conductor, and shield faults; return path funnel methodology; high-split-specific faults; divide-and-conquer with field meter.
18 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
23Fiber & Node Literacy for HFC Techs
Fiber Fundamentals for HFC Technicians
Optical plant concepts for coax-focused techs: why fiber feeds the node, single-mode vs multimode in CATV, 1310/1550 nm wavelengths, dBm optical vs dBmV RF, attenuation and bend radius, SC/APC vs UPC connectors, cleanliness discipline, and laser safety.
15 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
24Fiber & Node Literacy for HFC Techs
Optical Node Architecture & RF Boundary
Node as optical/electrical conversion point: downstream receiver, upstream return laser, RF test points at node, hardline vs fiber technician scope, service group sizing impact on high-split noise, and when coax faults mimic node problems.
15 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
25Fiber & Node Literacy for HFC Techs
Fiber Testing & Inspection for Coax Techs
Introductory fiber test discipline for hardline technicians: connector inspection microscope, cleaning procedure, optical power meter and light source use, OTDR trace awareness at field level, escalation criteria for fiber crew, and brief MPO context for DAA deployments.
15 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →
26Fiber & Node Literacy for HFC Techs
Distributed Access Architecture (DAA) Overview
Brief solid introduction to Distributed Access Architecture and Remote PHY: why DAA pairs with high-split, how fiber moves deeper in the plant, what changes for OSP hardline techs, Ethernet to RPD, and coexistence with classic node-plus-coax cascades.
12 min·2 pages·12 quiz QOpen →