Comcast deploys fiber sensing tech to detect network threats

Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) has deployed fiber sensing technology that uses its existing fiber lines to detect and locate activity occurring near its network infrastructure in real time, according to a company statement.

The technology works by analyzing vibrations traveling through fiber optic cables to identify nearby activity, such as construction equipment operating close to buried lines. When a potential threat is detected, the system alerts Comcast teams and provides the location of the activity, allowing crews to respond before damage occurs.

The company said the technology can distinguish between different types of activity, including a subway train passing an underground cable versus construction equipment near a buried fiber line.

"Customers count on our network every moment of every day, and our job is to make the incredible complexity behind that connection invisible to them," said Elad Nafshi, Chief Network Officer at Comcast. "Our fiber sensing technology is another way we're leveraging network intelligence, at scale, to deliver a more reliable, responsive and resilient experience for customers."

Comcast said it is also exploring combining fiber sensing with artificial intelligence and other technologies. Potential future applications include automatically dispatching drones to provide real-time views of network damage, wildfires, or accidents. The company added the technology could eventually extend to third-party fiber infrastructure that its services depend on.

The deployment is part of a broader effort by Comcast to automate and add intelligence to its network, which the company said includes distributing software, telemetry, and AI across its infrastructure from core systems to neighborhood nodes and gateways.

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