Certified Optical Network Associate (CONA) FAQs

01 Aug Certified Optical Network Associate (CONA) FAQs

Following are answers to frequently asked questions about CONA:

What is CONA?

CONA is an intensive 5-day fiber optic training course for engineers and managers involved with the designing and planning of national fiber optic backbones, metro networks, transport and utility networks, 5G and fiber to the antenna (FTTA), dark fiber for enterprise WANs, and metro DCI (Data Center Interconnect).

The course covers cost effective, direct detection single channel and multichannel systems, including CWDM and long haul amplified DWDM systems, as well as high performance Ethernet at data rates up to 800Gb/s for links within and between data centers in metro regions.

CONA lays down a broad foundation of knowledge on fiber infrastructure and optical networking systems that is a pre-requisite for the advanced level CONE certification, that focuses on meeting the network challenges of increasing capacity, extending reach, controlling latency, going open and interoperable and providing QoS whilst keeping costs and power consumption under control.

Who certifies the CONA?

Those who successfully complete the CONA course, the design assignment and exam will be awarded Certified Optical Network Associate status by Optical Technology Training (OTT). OTT is the technical design authority and awarding body for a suite of Certifications in fiber optics and optical networking including COFI, COSI, CFCE, CONA and CONE. OTT training and certification programs in fiber optics and optical networking have been setting the standard since 1989. The OTT certifications are recognized around the world and the programs are delivered by a network of licensed training delivery partners that operate globally.

Are their any hands-on activities like splicing in CONA?

The CONA course is aimed at network designers, project managers, infrastructure planners etc. Whilst these people need to have an appreciation of splicing techniques and resources required (included in the course), their job role will not involve the practical tasks of cable jointing and termination, so they do not need to master these skills. For the installers who need to perform this job role, OTT offers courses such as Certified Optical Fiber Installer (COFI) courses that are focused on the practical skills required to install, joint, terminate and test fiber optic cabling in different environments.

How does CONA differ from CFOT?

CONA is an intensive and specialized course primarily for engineers, managers and project managers who design or plan long haul, metro, fiber to the antenna and data center interconnect networks.

As an optical networking course, CONA does not only focus on the detailed properties and impairments of optical fibers but also on the photonic components, modules and processes that enable the encoding, transmission and deco
ding of optical signals over fiber.  In addition to optical fiber the course covers, in detail, lasers, detectors, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), optical modulation schemes, detection methods and other related concepts.

The Fiber Optic Association (FOA) Certified Fiber Optic Technician(CFOT) – is a technician’s certification for general fiber optics application. The focus of the course is on optical fiber. Those who pass CFOT have adequate fiber optic background to take CONA as one step further in their optical networking careers. OTT develops specialized courses focusing on fiber optic infrastructure, including Certified Optical Fibre Installer (COFI).

Is the CONA course available online?

No. All OTT certification programs are based on live in-person training, as this provides the most effective learning environment for the complex subjects that are covered. All certification programs include assignments that are tackled interactively in small groups to consolidate the learning. Online learning is simply not as effective as a live classroom course.

Can I just take the CONA exam without doing the course?

No. OTT’s mission is all about training and certification programs that provide the knowledge and skills to do the job. The exercises and assignments are an important part of the learning process in applying the new knowledge and skills, rather than just a demonstration of pre-existing competence.

I already have quite a lot of experience in optical networks, I know all the basics, so can I go straight to CONE, without having to do CONA first?

Our experience is that even experienced industry professionals gain a lot from the broad based approach that is taken on the CONA course, filling in gaps in their knowledge. Many people do not appreciate how much there to learn about. The CONE course is very intensive and without the strong foundation of CONA many people will struggle to take it all on board.

Is CONA accredited?

In USA, the accreditation of courses is typically done by accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for institutions or courses that cover a broad educational experience. As a short, highly targeted, industry course, CONA may not meet the accreditation requirements of the Department of Education. However, CONA is well regarded by many communication companies in the United States.

What are the pre-requisite for taking the course?

There are no specific prerequisites but the course is very technical and technicians, engineers or managers involved with fiber optics will benefit the most. For those not already working in the industry, physical sciences, mathematics or other courses like CFOT is sufficient background. If in doubt, please Contact FiberGuide.

How do I register to take the course?

Please point your browser to the Certified Optical Network Associate page to see a list of scheduled courses and click the link to the registration page. You can also request a custom training session to be delivered at your location.

Can’t find a question? Contact FiberGuide with your question and visit the optical network training page for the courses.