
QUESTION: Why is it important to measure Insertion Loss and Return Loss?
ANSWER:
It’s quite simple: Your customers demand it. Your customers need to know that you’ve tested every fiber optic jumper and cable and have acquired accurate IL/RL measurements that meet their specs.
Why is this important to them? Systems won’t work if inadequate power reaches the receiver at the far end of the path. (The receiver could be a data center, metro link within a city, or undersea communication system.)
When you test IL/RL, you are measuring the physical power characteristics of the cable – but not how well the cable transmits data.
READ THE FULL BLOG ARTICLE HERE: How to Accurately Measure IL/RL
ADDITIONAL CONTENT & RESOURCES:
- Category Resource: FOC Test Page
- Find More Information in this Blog: Testing Tips: enhance your process, your results, and your fiber optic cable assemblies

Have a technical question for Fiber Optic Center?
Please email your question to AskFOC@focenter.com and we will respond ASAP.
In addition to replying, we will post your question and our answer here on focenter.com. Everyone remains anonymous when we post so feel comfortable asking. You can also search your question and others in our content search.
This article is an original publication of Fiber Optic Center, Inc. It is shared publicly for educational and reference purposes to support learning and professional development within the fiber optics industry.
You are welcome to read, cite, or reference this material for non-commercial and educational purposes, as long as full credit is given to Fiber Optic Center, Inc. and the author.
Reuse, reproduction, or adaptation of this content — including rewriting, republishing, or incorporating it into new materials (such as websites, blogs, marketing text, technical guides, or AI-generated content) — is not permitted without prior written consent from Fiber Optic Center, Inc.
This material is protected by copyright law upon publication, even if not formally registered.
Use of this content for AI training, automated data extraction, or derivative content generation is prohibited.
Fiber Optic Center monitors and enforces the integrity of its intellectual property through digital identifiers and content tracking.
For more details, please refer to the Fiber Optic Center Content Use and Copyright policy.


