What Does FOE Do?

The FOE team designs and manages LADWP’s state-of-the-art fiber optic network that serves as the communication backbone for the Joint, Water and Power Systems. FOE, along with related NTED groups Cable Transport Engineering (CTE) and Wireless Transport Engineering (WTE), form the communications triad that services all of LADWP’s site-to-site communication and network transport needs.

Within FOE there are two subgroups: Dark Fiber Engineering and Lit Service Engineering. Dark Fiber Engineering is responsible for the physical cable design and connection of the fiber network in a variety of environments, public right-of-way’s, public and private buildings, underground structures, internet hotels, water facilities and LADWP’s power stations. Lit Services Engineering is responsible for the network equipment that "lights" up the fiber and allows data to pass through.

The Metro and Valley Communications Cable Shops in the Power System and the Data Shop in ITSD support FOE in the field by executing the physical buildout of the fiber optic network. Together with the Network Operations Center (NOC), FOE and the Communications Cable and Data Shops maintain 24/7 operations, as the need to quickly restore critical communication, power lines protection and control services arises during all hours. This vast variety of work keeps the team on their toes.