How are fiber optic cables affected with time?

[Jyan]

Does anyone know of some good references regarding how fiber optics are effected while aging in the field? What determines the life span of a fiber installation? Specifically, what causes the signal quality to degrade, and how quickly does it degrade. (That is, how does the attenuation across the line change with time). I'm having a hard time finding any good reference material, It would be great if anyone was aware of something.

Thanks

 

[UltrafastPED]

Here is some information: http://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p=170740&seqNum=10

You should probably look for fiber optic communications standards, and testing. You may also find information provided by the fiber optic glass manufacturers.