"Emerging Public Interest Technology: Fiber Optic Cables Bringing Internet Broadband and Railroad Network Expansion Together"

With the emergence of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and the Jobs Act, every dollar of critical infrastructure investment counts. What if expanded fiber optic cable networks could double as robust monitoring systems for railroad infrastructure? In a Wired article titled “Fiber Optics Bring You Internet. Now They’re Also Listening to Trains,” readers are introduced to an emerging use for fiber optic cables already placed along train lines: acoustic sensing. This technique, also known as Distributed Acoustic Sensing or DAS could enhance already existing infrastructure to help manage and mitigate service breakdowns across a railroad network, including in its most remote locations. Though the technology is still under development, DAS represents an important series of public interest applications and an interesting example of where cross-sectoral collaborations can help strengthen our public railroad infrastructure while also enhancing much needed broadband connectivity in the United States. DAS technologies emerge within an array of advancements using internet technologies and networks to conduct spatial analyses and change the landscape of spatial monitoring, including the use of local Wi-Fi networks to detect human poses and other objects in space. As public interest technologies are developed, finding applications within multiple critical sectors like rail and broadband expansion can enhance possibilities for implementation and more robust systems thinking to benefit communities and sectors in need of both critical services.

Full Citation:

Simon, Matt. "Emerging Public Interest Technology: Fiber Optic Cables Bringing Internet Broadband and Railroad Network Expansion Together." Wired Magazine. October 24, 2023. https://www.wired.com/story/fiber-optics-bring-you-internet-now-theyre-also-listening-to-trains/