Episode 020 - Kevin Miller - Network Infrastructure Deep Dive for Terrestrial Fiber Optics

The interview I did with Gil Santaliz in Episode 18 got my wheels turning on the topic of fiber optics and I wanted to learn more. It just so happens that one of my friends right here in my backyard, Kevin Miller, runs a firm that specializes in designing and manufacturing customized optical fiber platforms for network simulation testing, latency, and training applications. Hence, this episode was born! Kevin and his father have collectively spent over 50 years playing with optical fiber and the related systems and industries this fiber is deployed within. The details we discuss about the technology itself and the industries M2 Optics supports is fascinating and educational in and of itself. Even more fascinating to me, however, was the conversation we had about how he and his dad have managed to bootstrap the business into the success it is today, all while maintaining a productive and caring personal relationship with one another. Session Notes: 1:12 Episode starts 2:22 Where are you from and how did you get into tech? 5:33 What exactly does M2 Optics do and where do you do it? 10:18 Who competes in your market? 11:23 What is a strand of fiber? 15:10 Types of fiber explained 18:07 Limitation for how much information can push through fiber 22:02 Transceivers explained 23:18 What is the process for fusing broken fiber back together? 25:34 What causes data loss after fusing fiber back together? 26:54 How often does fiber get cut and require someone to go out and fix it? 29:55 How do you detect where a problem along a fiber strand is and how was it done prior to modern technology? 32:59 What experiences or data sets you came across that blew your mind? 34:35 Where do you see the optical fiber marketplace going? 41:48 What is the difference between submarine cable fiber and terrestrial fiber? 43:36 Over time, does fiber degrade even if it is not broken and fused back together? 45:25 How Kevin’s dad got started in the optical fiber industry 46:28 Are there any lessons your dad has taught you over the years? 49:49 If you could go back to 2001, what advice would you give yourself? 52:33 How are you and your dad able to successfully work together?