Ask the Experts: What to Know Before You Buy

By Vernon Yow, senior national sales director, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave

In this post: what Base-16 architecture means at the splice point, why 16-fiber ribbon splicing demands more from equipment, how Quantum-Ultra Ribbon was engineered to meet that demand, and how customers should think about the investment.

1. What changes at the splice point as the industry shifts to 16-fiber-based connectivity? 

AI infrastructure requires fiber connectivity at a scale and density that would have been impossible to imagine early in my career, and 16-fiber ribbon is how we are answering that call as an industry. Base-16 architecture is quickly becoming the de facto way networks get built.

For customers, that transition shows up where network performance is locked in – at the splice point. More fibers per splice, across more splice points per build, means the quality of the equipment and the consistency of the results matter more than ever. Crews and the companies they work for need tools that are ready to do their job.

2. Going from 12-fiber to 16-fiber ribbon seems simple; more fibers, same process, right? 

Customers ask me this all the time, and the short answer is that the process looks familiar but the demands on the equipment are substantially greater. Mass fusion splicing relies on the mechanical precision of the V-groove, the clamp, and the Z-stage to expertly place every fiber before the arc fires. The tolerances on that relationship are tight at 12 fibers and even more so at 16. 

Fiber axis offset – the lateral misalignment between fiber ends at the splice point – is what drives splice loss in ribbon splicing. As the ribbon gets wider, controlling that offset gets harder. For field technicians, that means preparation matters. For anyone considering an equipment investment, it means the machine has to be built to handle the physics of the wider ribbon and not just accommodate the higher fiber count.

3. Quantum-Ultra Ribbon was recently recognized with the top score in its category at the 2026 Lightwave Innovation Reviews. What went into building a machine that earns that kind of recognition?

When our team developed Quantum-Ultra Ribbon, the goal was to make 16-fiber ribbon splicing reliable and practical. The award recognition reflects that the industry's independent judges saw this vision.

The engineering behind it addresses the core challenge of wider ribbon splicing directly. Tighter mechanical precision across the V-groove, clamp, and Z-stage – and critically, the precise relationship among all three – means 16-fiber ribbons seat correctly and consistently before the arc fires. Smarter clamp control and AI-assisted endface correction reduce the variables that lead to rework. And the splicer is optimized end-to-end at the system level; updated algorithms and optical calibration mean the machine recognizes fiber position accurately across a broad range of ribbon types and pitches. 

4. How should customers approach the decision to invest in fusion splicing equipment?

My starting point is always the same: think about the full cost of the job, not just the cost of the equipment. The right machine reduces rework, keeps crews moving, and handles whatever they encounter on-site, and those factors add up across every project on the books. Faster turnaround per job translates directly to revenue. Customers who think about equipment as a strategic business decision, especially with Base-16 deployments on their roadmap, tend to feel confident about that investment.

Versatility matters too. Crews working across both 12- and 16-fiber ribbons on the same project need a machine that handles everything without a trip back to the shop. Quantum-Ultra Ribbon supports 12- and 16-fiber ribbon across 200 µm and 250 µm pitch with V-grooves that swap out on-site without special tools.

And as I mentioned in my previous blog, we offer demo units so customers can try the equipment out on a real job. The machines make their own case.

5. You have been in this industry for nearly 40 years. How does Quantum-Ultra Ribbon fit into the arc of what you have seen?

The fusion splicers I sold early in my career were next-gen for their time, but the equipment offered limited room for error and depended on highly skilled labor. Having a front-row view of fusion splicing technology’s evolution has been one of the great pleasures of a long career in this industry, and it’s still happening.

Quantum-Ultra Ribbon represents the kind of progress that excites me about where we are headed. The engineering investment behind lighter machines, smarter software, AI-assisted endface correction across 16 simultaneous fibers is incredible. The networks being deployed right now deserve it. 

Connect with a sales manager or a distributor to learn more. 

About the author: Vernon Yow, senior national sales director, has been in the fiber optic industry since 1986. Here he answers five questions that explore his take on Base-16 network architecture, what the industry's shift to 16-fiber ribbon means for customers, and how Quantum-Ultra Ribbon was designed and built precisely for this moment.