EST. 1997 · DAVIE, FLComplus blog · October 16, 2026
Cut fiber? How we repair it with fusion splicing
It usually happens during construction. Someone cuts into a wall or ceiling, digs a trench, or pulls the wrong bundle, and suddenly a whole floor or building loses its network, phones and cameras. Fiber backbones carry everything, so when one breaks, a lot stops at once.
The good news is that a cut fiber can usually be repaired without replacing the whole run.
Step 1: Find the break
Sometimes the damage is obvious, like a cable hanging out of a ceiling the electrician just opened. Other times the fiber is broken somewhere inside a wall or conduit, and we test the run to locate the problem before anyone starts opening things up.
Step 2: Fusion splice the strands
Fusion splicing uses a precision machine to line up two glass fiber strands and weld them together with an electric arc. Done right, the joint passes light almost as if the fiber had never been cut.
There are cheaper shortcuts, like mechanical splices that hold two ends together in a small clamp. They have their place, but they lose more signal and are more likely to cause trouble later. For a backbone that your whole building depends on, fusion splicing is the right repair.
Step 3: Protect and test
Each splice is sealed in a protective sleeve and secured in a splice enclosure or fiber panel so it can't be bumped or bent. Then we test the repaired link to confirm it's performing within spec before we call the job done.
When to replace instead of repair
- The cable is damaged in several places, or along a long stretch
- The run is old, poorly installed, or too short on capacity for what you need now
- You're already renovating and the walls are open anyway
In those cases, we'll tell you, and we can install new fiber using name-brand CommScope materials so it's built to last.
Fiber down right now?
Complus does fiber installation, fusion splicing and repair across Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade, and we answer the phone 24/7. Call 954-344-6330.
Need fiber installed or repaired? See our fiber optic installation and repair page.