Orange Leverages Fiber Sensing to Detect Water Leaks
At the Mobile World Congress 2026, Orange introduced its "Fiber Detection" project, a technology that transforms existing fiber-optic cables into distributed sensors capable of detecting vibrations in real time. Developed in partnership with VIAVI and Lightsonic, the system uses light backscattering and AI to accurately locate water leaks near fiber networks.
The technology employs distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), using an interrogator unit that sends light pulses from one end of the fiber. Physical vibrations along the fiber—caused by water leaks, vehicles, or nearby digging activity—result in measurable changes to the optical signature of the backscattered light. The system can currently detect significant events within 10 meters of the cable, and pinpoint the location of an event along the cable length within one meter.
Philippe Chanclou, Orange Fixed Access Networks Team Manager, emphasized the logistical advantages: standard IoT sensors would need to be installed every 100 meters with batteries and regular maintenance, while fiber sensing leverages existing infrastructure, eliminating the need for additional equipment. The system's AI algorithms, developed by Lightsonic, identify the unique acoustic signatures of different vibrations and classify various types of events. Beyond water leak detection, the technology has potential for detecting street cabinet intrusions, fallen branches, seismic activity, and other infrastructure-related events
