Fiber optic test equipment supplier !%AFL%! was awarded “Signal Identifying Apparatus for an Optical Fiber,” US Patent No. 7916983. The patent covers the company’s optical fiber identifier (OFI) technology for detecting the presence or absence of an optical network terminal on fiber-to-the-premises (FTTx) fibers. It is the first patent for the company’s Noyes Test and Inspection Div. The technology allows users to test passive optical network fibers at an external distribution cabinet without disconnecting fibers or disrupting services. It is commercially available in AFL’s OFI-FTTx fiber identifier. AFL is based in Spartanburg, S.C.