Fiber optic technologies are mostly known for their ability to carry large amounts of data over long distances. Fiber optics may also be used to gather information about the environment when they physical properties of light entering the fiber can be affected by strain, temperature, or sound. The two types of sensing include local measurement points and distributed sensing, both of which rely on wave properties and quantum interactions of light with the fiber optic core matter. This white paper presents the technical basics behind sensing over fiber technologies, its main applications, and the cabling solutions involved.