June 2009 Archives

In keeping with our pursuit of creating a totally new physical layer architecture for communications networks Allied Fiber submitted its Comments to the FCC in the matter of a National Broadband Plan.

In Summary:

The national broadband plan first and foremost should be a blueprint for the widest possible deployment of the national broadband infrastructure over which all applications and content will ride. The infrastructure consists of three components -- last mile broadband networks to homes and businesses, middle mile facilities that connect last mile networks to the global Internet, and the Internet core, which consists of regional, national, and international networks that provide global Internet connectivity. The national broadband plan should address all three components and set forth the architecture as well as standard business model conditions for their seamless integration, operation, and use.

- Although this is overly Internet related, it is so due to the overwhelming popularity of the Internet and its seemingly synonomus relationship with the term and concept of broadband. Too much is made of the Internet and not enough of physical access to it for many to realize that the root issues are in the ducts and dark fiber. 

Beyond just realizing the critical role of the physical layer though is the absolutely essential component of the business model. Continue Reading...

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Rich Tehrani in the TMCNET Newsroom in Norwalk, CT for a series of interviews. Aside from the general Allied Fiber update and a couple of specific announcements we also discussed the Dark Fiber Community, its purpose and function in the industry. 

The fundemental concept to grasp regarding this online community is that it is comprised of members that inter-relate. The community supports itself as the members support each other. They do not need to do so specifically in any way, but rather their presence gives the buyers what they seek - a resource to gain information about the entire ecosystem and not just one narrow component. 

Building a lit transport network on dark fiber and potentially incorporating microwave backhaul in to the equation is not such an easy task when you're dealing with 1000+ miles in one shot. Continue Reading...