Optical Fibre in Community projects

Uses and Options

Anything is technically possible.

If you can afford it…….

Elementary……

To keep in mind………

This session is about Fibre

It’s good for you, but not too technical !

People tend to think of fibre like this…..

What is Fibre ?

But it’s not much use unless there is some equipment at each end. You can add it yourself

1Gbps relatively cheap (per port) 10Gbps not so cheap 100Gps very expensive

Or you can rent the whole thing as a fibre based “product” 10Mbps 100Mbps 1000Mbps “the Gig”

What we like about fibre…. It has very high capacity (it’s fast) It is very reliable. It is immune to electro-magnetic

interference. It is not affected by weather. It is future proof.

What we don’t like about fibre…. There is not much of it about (that is

usable). It is expensive to install. The equipment that is needed to terminate

and use the fibre is expensive. This equipment must be housed somewhere

Which Means …. It is deployed commercially where there will

be a return on that high investment.

Core Networks (pretty much universal). Backhaul (Except in rural/remote areas). Access where the investment can be

made.

There is a technology called PON used for high density deployments – but we will ignore that for now……

So how does it work for communities? Crudely speaking - the more fibre the

better.

You probably wont have a core. It’s excellent as backhaul

Equally good mixed with high capacity wireless

Wonderful for access If you can afford it

Assume you have a wireless access network

Adding fibre backhaul will make it fly.

So where can I get some?

Backhaul

Dig in you own? ◦ From your network to where?

Or rent from a communications provider?◦ BT?◦ From your network to where?

Share with someone else?◦ A current CBS challenge◦ Where !?!!!

What can you afford?

A commercial operators Point of Presence (PoP)

A local business who might want to share?◦ They could share the cost of install and rental.

A public sector site? A work in progress! There’s lots to do here.

Where from is the question…

They have all the Broadband Ingredients◦ But no Cake.

◦ The ingredient you want is Ethernet Access Direct

◦ 10, 100Mb – 25KM radial distance. ◦ 1000Mb - 35KM radial distance

◦ But you’ll have to find the other ingredients…..

Getting a price from BTOR

Go to http://www.openreach.co.uk/pls/or_qq_owner/or_qq_frames.drawframe

◦ Enter the products you want and the postcodes of the a end and b end.

◦ The Installation price is subject to survey. ◦ But the rental is the key element with respect to

sustainability.

Getting a price from BTOR

Sharing a fibre

MPLS Cloud

www

VPN

Business VPN

Business Internet

www

100 Mbps fibre

Community8Km

Host Building

Fibre self dig

Practical Access by fibre

Covering off the access element.. A rare (but beautiful) form of community

project…. Is relatively future proof Has a more challenging business case…. But is generally viewed as “Future Proof”

A good example is B4RN in Lancashire Or the developing B4GAL project in South

Lanarkshire

Any Questions