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Dark Fiber: What Is It?

If you run a business, chances are you value data. That means you probably value high bandwidth and reliable data centers from your providers. Dark fiber provides a very flexible and secure solution to meet this demand. Read on to learn about dark fiber and why you should use it for your business.

What Is Dark Fiber?

Today’s internet data is transmitted extremely fast across miles of underground fiber optic cable. But did you know that only a portion of fiber optic wiring is actually being used.

A transmitter (a laser beam) and a receiver are connected by fiber optic cabling, which is made of glass. For the laser to transmit, the electronic signals are converted into light pulses, which are then intercepted by the receiver and converted back into electronic messages.

The name “dark fiber” refers to the unlit state of the unused cores, which are devoid of electronic devices attached to either end.

What Purpose Does Dark Fiber Serve?

Both optical cables and dark fibers are simultaneously used to transfer data. Dark fiber data, however, is isolated from ordinary data. To do this, they transmit at a range of wavelengths.

Businesses that need a secure connection and a lot of bandwidth are physically separated from other networks. This isolation gives the business total control over its network and aids in protecting sensitive data.

Advantages of Dark Fiber

For businesses that require complete network management and end-to-end connections, dark fiber solutions make the most sense. With the help of dark fibers, network operators can act as ISPs, speeding up service and enhancing customer relationships.

Other advantages of dark fibers include the following:

1.    Scalability

There is a huge need for bandwidth due to startup culture and the quick expansion of businesses. Requesting this type of bandwidth from your ISP is not the best course of action because it could take months and increase your monthly fees. Instead, companies need to make a one-time upfront investment to power the dark fiber and enjoy unlimited bandwidth without service interruptions.

2. Predictable Cost Structures for Increasing Bandwidth

Dark fiber offers a superior cost structure for applications requiring higher bandwidth, allowing companies to tailor rates based on wavelengths and strands. ISPs often charge based on the amount of data used, so if you use more, you pay more. Once the network reaches a specific size, this arrangement becomes less and less profitable. When a company reaches 1 Gbps, dark fiber’s fixed price with unlimited expansion capacity becomes a more affordable alternative to standard commercial service for growing businesses, especially if the company expects further growth in the future.

3. Improved Performance

Nowadays, latency is crucial in industries like financial services, particularly when algorithm-based trading is involved.

Traditional commercial internet services were built with stops between points A and B, mainly because each stop allows providers to monetize their services further. However, companies can make sure they receive the most efficient and direct dark fiber channel. Another feature of dark fiber is private networking, which enables businesses to quickly identify issues and find solutions without having to wait for ISPs to remove the barriers.

Final Words

As technology advances, more and more companies depend on the internet for daily operations. Moreover, there is a considerable demand for the security of sensitive information. All this together offers a massive opportunity for dark fiber use.

 

Bluebird Network offers dark fiber to customers to enable complete service control and total reliability. You provide the connecting equipment; we’ll provide the fiber infrastructure. Contact us today to see how we can help you reach your goals!

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We will get back to you as soon as possible.