Dark Fiber : Why called Dark Fiber?

Why called Dark Fiber? : Among telecom friends about the dark fiber is often a topic of discussion. You will also get a laugh after hearing the answer of some friends that "the black fiber cable is called dark fiber". In this article, I will give you complete information about the dark fiber and why it is called dark fiber. To get complete information, all of you have to read the entire article.

Dark fiber refers to unused fiber-optic cable. In order to curb the cost of doing it again and again, companies often put more lines than necessary. Dark strands can be leased to individuals or other companies who wish to establish optical connections between their own locations. In this case, the fiber is neither controlled nor connected to the phone company. Instead, the company or individual provides the essential component to make it functional.

What is Dark Fiber

Dark fiber - also known as unlimited fiber or black fiber - is an unused optical fiber that has been laid. It is commonly unused optical fiber or spare optical fiber in telecommunications and network communications, and has thousands of miles of unused dark fiber cables across the US.

Although it is currently unused, it is known as "dark" because no light pulses are being transmitted through it. In normal fiber cables, light pulses send information, but it is necessary that these cables are taken advantage in future or it will used by other telecom companies.

Five special points about Dark Fiber

1. Dark fiber is a game of money : The basic reason organizations start investigating dark fiber is for potential cost savings. If the telecom operator has more data and they need to spread the network in particular area or if telecom operator already have access to dark fibers with little or no cost, then as per my best knowledge it is important to bring your own dark fiber network. Will save a lot of money.

If one company does not have enough fiber and another company already has fiber in that area, then dark fiber is given on lease. In this way, the person giving the dark fiber also gets enough money and the lease taker also gets the fiber network at a low cost. 

2. Dark fiber improve latency : Another advantage of dark fiber is the potential speed. Whenever an organization is using commercial Internet service, traffic bounces to a lot of different points before arriving at its destination. Due to dark fibers, telecom operators can get a straight line from point A to point B, which improves performance. For some applications, people need to get data from one place to another very fast, which can be accomplished with the help of dark fiber. And the best way to do this is to set up your network where you don't have a lot of extra boxes.

3. Dark fiber provide redundancy : An even more important useful for some telecom organizations is the fact that dark fibers can provide physical redundancy to their existing systems. Those enterprises often find that even if they are using two different providers as part of their disaster recovery / business continuity (DR / BC) plans, both providers can rely on some similar physical infrastructure. 

So in the case of a natural disaster or even something as simple as a construction accident or burst water main, they can lose both their primary connectivity and their backup at the same time. If they find that they are not actually able to get good redundancy from their internet provider, they will run their own fiber links to make sure they are getting this type of physical redundancy.

4. Require some expertise for Dark Fiber : When asked about the demerits of dark fiber, the expert admitted that it had some drawbacks. The upfront cost may be higher. In addition, organizations will require trained personnel. You need to keep people who know how to manage the staff, expand it when it needs to be expanded or it needs to make some repairs. In order to have a lot of hidden costs.

5. Don't afraid by the name of dark fibers : Despite the potential disadvantages, experts encourage organizations to investigate whether dark fiber may be right for their needs. Do not be afraid of some problems caused by dark fiber, "People get the idea of a dark fiber link or establish a DWDM connection which is very intimidating, but lots and lots of governments and enterprises have done it." The optical fiber specialist advised  fiber network architects  managers to reach out to other partners interested in dark fiber and transport vendors to tips and training. There are lots of resources out there.

Why is it called dark fiber?

Dark fiber literally means a light fiber optic connection. Without the necessary activation equipment to send and receive data, the fiber optic cable remains dark. So you can say that there is a cable under the dark fiber surface. Dark fiber is also known as unlisted fiber.

In fiber optic networks, light is passed through cables when data is being broadcast. If no data is being carried, then there are no light waves traveling along the cable, so Fiber is Dark. Please never say that optical fiber cable is black, so it is called dark fiber. It is important to mentioned here that dark fiber networks are separated from the main network and it is controlled by the client.

Dark fiber is unused optical fiber that is retained but is not currently used in fiber-optic communication. Because a fiber-optic cable transmits information in the form of Light pulses, a "dark" cable refers to one through which Light pulses are not being transmitted (Sent).

Dark fiber across the US there are thousands of miles, as companies have installed additional fiber optic systems. These companies believe that they will be able to lease those black fibers to cable TV, telephones or other companies to expand their reach in the future.

Dark Fibers are neither controlled nor connected to the phone company, but the phone company provides the essential functional component. Services of Dark fiber are provided by local exchange carriers — Local exchange carriers (LECs) to maintain optical fiber transmission capability between customer locations, where customers provide light for fiber.

Know everything about dark fiber

These time the term dark fiber is used to very popular discuss, popular process of taking out fiber optic cables from a network provider / service provider, or for fiber installation / fiber infrastructure that is not owned by a regular carrier. Dark fiber can still be called dark, even if it is used by fiber lease taker and not by the cable's owner.

When fiber optic cables are installed, many companies over-site the total supplies and cables needed to operate. The reason behind this over-estimation is to ensure that the company can prevent its dark fiber network from acquiring excess data. Preventive measures and advances in data-packaging have allowed unused outdoor space for a multitude of optical fiber networks. This additional space allows for the opportunity to become functional through the expansion of dark fiber networks.

How is dark fiber used?

There are many ways to set up a dark fiber network. Point-to-point or point-to-multipoint configurations are the most common methods of setting up and setting up these networks. Dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) has been a major factor in the development and improvement of dark fiber. DWDM occurs when several different data signals are transmitted at the same time through the same optical fiber.

The data signals are transmitted at the same time, but to keep the data signals separate, they are all unique and transmitted in different wavelengths. DWDM increase bandwidth and allow additional data to be sent via fiber optics. Additionally, a single optical cable can then be converted into multiple virtual fibers. Such technology results in high-quality levels of Internet performance, a powerful and secure network, and lightning-fast Internet speeds.

Dark fibers can be purchased and used by individuals. However, businesses and other organizations are most likely to run out of dark fiber bandwidth, as their Internet is in greater demand. We can say that in clear words the dark fiber also ensures that telecom network businesses will have almost total control over their network infrastructure. There are many government institutions, schools, e-commerce and retail companies that can benefit from dark fiber. These specialized organizations require fast and secure Internet capabilities due to the transmission of large files of sensitive data.

High capacity network is called dark fiber networks and enable excellent signal strength. As mentioned earlier, the data is used through cables through light pulses, and you can find it underground. Dark fiber networks are separated from the main network and controlled by the client rather than the network provider. Some interesting uses of dark fiber include current earthquake research occurring in California. They are also used to monitor Arctic Perfrost in Alaska. It is not just used for commercial purposes and can be installed under oceans as well as under land.

How dark fiber is used in network architecture?

Dark fiber is established in many different ways. The two main configurations are popular, and they are point-to-point and configure configurations. Instead of network service providers adding a new strand of fiber-optic to a network that already exists, they will usually install more and more, so that they can use dark fiber in the future. When additional cabling is installed, a network service provider enables a business to operate more efficiently.

Dark Fiber VS Wavelength

If telecom operators want to have multiple protocols on a single fiber, you will use wavelength division multiplexing. It uses multiple wavelengths and is specific to use. Choosing wavelengths means choosing an established technique, and they are available to use. You may not need the entire fiber, which is why wavelength is a good choice because you can make wavelengths yourself. There is also the possibility that dark fiber may not be available for the entire route you require, so you can use wavelength services until you need dark fiber.

Dark Fiber VS DWDM

DWDM - or dense wavelength division multiplexing - is commonly used on a core network that has very high capacity and can reach distances of up to 80 km. It is an ideal choice for businesses in media and e-commerce, as they have large data volumes. A dark fiber service would require a company to deploy equipment at both ends and manage their capacity. With a DWDM, the network provider does this.

Advantages of dark fiber

For any type of telecom operator, operating their own fiber-optic network is more economical with the dark fiber. Organizations gain benefits such as network speed and autonomy over their networks when dark fiber is used. 

Many times businesses find their growth dangerously quick, which can cause problems with their bandwidth capacity. This prevents businesses from running efficiently and effectively. It will take a little time to include an already established Internet provider and will cost more in the long run. Once a company has dark fiber, a simple upgrade to fiber-powering devices will give an immediate boost to network capacity and speed.

It takes a little money and elbow-grease to start a dark fiber optic network. However, disturbances of additional hidden fees and service delays are common features of all Internet providers. If any telecom operator using a dark fiber network need to purchase of dark fiber, installation, and start your own transmission equipment independently, allowing for total control over the latency of the network.

A low latency level is important for organizations that rely on reliable and fast communication between individual point-to-point portals, or between large data centers, who need to communicate quickly and efficiently with each other. it occurs. Safety is also an important factor. These networks are owned and operated only by the lessee, which means maintaining a high level of security; No outsider can monitor or record the data that has been transmitted.

Cons of dark fiber

There are so many advantages to running your own dark fiber optic network, there are also some disadvantages that need to be acknowledged. The basic disadvantages are immediate, the loss of time and money that it takes to set up your own infrastructure.

Availability is an important issue because even though the United States has large networks of unused fiber, not every city has dark fiber capacity. Before investing time or money, contact a local dark fiber provider or telecommunications company to find out if dark fiber is available.

Regular maintenance and repair can be an inconvenience when something goes wrong. Not all technicians will have a solid understanding of how they cope with every dark fiber situation. If significant or major repairs become necessary, prices can be excessive. It is important for the network owner to continuously monitor the state of the network, so if any problems arise, they can be dealt with on time.

The future outlook of dark fiber is actually quite promising. Companies and organizations are look for the best and most reliable internet connection that dark fiber offers. Providers of telecommunications services are also paying more attention to the world of dark fiber as they are constantly on the hunt for expandable bandwidth capabilities. All in all, the dark fiber seems noticeable in the end.

Last Word

Friends, I have tried to give complete information about dark fiber, maybe you will be satisfied with the information given by me. I do not think I have hesitated to mention anything about dark fiber. I hope that fiber lovers will like this article and will try to forward. How did you all like this article "Dark Fiber: Why Called Dark Fiber?" Please let me know by commenting.