Dark fiber refers to unused optical fiber cabling that has already been installed, but not activated with light transmitting data.  It was given the name “dark fiber” because optical fiber that is in use transmits data in the form of light pulses. When fiber is in use, it is referred to as “lit fiber”. When installing fiber, telecom providers and businesses often include more capacity than needed, leaving dark fiber infrastructure in place for future growth. With this option becoming much more affordable and available through expansions, demand has been on the rise. It is now more popular than ever for businesses to make the move over to the “dark side” because it gives businesses virtually unlimited bandwidth. According to Gerry Butters, the former head of Lucent’s Optical Networking Group at Bell Labs, the amount of data that can travel through fiber optic cables doubles every nine months (Butters’ Law of Photonics). This is due to the technology on either end of the fiber line, rather than the cable itself. Dark fiber’s unlimited capacity not only makes it the fastest internet service available on the market now, it will get even faster as technology improves. Having the infrastructure in place increases office efficiency while giving customers the benefit of limitless, high-speed connectivity.

 

 

 

With unlimited bandwidth, businesses do not have to pay or wait for internet service providers to upgrade their network.  Dark fiber requires a capital investment up front,  however, that capital expense will continue to pay dividends providing flexibility as your business expands.

 

 

 

Being able to use their own equipment gives businesses complete control over their network’s latency. This can be a major differentiator for businesses that rely on rapid communication. Dark fiber can create shorter paths, making latency more predictable and consistent. Dark fiber connections are also dedicated, meaning that they do not share their network with other customers. Many traditional ISPs have customers competing to use the same allotted pool of bandwidth.

 

 

 

Data is transmitted across a private, physical medium used solely by the business that owns the network. This prevents outside entities from tracking sensitive data and information, and also allows you to be compliant with government regulations by isolating the physical-layer.

 

 

Installing dark fiber can be pricey at first, however, connectivity will essentially become a fixed cost moving forward. Businesses are no longer at the mercy of internet service providers’ rising rates. Over time, businesses benefit from being able to scale up while avoiding hefty fees to increase bandwidth.  Bringing unlimited internet connectivity to your business is a simple phone call away.

 

 

We have strategic partnerships with the top fiber companies in the U.S.