| Building real broadband
An executed Metro Ethernet deployment draws on expertise and resources
from a wide range of project stakeholders. There are four major
areas that must be addressed for an initiative to be successful:
1) planning and feasibility, 2) network cable plant, 3) network
equipment, 4) network applications and services. No single company
can provide all of these components, so partnering and relationships
is the way to proceed.
Planning and feasibility
Although Metro Ethernet is in itself a straightforward and well
understood technology, it is deployed in metropolitan areas that
introduce a great number of variables and complexities. Any attempt
to determine the feasibility of Metro Ethernet for a specific metro
area must include a wide range of demographic, economic, competitive,
technological and digital content considerations. Fortunately, there
is an increasing number of consultancies and experts who can help
Metro Ethernet partnerships sort through the variables of feasibility
and planning.
Major IT research firms such as Gartner, Infonetics, IDC, Yankee
Group and others have compiled substantial surveys and studies on
the Metro Ethernet market. Many of these focus on the equipment
side of the industry, but there are reports available on the demand
side, including customer issues, application drivers, and market
penetration. There is also a range of competitive analysis available,
for insights into existing and potential competitors.
System houses and integrators have also built up a large body of
knowledge about Metro Ethernet. Independent technology integrators
and the services arms of leading technology vendors have considerable
in-house expertise in Metro Ethernet architectures. In most large
metropolitan areas of the region, there will be one or more network
service providers who have the internal Ethernet and WAN expertise
necessary for successful Metro Ethernet rollout. In many cases incumbent
telecoms providers are in the process of Metro Ethernet tests and
trials.
Another positive influence in the planning and feasibility process
is the large and growing body of successful Metro Ethernet projects
that have already been executed in nearly every corner of the world.
These projects serve as proof points for the financial and technical
viability of Metro Ethernet. Success stories can be found in nearly
all larger countries and in an increasing number of smaller countries.
But in spite of the number of success stories that have amassed
to date, the potential market for Metro Ethernet has barely been
touched. The vast majority of customers in our region do not enjoy
the benefits of next-generation Ethernet WAN services and the associated
applications it enables.
Network cable plant
The key to the network cable plant requirements is getting a high-speed
network connection from multi-tenant buildings to the central telecommunications
switching offices that are generally located within a mile of all
metro area customers. This so called 'first mile" challenge can
be solved by running fibre optic cable to tenants through rights
of ways that are associated with power, water, gas and other existing
services. It’s also feasible in some cases to use existing
copper wire plants in the first mile. Ideally, building access and
cable plant issues in the first mile are solved by some mix of utility,
property, municipal and network infrastructure partnering. Some
solutions to first mile cabling and building access:
- Electricity rights of way
- Water rights of way
- Gas rights of way
- Heating and air conditioning ductwork
- Lighting and power poles - above street
- Service ways under streets
- Canal and waterways
- Sewers and drainage pipes
- Steam pipe passages
- Metro subway systems
- Train and tram lines
- Cable TV cable pathways
- Telephony cable plants (copper)
- Telephony cable plants (copper)
- Wireless LAN systems
- Point to point microwave systems
If all else fails it is possible to construct new pathways to
customers by digging below ground or installing new cables on utility
poles above street. From a cost and feasibility standpoint, Metro
Ethernet is much more economically viable if one of the partners
has substantial access rights to customer premises. For instance,
in one Metro Ethernet installation in the UK, the use of an existing
utility right of way reduced cabling expenses to about one fourth
of what it would have otherwise cost to dig new underground cables.
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