Multiple fiber carriers (was Re: Netrail woes)

Paul D. Robertson root at gannett.com
Tue Aug 26 19:24:53 UTC 1997


On Tue, 26 Aug 1997, J.D. Falk wrote:

> 	I'd assume that everybody is currently either already doing
> 	this or planning to do it RSN.  How can one tell, however,
> 	whether their carrier is using their own fiber or leasing
> 	Worldcom's?  Or even if Worldcom has been leasing /theirs/,
> 	thus putting you right back on the same physical line?

It's one of the questions we ask prior to purchasing service.  Just has 
MFS install a new ring and put in physically seperate paths to one of our 
facilities for just that reason.  We made sure the paths were physically 
seperate when they did the install.  We waited for them to bring fiber up 
the corridor prior to ordering service from them.  Personally, I'd make 
sure it was in the contract that service was being provided on physically 
seperate media than the original carrier for a subsequent carrier, with 
redundant paths, etc.  If it's a new business, I'd make carrier facilties 
part of the site survey.  SONNET from multiple wirelines is good until 
you forget something like multiple paths to the facility, then Joe 
Backhoe Operator (JBO) will pick that single point of failure every darned 
time.

> > 	I know this is a pretty common topic of discussion among
> 	the smaller telcos, but AFAIK there's no easy solution.

Contracts and lawgeeks.

Paul
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Paul D. Robertson
gatekeeper at gannett.com




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