Multiple fiber carriers (was Re: Netrail woes)

Tue Aug 26 21:14:27 UTC 1997

Now here is a question, what is WorldComm's Standard Operating Procedure 
(SOP) for building facilities of OC-48 or larger. Since obviously they 
plan to distribute from plants like that, do they dual paths or something 
more elaborate [i.e. multiple collapsed rings, etc].

-Deepak.

On Tue, 26 Aug 1997, Paul D. Robertson wrote:

> 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
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Paul D. Robertson
> gatekeeper at gannett.com
> 
> 