Muni fiber: L1 or L2?

Sun Feb 3 03:17:24 UTC 2013

> If the goal is the minimize the capital outlay of a greenfield
> build, your model can be more efficient, depending on the geography
> covered.  Basically you're assuming that the active electronics to
> make a ring are cheaper than building high count fiber back to a
> central point.  There are geographies where that is both true, and
> not true.  I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you're model is
> cheaper for a majority of builds.
>

Agreed, there are definitely scenarios where home running everything makes
sense.

>
> On the other hand, I am not nearly as interested in minimizing the
> up front capital cost.  It's an issue, sure, but I care much more
> about the total lifecycle cost.  I'd rather spend 20% more up front
> to end up with 20-80% lower costs over 50 years.  My argument is
> not that high count fiber back to a central location is cheaper in
> absolute, up front dollars, but that it's at worst a minimal amount
> more and will have neglegable additonal cost over a 40-80 year
> service life.
>

Here's the thing, over the time frame your describing you're probably going
to have to look at more fiber runs just because of growth in areas that you
didn't build for before.  Even if you nail the total growth of homes and
businesses in your area your chances of getting both the numbers right
_and_ the locations are pretty slim. Also, you're going to have to replace
gear no matter where it is core or nodes on a ring.  Granted gear that
lives in a CO can be less expensive but its not that much of a difference
(~1% of gear costs).  Having a ring topology is basically the best way
we've come up with as of yet to hedge your bets, especially since you can
extend your ring when you need.

>
>

>
> --
>        Leo Bicknell - bicknell at ufp.org - CCIE 3440
>         PGP keys at http://www.ufp.org/~bicknell/
>

-- 
Scott Helms
Vice President of Technology
ZCorum
(678) 507-5000
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