Standard terminology for a dark fiber path?

Fri Feb 26 18:32:48 UTC 2016

As Dave C pointed out, it commonly referenced as a Fiber Span.  The fiber
span would be inclusive of any splice points and/or patches needed to
provide connectivity between point A and point Z.

A Fiber Stand is a single piece of glass within the cable sheath, often
spliced to create a fiber span.

A Dark Fiber Circuit commonly refers to the service/product that was sold
by or bought from a Service Provider.  The Dark Fiber Circuits are turned
over to the customer as a fiber span between point A and point Z.

It should also be noted that the span can consist of 1 fiber or a pair of
fiber.  It is common for service providers to us "Bi-Di" optics, allowing
the use of 1 fiber for transmit and receive between their equipment.

On Thu, Feb 25, 2016 at 8:32 PM, Dave Cohen <craetdave at gmail.com> wrote:

> FWIW, at my $dayjob (a fiber-based service provider), the accepted term is
> "span", which accounts for any continuous segment between add/drop and/or
> regen locations (i.e. no provider or end user electronics in the middle,
> only at the endpoints). The most common alternate I come across is
> "segment".
>
> Re a couple of earlier suggestions - A patch between cables to provide
> continuity, as compared to a fusion splice, doesn't inherently change this
> view, as it has no bearing on the logical use of the span. Similarly,
> "strand" isn't favored as it assumes a single fiber only, where the vast
> majority of applications require a pair (or multiple pairs), so doesn't
> accurately reflect the logical use of the span. I think "1F Span" is the
> favored reference for a single-fiber deployment, for the sake of both
> consistency and clarity.
>
> On Thu, Feb 25, 2016 at 6:27 PM, Michael Loftis <mloftis at wgops.com> wrote:
>
> > IDK what elsewhere uses but strand or (less common) span is the common
> > term I've seen specifically for a passive piece of glass between two
> > points.
> >
> > On Wed, Feb 24, 2016 at 12:55 PM, Fletcher Kittredge <fkittred at gwi.net>
> > wrote:
> > > What is the standard terminology for strands of dark fiber spliced
> > together
> > > to form a continuous path between points A and Z?
> > >
> > > I have seen:
> > >
> > >    - *fiber circuit* [but also seen used to denote a connection at the
> > >    network layer over a physical fiber connection. This definition of
> > circuit
> > >    would include the dark fiber path, the transmitters and receivers
> and
> > logic
> > >    making up the data and network layers.]
> > >    - *fiber loop *[ Does a loop define an electrical circuit with two
> > >    physically separate positive and negative strands? In that case, is
> > this a
> > >    Bellhead remnant? ]
> > >
> > > I am particularly interested in last mile systems, but I don't see any
> > > reason that the term wouldn't be the same in the middle mile.
> > >
> > > thanks,
> > > Fletcher
> > >
> > > --
> > > Fletcher Kittredge
> > > GWI
> > > 8 Pomerleau Street
> > > Biddeford, ME 04005-9457
> > > 207-602-1134
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > "Genius might be described as a supreme capacity for getting its
> possessors
> > into trouble of all kinds."
> > -- Samuel Butler
> >
>
>
>
> --
> - Dave Cohen
> eM: craetdave at gmail.com
> AIM: dCo says
>