Fibre ring of York completed
Fibre backbones and metro networks are nothing new, but are still worthy of some attention, particularly as they open the possibility for network sharing with businesses and local communities.
CityFibre Holdings has completed and is delivering a fibre network that links over 100 council buildings in the City of York. The network is part of an ongoing eight year contract awarded in 2009 to install and manage the network. Some 100km of fibre has been installed and supports speeds of up to 10 Gbps.
While businesses in the area and residents will not be able to utilise the network for their own needs at this time, but the Council is apparently looking at possible revenue opportunities that could mean the network being made available to businesses in the area. The technology to allow different secure networks to exist on the same fibre network do exist and are relatively mature, plus when fibre networks are installed invariably there are lots of spare fibres, that can be subsequently lit to increase capacity.
Other countries with fibre networks have the notion that local access is at very high speeds, regional slightly slower, national slower still and international at the lowest levels. As parts of the UK create ultra fast fibre networks, this concept may need to learnt by people, i.e. that looking for material on a more local server will offer a faster download.
Some may remember that CityFibre Holdings are now responsible for the Fibre to the Home network in Bournemouth, we did enquire about the status of that project, and have been promised updates when there is news to report.
Comments
What 'old phone network'?
I think she means the one run by the copper cabal :)
You know - it's known as a 'cabal network' :)
You mean the one that has many many miles of fibre already in it...
- andrew
- over 12 years ago
Interesting to know how VOA is charged for public infrastructure?
And if it isn't, would it not attract VOA if used for commercial purposes.
How do 'local data centres' come into this, with bandwidth becoming cheaper are they less likely?
Is this anything more than the council paying for its own internal data network?
Read the article, but yes it is for the councils own intranet, though presume some level of internet access, e.g. public access via libraries.
As with many council and other public body networks, the converged aspect to re-sell some of the links is being investigated. e.g. the ring could act as a local backbone for a fibre entrepeneur, saving some fibre roll-out and allow for a single handover point (dual for redundancy one hopes), that links to a national backbone.
- andrew
- over 12 years ago
Yes, have read, scope for many councils with their own networks to extend to the 'people'. Might help to reduce council tax...
Local data centres will be a growth industry. Once we all get the hang of it all. Currently on the old phone network chugging along we don't see the need, but as these fibre networks grow it will become obvious. Hope we don't leave it too late. Well done to York for starting a pendulum that will keep swinging...