In the digital era that continues to develop like today, the need for fast, reliable and secure connectivity has become very important for various agencies. In this case, dark fiber is one of the infrastructures that plays an important role in providing this connectivity.
Through this article, you will find out in depth about what dark fiber is in a data center and why its presence is very important for various agencies.
Get to know what dark fiber is
Basically, dark fiber is optical fiber that has been installed but has not been used to transmit signals. Indirectly, this indicates that this optical fiber is not connected to any device and does not transmit electromagnetic signals.
Often seen as something dangerous by its name, the name dark fiber itself is inspired by the condition of optical fibers that are “not lit” and no light passes through them.
Usually, telecommunications companies and internet service providers often use dark fiber to increase their network capacity. Either as an emergency reserve or for future expansion.
Various Benefits of Renting Dark Fiber
There are many benefits that an agency will get by renting dark fiber, some of which are:
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Save Installation Costs
In this case, dark fiber is able to eliminate the need to install new fiber optic cables, which is the most expensive part of a network infrastructure project. Moreover, the cost of installing it into the ground can reach around 90% of the total project cost.
By renting pre-installed dark fiber, data centers can save some of the money that would normally be required for the initial investment.
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Better Performance
Dark fiber is an infrastructure that allows direct and fast access to the final destination without having to go through many intermediary points. This can of course reduce latency or time lag in data transmission, increasing the speed and overall performance of the network.
Data centers that use dark fiber can certainly provide services with faster response times to their own users or customers.
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Redundancy
One of the advantages of using a dark fiber data center is that it is able to provide a higher level of redundancy in the network. By having backup infrastructure that is not actively used, data centers can quickly switch to dark fiber in the event of an outage on the main line.
Of course, this is very important in disaster recovery plans, where the situation itself is currently critical. Dark fiber provides an additional layer of protection against system failure. If you are interested in the advantages of this dark fiber, you can learn more about the Data Center EDGE DC which is integrated with the Indonet dark fiber network.
- Availability and Scalability
Apart from the three things above, dark fiber is also able to provide flexibility in increasing network capacity. By simply activating unused fiber, agencies can easily adjust capacity according to their individual needs.
Later, this can enable business growth to be more easily accommodated without the need to replace or upgrade significant physical infrastructure. Dark fiber also allows agencies to respond to fluctuations in bandwidth needs without experiencing significant obstacles.
Several things you must pay attention to before renting dark fiber
Dark fiber does offer a number of advantages for various agencies, both private and government. But make no mistake, it turns out that using dark fiber also has several challenges that you need to be aware of. Before deciding to rent dark fiber, there are several things you need to pay attention to, namely:
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Initial Costs Are Quite High
Even though dark fiber is claimed to be able to reduce installation costs, the initial cost itself is still set at a fairly high price. Especially when it comes to equipment, configuration and integration with existing infrastructure.
In addition, it should also be noted that there are special additional costs in terms of network management and maintenance. This includes the costs of human resources, software and additional equipment. Even though it is expensive, in the long run it will be much cheaper and more effective than solutions managed by other parties.
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Required Skills and Training
Indirectly, of course, the dark fiber management process requires special technical expertise. Some of the things that are meant include an in-depth understanding of network technology to troubleshooting that may occur.
Therefore, agencies need to invest time and resources in training existing teams to manage, expand, and improve dark fiber infrastructure. In other words, this will indirectly incur additional costs.
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Availability of Specific Locations
One thing you must know beforehand is that not all locations can reach dark fiber services. This is certainly an important consideration for agencies that want to expand their connectivity in certain areas. Considering the availability of dark fiber itself, this could be an obstacle that needs to be considered.
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Maintenance Responsibilities
It’s not just the three things above that need attention, dark fiber itself does require regular maintenance. Disruption or failure in the dark fiber network can have a major impact on agency performance. Therefore, you will need responsibility and a careful maintenance plan.
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Network Performance and Availability
Although dark fiber is often considered to have the best quality, factors such as the physical condition of the cable and equipment can affect network performance. Therefore, it is important to have a backup plan in the event of a dark fiber failure. This could include backup lines or other resources to minimize the impact of downtime.
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Scalability Needs
Dark fiber can be a good choice for agencies planning rapid growth because it has capacity that can be managed according to needs. However, it is also necessary to consider whether this capacity will be suitable for long-term growth or not.
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Service Provider Contracts and Availability
Before renting dark fiber, it is important to clearly understand the rental contract, including the cost, availability and quality of service provided by the provider. Because choosing a reliable and trusted service provider is very important, evaluate the dark fiber service provider properly.
Seeing the various benefits of renting dark fiber, of course you agree that dark fiber is a comprehensive solution for agencies that require high capacity and optimal security in network management.
However, to get quality dark fiber services, don’t forget to choose the best provider like Indonet. Indonet Dark Fiber combines performance, security and full support so that it can answer today’s communication and connectivity challenges for all agencies. Use Indonet dark fiber now and experience unlimited connectivity!