Leveraging dark fiber networks ensures that you take control of your hardware, which allows companies to continue to invest in high-performance network equipment—including routers, switches, and load balancers—to handle increased data traffic without bottlenecks. As network equipment improves, so too can your network infrastructure.

Software-defined networking (SDN) solutions are also an opportunity to maximize performance.  For instance, implementing SDN capabilities over the top of your network offers the opportunity to separate the network's control and data planes, allowing for dynamic network reconfiguration and easier management.

There are many factors to consider when future-proofing your network deployments. They include ensuring you select an Open-Access Network solution, have access to scalable capacity that can ebb and flow with your business demands and more. We offer five key areas of consideration for such network vendor selections.

The Power of an Open-Access Network Solution

Open-access networking isn’t for everyone. As a matter of fact, competitive network operators embrace this concept as a way to compete more effectively, when they want to. For instance, incumbents have been reluctant to sell dark fiber capacity on their network infrastructure because they make more revenue by selling capacity in services and in smaller increments–a perspective that underscores the traditional business models employed by established players. Competitive operators and new entrants offer open-access networking, enabling nearly any company to gain access to the network infrastructure. New companies constructing fiber optic networks know that dark fiber is one of the most important elements to offer customers for a near-limitless capacity solution. 

Open-access networking serves as a strategic tool for competitive network operators who aim to gain an edge in the market. By embracing this concept, these operators can position themselves more effectively against incumbents. It allows them to offer unique services, pricing models, and more flexible solutions that cater to the evolving needs of customers.

As a matter of fact, the power of an open-access network solution lies in its ability to drive competition, democratize network access, and stimulate innovation. It empowers competitive operators, new entrants, and even consumers by providing a more dynamic and diverse telecommunications landscape. Through the utilization of dark fiber and the adoption of this approach, the telecom industry can usher in an era of scalable, accessible, and innovative networking solutions.

Capacity and Nimbleness: Power to Innovate

In a rapidly evolving industry, agility is paramount. Ensuring your network operator has designed its infrastructure to be nimble is important. Being able to make modifications to cater to evolving needs is important—such as new points of entry, builds to near-net locations, and more. Flexibility is another differentiator, as market incumbents often lack flexibility. To empower AI organizations, you need to pursue innovation without constraints. 

Dark fiber provides an essential foundation for scalability, enabling companies to scale their services seamlessly as demand increases. This scalability is crucial in accommodating the data-intensive applications and services of the digital age.

Underground Reliability: The Superior Choice

I’ve already stated this earlier: not all networks are created equally. What I mean is that underground fiber optic systems, though more complex to deploy, offer unmatched reliability. Unlike their above-ground counterparts, underground networks are protected from environmental factors and human interference, ensuring consistent performance. In a world where uninterrupted data flow is paramount, we stand by the unparalleled reliability of our underground systems.

Strong network designs also include redundant routes, however, and leveraging above-ground resources could provide the always-on, always-accessible solution that