News and perspectives from the world of fiber optic networking

Article

• Data conversion

Overcoming data conversion fears, uncertainties and doubts

We’ve all heard it before...change is hard. The thought of something we are accustomed to being revised or going away altogether is a difficult one to wrap our heads around. More often than not, change is accompanied by fears, uncertainties, and doubts (FUDs) that can keep us from embracing that change, but proper procedures and proven products can help alleviate some of these concerns.

Migrating data from one system to another is definitely an area where these FUDs can appear. 

We’re going to dive deeper into some of the worries that surround the sometimes daunting task of data conversion and discuss how our team and software work together to dispel them.

Article

• Fiber network industry and markets
• Telecom technologies
• Internet service

Restore outages faster, your reputation depends on it

Ever have to send the service interruption letter and have your PR team explain the situation to the news media? In November 2018, internet, cable tv and phone customers across 3 southeastern US states received one of these letters from their service provider. The cut fiber line left affected customers without service for nearly one full day, leaving the provider with the unenviable task of apologizing to unhappy customers.

Article

• Fiber network management
• Data conversion

Preparing your network data to make migration easier

Implementing a new fiber network management system is a big undertaking for any organization. Change can be hard, but moving to a system that will bring more efficiency and cost savings to the management of your network will pay off in the long run. To make the transition go smoothly requires some planning at the beginning. Whether you choose to convert your existing network data or use the 3-GIS data team services, here are three steps we recommend for making your data migration as easy as possible:

Article

• Fiber network management
• Fiber network design and automation

The telecom data divide

A recent podcast on Telecoms.com explored the concept of “dirty data,” which might be a bit of a misnomer but in this particular case, the data referred to as  “dirty” because it is inaccurate or misleading. Below we are going to dig a little deeper into the key themes discussed in this podcast and their potential impact for managing a fiber network.

Article

• Fiber network construction
• Telecom technologies

Bringing fiber to the city: cable de-coring

Are you ready for another new fiber deployment method? We’ve been focusing on technologies and methods being developed for fiber network densification projects in preparation for 5G, IoT, Smart Cities, and more. Thus far, we’ve touched on micro-trenching, and 200µm fiber and collapsible ribbon. This week’s topic: cable de-coring.

Getting permits approved. Rerouting traffic. Interrupting pedestrians. Digging up and repaving roads. It all sounds fun right? Not so much. 

Article

• Fiber network construction
• Telecom technologies

Bringing fiber to the city: 200µm fiber and collapsible ribbon

This series is centered around technologies and methods being developed for network densification projects as communities across the world prepare for the 5G revolution. This push for higher speeds and lower latency has driven the creation and implementation of many new technologies and construction trends that will allow for easier deployment of fiber networks. The first trend we discussed was the use of micro-trenching in infrastructure construction. If you missed that post, you can read it here. This week, we’ll discuss the use of collapsible ribbon and 200µm cables.

Article

• Fiber network construction
• Fiber network design and automation

How to build a framework for changing your engineering workflow and adopting machine-prescribed designs

Simply put, change is hard. In a business environment with customer requirements for faster deployments and reduced costs, along with more complex technologies and hardened available staff, the path to change seems inconceivable.  Yet, survival requires change. 3-GIS | Prospector planning and design applications can deliver the change you desire, and will address speed, costs, complexity, and resource issues. To help you make the change, we are sharing the six steps we have learned from experience implementing a human-in-the-loop network engineering process that combines 3-GIS | Prospector with network design engineers.

Article

• Fiber network construction
• Fiber network management
• Fiber network design and automation

Eliminating the risks of bridging the digital divide

Winning an RDOF block in the upcoming auction is a priority for many co-ops and rural telecom providers right now. Building and expanding rural networks, however, can come with potential risks and questions for which these potential bid-winners are trying to plan. In an effort to erase rural connectivity concerns, 3-GIS offers software solutions that will help de-risk these companies' projects and eliminate the uncertainties behind bridging the digital divide.