News and perspectives from the world of fiber optic networking

There's a lot to say in the world of fiber optic networking - planning, design, mapping, technology, software, database, permitting, dark fiber, fiber-to-the-home. The experienced network professionals of 3-GIS know the challenges you face & implement solutions daily.

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Nov 15, 2018 9:36:01 AM
Article 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:

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Nov 7, 2018 1:46:46 PM
Article 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.

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Oct 17, 2018 10:00:29 AM
Article 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. 

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Oct 3, 2018 8:11:00 AM
Article 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.

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Aug 9, 2018 8:50:26 AM
Article 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.

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Jun 29, 2018 10:18:00 AM
Article 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.

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Jun 28, 2018 11:33:11 AM
Whitepaper Whitepaper
  • Fiber network design and automation
  • Telecom technologies

The impact of machine learning on fiber network engineering

Fabion Kauker, 3-GIS Product Architect, presents the results of his research in a paper awarded at the 2018 Human Computer Interaction International conference as the best paper of the Human Interface and the Management of Information thematic area. The research looks at the trade-offs between three approaches that can be developed for fiber network planning to interpret satellite imagery and determine the location of residences or businesses.

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Jun 25, 2018 1:07:52 PM
Article Article
  • Fiber network construction

Bringing fiber to the city: micro-trenching

As the telecommunications industry moves to expand their fiber networks to meet the market's demand for increased bandwidth to provide higher speeds and lower latency, it has caused an increase in the use of micro-trenching in infrastructure construction. Two of the most common barriers to fiber deployment within a city usually revolve around construction cost and community disruption. In the past, city councils had few options for deploying fiber to the home outside of shutting down streets to dig up, on average, 30-by-30-inch trenches, causing, as you could imagine, much disruption and an increase in the budget.

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