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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Blog | No more versioning?
Aug 5, 2024 6:00:00 PM
  • Fiber network management
  • App modernization
  • 3-GIS | Web
  • Fiber network planning

No more versioning?

For physical network inventory systems, especially for fiber networks, versioning is a crucial concept. Versioning allows network planners and engineers to manage multiple states of a network, including how the network currently exists (as-built) and how it is planned to be (future state). Traditional versioning methods, however, come with significant challenges. In this blog, we will explore these challenges and the alternative provided by 3-GIS.

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Whiteboard session: How do Esri and 3-GIS work together?
Jun 10, 2024 8:00:00 AM
  • Telecom technologies
  • GIS
  • 3-GIS | Web

How do Esri and 3-GIS work together?

One question we get asked a lot of centres on how Esri and 3-GIS technologies combine to provide a comprehensive, GIS-based system of record. In this post, we’ll explain the collaborative relationship between Esri and 3-GIS and the respective roles they play in telecom network management.

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The evolution of network visualization - 3-GIS | Diagramming
May 27, 2024 8:00:00 AM
  • Fiber network management
  • Telecom technologies
  • 3-GIS | Web
  • 3-GIS | Diagramming

The evolution of network visualization

I have always found maps to be interesting. Whether it was a nautical chart or fold out road map in the back seat of a car, I spent quite a bit of time looking at maps as a child. Even when I go somewhere today, I will often bring back a map as a souvenir.

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Collecting railroad crossing information for fiber planning
Apr 1, 2024 8:00:00 AM
  • Telecom technologies
  • 3-GIS | Web
  • Fiber network planning

Collecting railroad crossing information for fiber planning

Recently, I tuned into a webinar hosted by the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) all about permitting. One topic that caught my attention was the process of obtaining a railroad crossing permit, which, in the United States, requires including a standardized railroad crossing ID.

Curiosity piqued, and I decided to do a bit of sleuthing to see if this data was readily available. A quick Google search with the terms "Federal Railroad Crossing Esri" led me straight to the Federal Railroad Administration Safety Crossing Inventory, Form 71. I found that this database contained up-to-date information that could really simplify the permitting process.

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Single Point of Failure tool in 3-GIS | Web
Mar 4, 2024 8:00:00 AM
  • Fiber network management
  • 3-GIS | Mobile
  • 3-GIS | Web

Using 3-GIS | Web and Mobile to find a fault location

We all know it’s going to happen eventually. It does not matter who are you or how prepared you think are; your fiber is going to break. There are an unfathomable number of miles of extremely thin glass hanging in the air, buried underground, or just looped over and over.  

When a fault occurs, it can be a daunting task to test and locate exactly where that may be. Fortunately, there are tools and technology available at our fingertips to locate these faults quickly and accurately, so we can get the network back up and running as quickly as possible. Let’s look at a few of the tools 3-GIS users have at their disposal that can help during an outage scenario.

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Navigating the network lifecycle: Open for sale
Oct 30, 2023 8:00:00 AM
  • Telecom technologies
  • GIS
  • Communications service providers
  • 3-GIS | Web
  • Fiber deployment

Navigating the network lifecycle: Open for sale

After planning, engineering, field verification, and construction, it was finally time to help our client open for service! Success required seamless coordination across all aspects of our operations, from marketing strategies to customer installations. 

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Navigating the network lifecycle: Construction
Oct 16, 2023 8:00:00 AM
  • Fiber network construction
  • GIS
  • Communications service providers
  • 3-GIS | Web
  • Fiber deployment

Navigating the network lifecycle: Construction

Once we traversed the realms of planning, engineering, and field verification, we were ready to start construction.  This was our biggest challenge. Construction was the moment where theory met reality, and we were determined to turn our vision into tangible infrastructure. However, the path ahead was riddled with obstacles and divergent opinions, particularly when it came to meeting the needs of the contractor community and ensuring swift progress. 

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