The last mile dilemma and the value of Community Networks

The networking industry is filled with brilliant, capable people. I am in awe of so many that I've worked with and listened to over the years. I've watched as truly inspiring technical changes have swept through this industry time and again. It's too bad that we are in denial about one particularly annoying problem. Last mile.

Sure, there is talk about what should be done. Many technologies have held the promise of a solution. I can remember a day when ISDN was supposed to be the answer. It never happened. Wireless first (or last) mile solutions held great promise. Not good enough, not scalable enough, not enough spectrum and not enough user patience to fulfill that dream.

DSL was rapidly embraced and held forward as the answer. And we can all look back over the past three years to see the wreckage that technology has caused in failed promises, failed companies and would be customers who are still waiting.

OCCs, CLECs, LECs and others have danced around the last mile issue by attempting to build fiber rings in high traffic areas. In the early years these fiber carriers were capitalized. If you held promise as a customer and were willing to sign a contract there was a good chance that a carrier of your choice would build fiber right to your doorstep at no charge.

It's amazing how many fiber rings have been built in metro areas over the past twelve years. I still hear of business plans that propose to build additional fiber into these same high traffic areas. Wow! How many more strands of fiber can be placed along State Street between South Temple and First South? I'll bet someone could do a study that would show how all of the data in the world could be carried along that corridor.

How much longer can we skirt the last mile issue. The answer to getting broadband access to the masses is to provided fiber to every home and business. It's that simple. I'm not the only one who has come to this conclusion. So hopefully we all agree.

DSL isn't the answer. Cable modems won't provided a long term solution. Wireless has failed and will fail again. T-1 circuits are too expensive and ultimately not big enough. Fiber to the home and business is the only way to go.

So now the question becomes: Who builds the fiber network? That is the next big dilemma. If the LEC is left to this task it will never get done. The LEC has no interest in fiber to the home. First, they have a copper plant to depreciate. Second, if the fiber plant is built, they will have to spend all of their time thinking of ways to make sure the competition can't use it. Third, they don't have any capital to work with now or in the foreseeable future.

Most other carriers can be ruled out for much the same reason. I've read a recent study (can't remember what it was so I won't try to quote it) that left me with a strange impression. If any commercial entity is crazy enough to build a fiber plant they will have to do it with the anticipation of going broke. There is no way that any business model can sustain widespread fiber to the home.

So what is the answer? Neighborhood wireless networks to a broadband POP? Maybe for some. Hound your LEC until they clean up the copper to your doorstep and get DSL? Some are benefiting from that strategy. Move to a new, progressive neighborhood, with a preplanned fiber plant? Good idea if you can afford it.

Perhaps you could talk your neighbors into stringing your own fiber? Some are trying this approach. Or perhaps municipalities could sponsor and bond for pulling fiber to all of the homes in the community? That would be my choice.

Recently my community decided to upgrade the road running past my house. They thought that curbs & gutters would look very nice. The local residents were cajoled into supporting this effort and for my part I received a nice $2900 bill from the city for a project that I didn't support or want. What's more, for my $2900 I didn't receive anything of value more than the pride of community.

Think about your typical fiber project. With some of the new technologies, fiber and other, a comprehensive project, with hardware, could be realized for somewhere between $800 and $1500 per site. That's about half (or less) of what I paid for my decorative cement. And think of the added benefits and value that this would bring to the community.

The magic happens when residents have the choice of any provider and providers are not locked out because they don't own the fiber. The real magic will happen with anchor tenants, i.e. the local Telephone company, power company, natural gas or cable companies, support the municipal fiber. Oh, I know that is just too much to hope for. It would take a considerable amount of community pride and big picture thinking to get these big boys to play.

It's a dream. It's one that some are daring to attempt. I wish these brave pioneers well. I'll keep on dreamin'.

That's all for now......
11:00:21 AM    comment []