Fiber Optic Network

Fiber-optic networks have been used for decades to transmit large volumes of traffic across the country. The economics of fiber networks have only recently allowed for connecting the fiber directly to the home, creating a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network. This is what we encourage for St. Paul.

Fiber is the future. If you are on the Internet, you are using fiber for some portion of your connection. Both DSL and cable modem system networks rely heavily on fiber for parts of their network, but the actual connection to your house (frequently called the 'last mile') uses copper phone lines or coaxial cable lines.

Neither phone lines or cable can offer the speeds we need to remain competitive in the digital economy. DSL over phone lines is limited by distance; the signal degrades for those living more than 1 mile away from the central office. Even for those living close to a central office, the top speeds are not comparable to speeds commonly offered with an all fiber connection.

Cable systems offer faster speeds than possible with DSL (especially those using the new DOCSIS 3 standard) but cable systems use a shared network to cover the last mile. This means all the houses in the diagram to the right have to share bandwidth. In most situations, the loop is shared by hundreds of houses. If a few of them are hogs, everyone's performance suffers.

As more people go online and those online use more and more bandwidth, a shared cable system will not be able to keep up. This is why we support a fiber-to-the-home solution.

Community fiber networks around the country offer faster speeds at prices similar or below the prices we are currently paying for slower speeds. These faster speeds at affordable prices can be a lifeline for smaller businesses that cannot afford thousands of dollars per month for the faster connections available here now.

Much like copper networks installed 100 years ago, fiber networks will be used for decades. This is a long term investment for the city.

Fiber networks are actually cheaper to maintain than cable or copper. Though fiber cables can be cut occasionally by accident - just as cable and phone lines can be cut, well designed fiber networks are redundant. Some cities have gone years without a minute of downtime from fiber cuts.

When strung on poles in an aerial deployment, fiber is generally strung with strong steel cabling that prevents it from breaking even when a utility pole is severed at the base. In Burlington, VT, the fiber network has proven more resilient to utility pole accidents than the electrical network.

More Technical Resources

• Municipal Broadband: Demystifying Wireless and Fiber-Optic Options - A report for non-technical people to understand trade-offs between different broadband technologies, including DSL, Cable modem networks, and wireless options.
• Baller Herbst White Paper on Broadband - Jim Baller is an authority of community broadband systems. His website has an additional wealth of information.
• Overview of Competitors to FTTH [pdf] - Another discussion of DSL and cable modem systems compared to fiber networks
• App-Rising - Geoff Daily's blog on the importance of big broadband and applications using it.
• Broadband Properties - A monthly magazine focusing on the importance of broadband.
• FTTH Council