Best of the ISP-Lists

Finding Fiber

So you've got a customer who wants a big, expensive connection. How do you find the fiber to deliver it?

[August 17, 2007]

On the ISP-Bandwidth list in August, RJ asked:

Hello all,

I am relatively new to this list, but am hoping someone here can help me with an Ethernet question. How exactly do I find out where ethernet is available other than just relying on a carrier hotel? Do I need to just call each carrier and see where they have service?

Please advise... I have several people asking me about ethernet and possibly relocating to an area where ethernet may be in a particular building. Thanks in advance.

 

[AG suggested] "One good down and dirty method is to check the telephone room in the basement of a particular building(s). Is there any fiber terminated there? If there is fiber terminated by any provider other than the ILEC, start there. Here in Denver the ILEC is Qwest QC. Qwest has a transport service called Qwest Metro Optical Ethernet (QMOE). In those building that Qwest has fiber, it's relatively easy for them to make a business case for QMOE. If the building is close to the ILEC CO, they may be able to deliver QMOE over copper. If you have a tenant rep helping you find space, have her earn her fee by checking the phone rooms.

Another down and dirty method is to look for orange spray paint on the roads, which locate fiber routes.

You might also check with the interconnect provider in your local Carrier Hotel. We endeavor to maintain lit building database for all of the CLECs and metro Ethernet providers located here in Denver's Carrier Hotel."

MH referred to Wikipedia:

[These codes] are pretty universal.

[BT warned] "Sometimes you have to be a history buff, as you'll find initials of companies which have long gone out of existence through mergers—"TCG" (Teleport Communications Group), ALS (ATT Local Services), MFS (Metro Fiber Serivces), CEC (Con Ed Communications), etc."

[BR suggested] "I expect you'll get a deluge of responses with offers from your post but in general you should be able to get FastE/GigE in most major metros in the CBD (central business district) of that market. Certainly collo hotels and carrier collo facilities are a good option and a post to a forum like this should get you a ton of responses if you include NPA-NXX. I do not know of an ethernet map or any tool that would indicate availability across multiple carriers though. "

— End