Dark Fiber Services

A dark fiber network refers to unused or "unlit" optical fiber cables that have been laid underground but are not currently active or connected to any network equipment. These fibers are called "dark" because, without being connected to active equipment, no light pulses are being sent through them, which is the method by which data is transmitted in fiber optic cables.

Dark fiber services give organizations access to unused fiber optic cables that they can lease and “light” with their own equipment. This gives them greater control over bandwidth, network design, security, and scalability compared to traditional managed connectivity services.

Businesses, internet service providers, or other organizations can lease dark fiber networks to create their own private network connections. By installing their own equipment at either end of the fiber, businesses can activate the fiber for their specific needs, allowing for customizable, high-speed, and secure communication channels. Dark fiber networks are particularly appealing for entities requiring large bandwidth and full control over their network infrastructure.

Dark fiber is primarily utilized for creating high-capacity communication networks tailored to specific organizational needs. It is extensively used by telecommunications and internet service providers to enhance their network infrastructures or to offer specialized services to clients. Large corporations and enterprises often deploy dark fiber for secure, high-speed data connectivity across multiple locations. Data centers leverage it to interconnect with other centers and internet exchange points, enabling rapid data transfer and network redundancy. In the financial sector, dark fiber is crucial for high-speed trading and secure data transmissions. Educational and research institutions utilize it for bandwidth-intensive projects and campus connectivity, while government agencies employ it for secure communication channels. The inherent flexibility and control offered by dark fiber make it an attractive option for entities requiring robust security, swift data transmission, and substantial bandwidth.

Lit fiber is an active service where the provider owns and operates the transmission equipment, electronics, and bandwidth allocation, you receive a managed connection at a fixed speed. Dark fiber is the underlying unlit optical fiber, leased to you so you supply the equipment and decide how it's used. With dark fiber, you set the speed, protocols, and upgrade timeline; with lit fiber, the provider does. Dark fiber suits organizations with in-house network expertise that need bandwidth control or want to scale capacity without renegotiating contracts.

Dark fiber works exactly like any other fiber-optic cable: light pulses travel through optical strands between two endpoints. The "dark" label only means the fiber isn't currently energized. There's no provider equipment at either end sending signals. When you lease dark fiber from Fatbeam, you install your own optical transceivers at each endpoint to "light" the strand. Because you control the transmission equipment, dark fiber bandwidth scales with your hardware, modern coherent optics deliver from 10 Gbps to 400 Gbps per wavelength today, and the same fiber can be upgraded to multi-terabit speeds in the future without renegotiating the lease.