Network reliability, security & maintenance
SRP Telecom fiber is primarily aluminum-clad optical groundwire (OPGW),
colocated with SRP's high voltage electric system in our own right-of-way.
As such, we provide a reliable, secure and fully independent network for
carrier and enterprise customers.
Because our fiber is typically located 80 to 120 feet above ground, protected
by high voltage electric facilities and accessed by pole-mounted splice cases,
disturbances that commonly occur with underground systems are exceedingly rare.
In fact, data
from Telcordia Technologies reveals that
aerial fiber cable is more reliable than underground, and that OPGW is the
most reliable aerial cable.
Network Reliability Steering
Committee data for all network categories of facility failure indicate that
underground cable damage accounts for 72% of incidents, compared with 6% for
aerial cable. Service affecting failure rate data for both ADSS and OPGW
cables reveal them to be more than 18 times more reliable than conventional
in-ground systems.
Unlike facilities in the public right-of-way (where access is difficult to control),
SRP's network (using our private rights-of-way and electric facilities), makes
our fiber readily accessible only by SRP personnel – an added level of
security.
Our network controls and
secures telemetry for hundreds of millions of dollars of electric transmission
and distribution infrastructure. Our system supports a $2 billion electric
business revenue stream, and was deployed primarily for a thirty ring, 200+
node synchronous optical network (SONET) to support our mission-critical
electric and water operations.
Given our vested interest in the network, our maintenance and security standards
are optimum. As an SRP Telecom customer, you can be assured:
- only SRP field operations personnel may touch our fiber
- maintenance and security procedures and obligations are thoroughly documented
in our master agreement, and can be tailored for each customer
- we thoroughly test – end-to-end – each segment, as well as the total
system. Test results are documented in a comprehensive acceptance package
our emergency response levels are clearly defined, ensuring optimum time-to-restoration,
status notification, fiber system attenuation and other performance dimensions.
Beyond more typical Wireline needs, many of our customers have discovered SRP as a
ready source for other fundamental network facilities. We provide facilities and
location for regeneration sites, and transmission network hub locations –
including property for full switch sites – to several of our customers. These
facilities are often located in secured electric locations.
Many metropolitan area fiber projects involve some form of new construction, if
only new customer premises laterals. Because SRP makes use of its own right-of-way,
electric facilities and personnel, we have uncommon latitude when it comes to project
management control. This translates into rapid and certain network turn-up, and
avoids delays associated with securing municipal approvals or private easements.
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