Verizon and Sprint Look to Acquire Dark Fiber

[marioc21]

I'll grant you the article is mostly about Verizon, but if you read far enough down you'll see the brief mention of Sprint looking into the same thing.  Not really a lot of details but interesting none the less.  I suppose this means Sprint and VZ both get tired of having to rely on contractors for cell site bandwidth?

 

http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/verizon-wireless-dark-fiber-backhaul-quest-poses-opportunities-challenges-w/2014-10-07

 

[Nickel]

Interesting, I wonder how serious Sprint is about it.

[dnwk]

Remember, both of Sprint and Verizon has Internet services as well.

[Josh]

As far as I can tell, what wireless company wouldn't want dark fiber? Controlled costs are something every business would want, and the reliable throughput of having a dedicated connection would be preferred to the current 'managed solutions' that these companies are offering.  

 

Especially if sprint is going to keep unlimited data and reverse the subscriber losses, they will need a better solution especially in the high traffic areas.  I know that these firms are reluctant to bypass their future revenue stream for a one time payment, but it is defiantly the best for the wireless operators.  The point I found most intriguing was that one of the ILEC's said: "I struggle because if we don't do it, somebody is going to do it" which I take to mean that competition will heat up and drive prices down even if dark fiber is still not widely used. 

[Fraydog]

I wish SoftBank would double down and buy out Level 3, then look at buying out other AAV vendors.

[Rasta Cheesehead]

Dark fiber acquisition for Sprint has two purposes they will use it for tower backhaul and expanding their metro Ethernet business. They have been at it for a while, fierce is somewhat late.   Its part of network vision

Edited October 9, 2014 by Rasta Cheesehead

[amcferrin90]

I wish SoftBank would double down and buy out Level 3, then look at buying out other AAV vendors.

 

Let's not and say we did. I've seen enough of Softbank. Softbank and Sprint were a good match. Very similar in planning and implementation from my viewpoint.

[Nickel]

I wish SoftBank would double down and buy out Level 3, then look at buying out other AAV vendors.

Wouldn't that take a lot of time and money to integrate their stuff with Sprint's?

[bigsnake49]

Wouldn't that take a lot of time and money to integrate their stuff with Sprint's?

At some point or another, depending on what Dish does with its spectrum, they will have to buy/build local fiber loops to accommodate bandwidth needs. While Sprint is in the process of upgrading their internet backbone to 400G, they have no metro fiber loops.

[ericdabbs]

Sprint needs to do this if they want a chance to catch up with the other carriers.  Sprint can't be relying on subs in the future for fiber backhaul installation when they have shown thus far that they are unreliable and behind schedule.

[Nickel]

At some point or another, depending on what Dish does with its spectrum, they will have to buy/build local fiber loops to accommodate bandwidth needs. While Sprint is in the process of upgrading their internet backbone to 400G, they have no metro fiber loops.

I don't understand, why would they have to own local fiber loops? 

[PuckinNutz]

I was with some Comcast contractors yesterday, they were running fiber to towers in Frederick County MD for TMobile and Sprint,  1 on Mar Lu Ridge Rd, 1 along RT15 at Devilbiss Rd at central tractor supply as well as some other locations in the county....so yeah, a fiber backbone going on here.