Fibre performance

Network performance

Fibre networks form the backbone to communications in the world today. We talked to 3-GIS about the challenges of designing, constructing and managing these complex systems, while at the same time maintaining legacy networks

AEC Magazine: Compared to other utilities, what makes fibre networks more complicated to design, construct and manage – and what makes a full lifecycle approach so important?

Michael Measels: What sets apart the telecommunications networks from your conventional utility networks is that they are continually evolving. There has been a progression of terrestrial network types from copper, coax to fibre over the past several decades, which has allowed for increased bandwidth sizes but has in turn offered even more complexity in the creation and management of these networks.

Wireless technology has evolved as well, with no signs of stopping. Many of the legacy network types are still being used today and in some cases are interacting with one another. This environment is requiring GIS solutions for telecommunications to continue to evolve while still allowing customers to utilise our technologies for managing all their network assets, whether new or legacy.

In addition, the very nature of a fibre network requires a detailed understanding of every individual fibre in the fibre cable. This is exponentially different to a conventional water, electric or gas network in which the pipe or strand is the only representation of the network. For example, a fibre cable that contains 864 fibre strands must be modelled in the path vs a single pipe representation in a gas or water network. Not only do you have multiple representations in the fibre cable, the flow of data is bidirectional.

This is not the case in a conventional utility network in which the “flow” is typically modelled in a single direction. Designing and modelling this bidirectional flow requires an intrinsic knowledge of both the source and destination in terms of services and connectivity, which must be defined at the time of design in used interchangeably within this context. order to better understand future invest- To quote Webster, automation can be ment returns. defined as follows: automatically con-

This complexity, coupled with the sig- trolled operation of an apparatus, process, nificant investment companies are mak- or system by mechanical or electronic ing in fibre-based technologies, requires devices that take the place of human geospatial awareness as they manage the labour. Conversely, autonomous is defined digital asset from beginning as responding, reacting, or to end. By so doing, compa- developing independently nies are able to take advan- of the whole. tage of the geospatial knowl- As you can see, autonoedge of their assets through mous tends to lead one the entire lifecycle of their down the path of being assets to include the plan- intelligent and operating ning, design, construction without intervention, while and management phase. automated is simply identifying a process or processes Tommy Siniard: I always that can be automated in think of the differences as a utility network has one type of energy flowing modelled ‘‘ A system that order to replace the necessity for human labour. These processes are often in the same way. For example, a fibre network has energy flowing at different can both automate the those that are easily repeatable and are not necessarily influenced by outside influspeeds in both directions. design as well as encers. Although the outThen you have the cable apply what it side influencers to design network, that has the fibre network as its logical network. These layers make it has learned from critical can be overcome through the use of a rule-based approach, I would expect extremely complex to model human decisions artificial intelligence will appropriately. is the panacea allow for the ability to overAEC: What role can design when it comes to come outside influencers and reduce the human automation and Artificial meeting the input required to deliver an Intelligence play in the autonomous acceptable result. design of fibre networks – now and in the future? design vision Michael Measels As an example, automation plays a pivotal role in placing network elements MM: 3-GIS has designed a significant number of route miles for both FTTH [fibre to the home] down the side of the street while understanding the accumulated demand, in terms of fibre, as ’’ and FTTx [fibre to the x] projects using services are dropped off at each house. automation. Not wanting to get on my Intervention is often required to evalusoapbox, but automated design does not ate the constructability and permeability mean autonomous design and I am afraid of this placement and adjustments are the two terms have unfortunately been made to accommodate the in situ condi-

tions. In the future I would expect Construction TS: Esri is always working to artificial intelligence to play a key role in understanding why the progress tracking in 3-GIS | Web provide a platform that can support its clients and partners with designer chose one side of the road the base that can be extended as over the next and begin to apply this deci- needed. Our job is to build on top of that sion making to the automated output. This base - the extensions that meet our clican, and will be, quite complex as network ents’ needs. Again, the complexity of a topology, design rules, permitting require- fibre network and its various uses make ments, construction preferences, etc. can it impossible to create a single solution significantly impact the final design. that is ‘Out of the Box ready’ for every-

A system that can both automate the one. We work continuously to keep up design as well as apply what it has learned with advances Esri makes in its base and from critical human decisions is the pana- then improve our solution with its cea when it comes to meeting the autono- advances when appropriate. mous design vision. capable of managing geospatial data AEC: Putting bizarre coronavirus conAEC: 3-GIS is built on ArcGIS from ESRI, spiracy theories to one side, 5G is maswhich has several tools for utility net- sive news for the future of communicaworks, including fibre. Why is there a need tions. With the 5G network supported for a specialist GIS tool for fibre networks? by a fibre backbone, what role can GIS MM: Esri has built a tremendous platform challenges? play in the roll out and what are the across many disciplines to include utili- TS: Planning a fibre network is greatly ties, and yes, even some telecommunica- improved by using the data of the earth. tion applications. However, the complexity When planning a wireless network you of the networks deployed by telecommuni- can easily see how information about the cation companies I spoke about earlier surrounding area can greatly improve requires tailored applications that have the the efficiency of the new network. With depth to both manage existing networks 5G, the detailed information of the surand their infrastructure but are also capa- rounding area will determine where my ble of evolving to meet the ever changing antennas should be placed based on folineeds of the market. Esri is providing a age, elevation and structures. time tested foundation from which to Millimetre bands can carry lots of data build our application and 3-GIS has been but have limitations on distance: they do honoured to provide a premier fibre net- not travel far (300 - 500 ft) and they are work management solution as part of a full easily disrupted by anything they suite offering to include Esri technology. encounter in their path. So placement of As you once told me Tommy, “fibre is the antennas will consider trees, struchard”. To this end, if you are not living, ture locations and materials used in the breathing and eating fibre networks it is construction of the structures. very easy to get left behind. 3-GIS lives and Mm waves get obstructed easily from breathes telecommunication and we have foliage, buildings, and that type of thing built a solid foundation from which to so it’s even more important to know deploy fibre management solutions across your surroundings when planning that the entire breadth of an organisation. type of network. AEC: ESRI has extensive capabilities to help with the efficient planning and management of 5G networks. How does 3-GIS integrate with these tools?

MM: Esri is the global GIS platform leader and provides a multitude of industryspecific applications and guidance to include telecommunications. These applications provide a strong foundation from which to create a system of engagement across organisations planning, designing, building and managing networks. 3-GIS takes advantage of this foundation by delivering a solution to address the business needs in a way that empowers users in every role in the enterprise to both understand and engage with their network assets.

As an example, our solution takes advantage of Esri’s analytic capabilities in our Prospector extension. By leveraging Esri algorithms, Prospector generates routes from source to demand point destinations which are used to derive high level costing of network expansion at scale. The ability to provision this type of Extension would be inherently difficult if it were not for the capabilities Esri provides to our solution and as such 3-GIS constantly evolves our roadmap as new technologies are made available through the Esri platform.

AEC: How do BIM data, network data and geographical data integrate?

TS: As we mentioned previously, when planning for a 5G network your surroundings determine the coverage area. Since 5G signals can be easily obstructed providing the proper placement will determine their ability to perform efficiently. 5G will also be used in office buildings and manufacturers’ sites. Understanding the footprint and configuration of these structures will allow optimum network coverage.

The BIM data is a good representation of a structure - a building - it is recorded. As mentioned previously, with 5G it is even more important to know the surroundings when placing antennas, understand what the building looks like and what material it is made out of. For example, signals bounce off glass, but can be absorbed by concrete. Big 5G markets are going after offices and multi-dwelling units. So based on that, I need to understand the layout, the overall format of the building, the footprint so I can plan my network appropriately.

BIM is also going to come into play as we get more sophisticated and start doing

3D modelling. The BIMs are going to give us the information we need to model those 3D representations correctly.

AEC: Digital twins is a very hot topic and one that we’ve covered extensively in AEC Magazine over the last 12 months. Fibre networks seem an ideal candidate to benefit for this emerging technology. Can 3-GIS harness real time network performance data and, if so, what benefits does it bring?

TS: If we can, through the use of our APIs, we could take the input of the data and associate it to the physical path that that data is flowing on. So if I were to get bit rates or information about a port, I could show how that port is serving the network and from that I would also be able to tell the end point of the network that might be seeing some reduction in bandwidth because maybe some errors being thrown off, something of that nature. So a digital twin network is a digital representation of a physical component.

What it allows me to do is to model the network on my digital, so I can make the right decisions on how I am going to use it on my physical. Or as the physical gives me information, I can model it, simulate it on the digital plan so I can see what is going on. I think we are very well suited for that because we literally build a digital twin of the physical network.

I have it in my computer system when you are doing things like planning extensions for example, or I am trying to estimate what my loss is going to be over a distance, or I am trying to get a certain bandwidth to a customer. What is the best way to do that and what is going to be needed?

Short answer, yes, we are suited very well. Can we take feedback from the physical network as it is modelled? Yes.

AEC: Digital twins can benefit greatly from the amalgamation and free flow of data from many different systems. How portable is data from 3-GIS and how could it work in the context of a smart city or a national digital twin - both technically and practically?

TS: We do differently. We have an object that models the light path that is being taken and it tells the bandwidth the usage of that light path. In a larger model when it is working with others, you can tell them not only who is being served down this path - what customers are using - but what type of bandwidth I have available, the consumption (what’s being used) of what is available at any given time. used to report the current state of the

I might make it much better when I am asset. Oftentimes, we see companies crelooking to get from point A to Z to share ating network designs using CAD-based this information with somebody so they tools which do not often allow for creatcan understand the path that needs to be ing the discrete attribution of the nettaken - or as I plan it out using automa- work asset down to the strand and light tion to plan the new path, being able to path level. share that with others and let them see Beyond this, we then see the as-built what is planned, so maybe they can build information brought back to the office their plans off of that also. That would be from construction in the form of redlines like if I were going to run a trunk line that are quite literally drawn on a paper between Atlanta and Charlotte, I’d run a map! To be successful in creating a digibig transmission cable that way and if I tal twin, the lifecycle of a cable should be could share that with others, they could collected in a single system capable of start doing an analysis of what they need understanding the inherent attributes of to pull off that. They would have every- that cable. In other words, the cable thing they need business-wise to take that should be documented through its plan, information forward. design and build phases so Again, to get to revenue that as the cable matures in quicker. I don’t have to wait terms of detail and location until it’s done to start figur- it can then be managed ing this out. I could simu- within the digital twin. late the whole thing. Gone are the days of simAEC: With a city twin, drawing in a drawer for ensuring everyone knows future reference. Carriers where the cables are in the are looking for comprehenground is fundamental. sive solutions capable of What technologies can be used to accurately map their positions vs the old ‘‘ Big 5G markets modelling the lifecycle of its network assets so they can leverage the significant unsuccessful ways? are going after investments they are makMM: Unfortunately I am not sure there is a magic offices and multi-dwelling ing in their network build outs. By doing so they can take advantage of the digibullet to this question. units. So based tal twin to inform mainteDigital cities will require a on that, I need nance, information sharcomprehensive approach across all utility disciplines to better understand to understand the layout, the ing, reporting and more importantly new customer turnup. the location of assets and overall format their impact to one another of the building, TS: From our standpoint in terms of geospatial coincidence, but that is probably a question for another the footprint so I can plan my we give people the tools to accurately record the information. day. If we were to focus pri- network We can help them record marily on telecommunications assets, it is important to not only understand appropriately Tommy Siniard the existing network, we can get satellite data to help very accurate information, where the cable is in the ground but to also know the elements that constitute the cable we can record connectivity and the splices, where the cable is located in the building, take data ’’ itself in terms of strands, type, place- from mobile devices with cameras to take ment, etc. What I mean by this is, if we photographs to share more information were to model and simulate where and and show what’s available as far as spachow the light is traversing this particu- ing goes. lar cable, the inherent attributes of the ■ 3-gis.com cable are critical.

More importantly, understanding the Tommy Siniard oversees the strategy and develinherent assets of the individual strands opment of 3-GIS’s telecom software solutions. in the cable and how they are connected ply putting the as-built is the only means by which one can accu- Michael Measels is VP of product managerately model the digital twin. This ment. He specialises in driving vision and requires rethinking the technologies roadmap for 3-GIS.