dark fiber
Dormant optical infrastructure
Dark fiber is optical fiber cable that has been installed but isn't currently carrying data—it's "dark" because no light pulses are traveling through it.
Telecommunications companies often lay more cable than immediately needed, leaving some fibers unused.
Organizations can lease dark fiber to build private networks with complete control over bandwidth and equipment: The university acquired dark fiber to connect its research facilities.
- telecomRemote signal transmission field
- network operatorEntity running communication infrastructure
- broadbandFast internet access
- excess capacityUnused productive capability
- network infrastructureSystems enabling digital communication
last mile · long haul · infrastructure investment · multiplexing · splitter · backhaul · splicing · undersea cables · data transmission · attenuation · photonics · Ethernet · network latency · conduit · rights of way · transceiver · right-of-way · junction box