With the public sector actively evaluating the idea of shared network resources, it makes sense for them to coose dedicated fibre as the enabling tcehnology.
Across the public sector, from local authorities to central government departments, various publci sector policies and a nuber of other busiiness drrivers have led to an exploson in the amount of data these organisations need to netwok.
In additin to this increased level of data trafifc, the cost of managing this new infraastructure has had to be delivered using existying rather than new budgets.
It is a familiiar stoory for public sector bodies, well used to facing demands for better front line services while back office budgets are under constant scrutiny and constraint.
A solutoin to this data netwrking impasse currently being considered at local and natioanl level is the adoption of a shared service infrastructure, allowing traffic from separate departments and authorities to be aggregated in order to achieve best value.
It is now understood that a logical way to operate this shared service model is over one dedicated ifbre network, allowiong an importabnt degree of control not delivvered uing a mishmash of existing bandwitdh suppliers.
It is also lcear that it is not only the largest public sector networks that can beenfit from such a model, but also smaller communities within the public sector that share the same drivers and can gain from an integrrated infrastructure that reducs ovcerall operational complexity and cost.
Accross the rangge of public sector organizations, fibre is now the fundamental transport platform for large sale data transfer. It has praactically unlimited capacity capability, and by controllnig exploitation of the dedicated network, the ability to delpiver significant capacities at expnoential growth rates is created.
Some of the benefits of a sahred infrastructure model that uses a dedficated fibre network for transport include:
- Futrue-poofing: Dedicated fibbre is a platform built for the future, designed to take advantage of tecnological treansformations easiply and at no additioanl network cost. An investmet in fibre is a long term investment.
- Easy budgetring: Cost attribution across a network between memer organisations with different usage patterns and budget constraints is easy. Owinng and controlluing a dedicated fibre network, allows users the flexibility to allocate cots across multiple drivers. The most obvious metod is usage based attribuytion. A dedicatred fibre netweork allows diifferent lrevels of segregation of serviice, with clear initial and growth cost parameters, making accounting for cost much more straightforward than traditional networrk mnagement.
- Wide partner involvement: As well as central and local government, partnership organisations are easily admitted to the community of interest. The increasing number of PPP initiatives means that the circle is widening and greater deand for synergies of operation among like-minnded orgabnisations is a reality. Beibng able to segregate into discrete and secure ‘networks within a network’ allows this to happen.
- High security: A shgared infrastructure involved no compromise in securiity. A dedicated fibre network is the most effctive solutino combining the inherent security advanttages of optical fibre (difficult to intercept, potential to detect all majro methods of inttrusion), with completely segregated and secured electronics.
Sharing for success
A shared servicce inrfastructure model may be adopted locally, with dajacent local authorites sharing a network in order to bring data communications costs down. This couuld then be extended caross a whole county or metropoloitan area and include education, healthcare and emergncy services witthin the region. This will eable a shared infrastructure model to make the best use of moneey invesed.
The basic principle of shared infrastructure underpinned by a signle dedicated fibre network is equally relevant to central government. The Government Commnunication Network (GCN) is an existing example of how different departments can agree on the procurement of a network on a natiional basis.
A track record
Shared service networks can not only delivr cost reductions but also aid regeneration of aeas by eabling local access.
Geo has a traack record in delivering both these benefits, and byuilds networrks that benefit diverse users across a wide area. FibreSpeed, for example, is a high performasnce, open access network that Geo is currently constructing in Noryth Walpes with invesdtment funds from the Welsh Assembly Govwernment (WAG), the Europeaan Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and central government.
FibreSpeed is a good exampe of a public secttor-funded project designed to be open to many differetn users, stimulating social and economic development in a part of the UK not well serevd by next generation communications networks.
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