Aamer Abbasi most recently was VP of engineering at Hargray Fiber. He is also late of Byers Engineering, Ericsson and FiberTower.

IQ Fiber adds CTO

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Dark fiber networks market is set to reach $13.51 billion by 2028, growing with a double digit CAGR throughout the forecast period from 2020 to 2028. Primarily governed by North America, dark fiber networks market is highly driven by increasing usage of the existing unlit fibers of established optical networks. The market has been witnessing high growth since 2014, due to continued increase in internet traffic worldwide and popularizing concept of using dark fiber. With rapidly increasing internet users as well as traffic across the world, more number of internet providers are now looking for viable ways to suffice the ever-rising demand for network bandwidth. Amidst the high demand for network bandwidth, additional fiber optic cables, called as dark fiber, installed for future use have emerged among the most promising alternative for providing additional bandwidth required. . Various major companies including Facebook, Inc., Google, Inc. and Microsoft Corporation have already invested heavily in building their own network infrastructure. The move is made considering the huge volumes of data being transferred between their data centers. Currently, Facebook transfers substantial amount of its data using the existing 'dark fiber network'. Thus, dark fiber networks is set to witness immense growth in the following years. Multi-mode dark fiber networks to continue leading the market
Multi-mode dark fiber networks lead the overall market accounting for more than 2/3rd of the global market value. Currently, majority of the dark fibers leased out are underground fiber networks. These are metro fiber networks having higher density of multi-mode fibers. Due to increasing prevalence of optical fiber networks across the world, more dark fiber networks are estimated to be laid in the years to come. This would ensure strong growth for multi-mode dark fiber networks segment through the forecast period. North America leads the market; Asia Pacific to emerge as the fastest growing regional market
Currently, North America leads the market accounting for more than 40% of the overall market value worldwide. The market here is primarily backed by the U.S. due to early adoption of this concept by the nation. Due to increasing emphasis of tech giants (such as Microsoft Corporation) towards building their own networks, the demand for dark fiber is estimated to remain strong in the region. Apart from investing in network establishment, these companies are also inclined towards using dark fiber networks on lease. Since 2016, Google Fiber has been actively looking to purchase dark fiber and use them to provide internet service. Apart from business organizations and internet providers, educational institutes too form an important end-user of dark fiber in North America. Asia Pacific is set to be the fastest growing market for dark fiber networks in the following years. Japan, China, South Korea and Australia are among the countries having high penetration of fiber optic networks. Subsequently, the countries hold huge potential for offering dark fiber for internet service. According to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the country laid over 2.6 Mn kilometers of optical fiber in 2015. MIIT expected over 80% of broadband users in China will be based on optical fiber network by the end of 2017. Similarly, in 2017, Reliance Jio Infocomm, one of the fastest growing 4G network in India, announced to lease dark fiber from Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. With increasing number of internet users, the trend is expected to continue in nation over the forecast period. Merger & acquisitions to remain the key strategy
The overall dark fiber networks market is quite fragmented in nature due to presence of numerous network service providers worldwide. The market consists large number of regional companies serving limited countries, as type of offerings may vary by country. In contrast to telecom service providers, regional/local companies provide majority of the internet service, thereby limiting the scope of global players. One of the most common strategies adopted by the global players is mergers and acquisition of other small-scale network providers or their fiber optic networks. This enables the companies to expand their fiber network, thereby reaching to more number of subscribers. Popular instances include acquisition of Level 3 Communications, Inc. by CenturyLink, Inc., acquisition of FiberTower Corporation by AT&T, Inc. and acquisition of XO Communications, Inc.'s dark fiber optic network by Verizon Communications, Inc. Since size of the network plays crucial role, mergers and acquisitions are expected to remain a key strategy for the market players. Some of the major players profiled in the report include AT&T, Inc., Verizon Communications, Inc., Zayo Group, Level 3 Communications, Inc. (CenturyLink, Inc.), Comcast Corporation, Interoute Communications Ltd., FairPoint Communications, Inc., Colt Group SA, NTT Communications and Windstream Services, LLC. Key questions answered in this report
What was the market size of dark fiber networks in 2019 and forecast up to 2028? Which is largest regional market for dark fiber networks? What are the key market trends observed in the dark fiber networks market and outlook for dark fiber? Which is the most promising network type and end-user in dark fiber networks market? Who are the key players leading the market? What are the key strategies adopted by the leading players in market? What are the key internet usage trends across different geographies and sub-geographies? Key Topics Covered:

Worldwide Dark Fiber Networks Industry to 2028 - Key Drivers and Restraints

| Source: Research and Markets
Dark fiber networks market is set to reach $13.51 billion by 2028, growing with a double digit CAGR throughout the forecast period from 2020 to 2028. Primarily governed by North America, dark fiber networks market is highly driven by increasing usage of the existing unlit fibers of established optical networks. The market has been witnessing high growth since 2014, due to continued increase in internet traffic worldwide and popularizing concept of using dark fiber. With rapidly increasing internet users as well as traffic across the world, more number of internet providers are now looking for viable ways to suffice the ever-rising demand for network bandwidth. Amidst the high demand for network bandwidth, additional fiber optic cables, called as dark fiber, installed for future use have emerged among the most promising alternative for providing additional bandwidth required. . Various major companies including Facebook, Inc., Google, Inc. and Microsoft Corporation have already invested heavily in building their own network infrastructure. The move is made considering the huge volumes of data being transferred between their data centers. Currently, Facebook transfers substantial amount of its data using the existing 'dark fiber network'. Thus, dark fiber networks is set to witness immense growth in the following years. Multi-mode dark fiber networks to continue leading the market
Multi-mode dark fiber networks lead the overall market accounting for more than 2/3rd of the global market value. Currently, majority of the dark fibers leased out are underground fiber networks. These are metro fiber networks having higher density of multi-mode fibers. Due to increasing prevalence of optical fiber networks across the world, more dark fiber networks are estimated to be laid in the years to come. This would ensure strong growth for multi-mode dark fiber networks segment through the forecast period. North America leads the market; Asia Pacific to emerge as the fastest growing regional market
Currently, North America leads the market accounting for more than 40% of the overall market value worldwide. The market here is primarily backed by the U.S. due to early adoption of this concept by the nation. Due to increasing emphasis of tech giants (such as Microsoft Corporation) towards building their own networks, the demand for dark fiber is estimated to remain strong in the region. Apart from investing in network establishment, these companies are also inclined towards using dark fiber networks on lease. Since 2016, Google Fiber has been actively looking to purchase dark fiber and use them to provide internet service. Apart from business organizations and internet providers, educational institutes too form an important end-user of dark fiber in North America. Asia Pacific is set to be the fastest growing market for dark fiber networks in the following years. Japan, China, South Korea and Australia are among the countries having high penetration of fiber optic networks. Subsequently, the countries hold huge potential for offering dark fiber for internet service. According to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the country laid over 2.6 Mn kilometers of optical fiber in 2015. MIIT expected over 80% of broadband users in China will be based on optical fiber network by the end of 2017. Similarly, in 2017, Reliance Jio Infocomm, one of the fastest growing 4G network in India, announced to lease dark fiber from Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. With increasing number of internet users, the trend is expected to continue in nation over the forecast period. Merger & acquisitions to remain the key strategy
The overall dark fiber networks market is quite fragmented in nature due to presence of numerous network service providers worldwide. The market consists large number of regional companies serving limited countries, as type of offerings may vary by country. In contrast to telecom service providers, regional/local companies provide majority of the internet service, thereby limiting the scope of global players. One of the most common strategies adopted by the global players is mergers and acquisition of other small-scale network providers or their fiber optic networks. This enables the companies to expand their fiber network, thereby reaching to more number of subscribers. Popular instances include acquisition of Level 3 Communications, Inc. by CenturyLink, Inc., acquisition of FiberTower Corporation by AT&T, Inc. and acquisition of XO Communications, Inc.'s dark fiber optic network by Verizon Communications, Inc. Since size of the network plays crucial role, mergers and acquisitions are expected to remain a key strategy for the market players. Some of the major players profiled in the report include AT&T, Inc., Verizon Communications, Inc., Zayo Group, Level 3 Communications, Inc. (CenturyLink, Inc.), Comcast Corporation, Interoute Communications Ltd., FairPoint Communications, Inc., Colt Group SA, NTT Communications and Windstream Services, LLC. Key questions answered in this report
What was the market size of dark fiber networks in 2019 and forecast up to 2028? Which is largest regional market for dark fiber networks? What are the key market trends observed in the dark fiber networks market and outlook for dark fiber? Which is the most promising network type and end-user in dark fiber networks market? Who are the key players leading the market? What are the key strategies adopted by the leading players in market? What are the key internet usage trends across different geographies and sub-geographies? Key Topics Covered:

Insights on the Dark Fiber Networks Global Market to 2028 - by Fiber Type, Network Type, End-user and Geography

Image Credit: REUTERS/Edgard Garrido
Prior to this year, 5G carrier AT&T had already placed a large bet on the 39GHz millimeter wave radio band, acquiring FiberTower’s sizable 379MHz blocks of spectrum. Today, AT&T confirmed that it has more than doubled its national 39GHz spectrum holdings to 786MHz on average, a development that should enable the carrier to offer at least 3Gbps download speeds across the country — assuming it has the wherewithal to actually build towers to support the short-distance mmWave holdings. The considerably faster transfer speeds promised by 5G networks depend on empty spectrum — radio frequencies that aren’t already being used for other purposes. To hasten U.S. 5G development, the FCC has been auctioning blocks of millimeter wave spectrum , and AT&T swapped its FiberTower holdings for auction vouchers, enabling it to target contiguous spectrum blocks across the country. After bidding $2.4 billion, half from vouchers, AT&T won the 786MHz of nationwide 39GHz spectrum, bringing its national mmWave average to 1,040MHz including separate 24GHz holdings. Last April, AT&T said that its Netgear Nighthawk 5G hotspot  hit a 2Gbps peak on its enterprise-focused 5G mmWave network,  surpassing the carrier’s initial promises of 1Gbps peaks. But AT&T’s consumer 5G network has been disappointingly slower, offering 4G-like speeds  using low band spectrum . Like rival T-Mobile, AT&T has focused its consumer 5G launch on covering large swaths of land rather than ultimate performance. Doubling down on 39GHz means that AT&T will have 800MHz bandwidth in some markets, enough for eight 100MHz channels. The carrier has previously said that it can deliver up to 400Mbps of download speed per 100MHz channel, reaching 1.5Gbps across four channels, suggesting that 3Gbps should be easily attainable through all eight channels. Moreover, if a 5G device can simultaneously access AT&T’s 39GHz and 24GHz spectrum, or the 39GHz spectrum plus low or mid band channels, the speeds could be even higher. While AT&T now has the spectrum to support a national 39GHz 5G network, its ability to build out the supporting tower hardware remains a question mark. Like other millimeter wave frequencies, a 39GHz signal’s ability to travel is measured in feet rather than miles, requiring significant “small cell” radio hardware deployments to provide service. As such, AT&T has signaled that it will initially use mmWave to provide peak speed “5G+” in dense urban environments, with no specific timeline for wider rollouts elsewhere. By comparison, rival Verizon has focused almost exclusively on millimeter wave for its initial 5G rollout, and has hit peaks in the 2Gbps range. Most of its real world service has peaked at under 1.5Gbps, however, and the carrier has typically promised ideal performance of 1Gbps with more common speeds in the 600Mbps range. Today’s announcement notes that AT&T’s 5G+ network is now available in parts of 35 cities, and is initially being densified to provide mobile service at “arenas, campuses and more,” with fixed (home broadband) service potentially to follow. AT&T currently sells only a handful of phones with 5G+ support, including the Samsung Galaxy S20+ and S20 Ultra 5G , but is expected to broaden its selection later this year. VB Transform
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AT&T’s 39GHz spectrum win sets stage for national 3Gbps 5G service

Jan 3, 2019 7:44am
The C-Band Alliance says the FCC has previously approved private secondary market mechanisms to direct spectrum to its highest and best use as fast as possible and without the risk of litigation. (Pixabay)
In defending its plan to make more midband spectrum available for 5G, the C-Band Alliance is pointing to some deals that have benefited the wireless industry—as well as Comcast and Charter Communications—as part of FCC-approved secondary market transactions. In a Jan. 2 ex parte filing (PDF), the C-Band Alliance notes the criticisms by Comcast, Charter and others alleging or suggesting the CBA’s plan is improper or a departure from commission precedent. The CBA has offered to make 200 megahertz, plus a 20 MHz guard band, available for 5G through secondary market transactions largely organized by the satellite companies that are members of CBA. They have insisted, however, that the FCC has the final say and oversight. FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER
Like this story? Subscribe to FierceWireless! The Wireless industry is an ever-changing world where big ideas come along daily. Our subscribers rely on FierceWireless as their must-read source for the latest news, analysis and data on this increasingly competitive marketplace. Sign up today to get wireless news and updates delivered to your inbox and read on the go. The CBA was formed last fall by the four satellite entities—Intelsat, SES, Eutelsat and Telesat—most affected by changes in the band. The C-Band is occupied by the satellite companies whose customers use it to distribute broadcast radio and TV programming to more than 100 million U.S. households and radio listeners. They argue that their plan is the fastest way to make the spectrum available for terrestrial mobile services, although the terrestrial mobile community generally agrees 200 MHz is not enough of the 500 MHz band and they'd like to see more. Both Comcast and Charter (PDF) are urging the commission to conduct its own auctions to promote the best use of the 3.7-4.2 GHz spectrum. Comcast in particular warned (PDF) that permitting private entities to fundamentally transform a band and transfer new rights to others with only minimal commission oversight and without Congress’ authorization would be “extraordinary.”
But CBA scoured the record for examples where the commission has granted flexible rights to licensees, and in its latest filing, it cites the 2018 decision by the commission to grant Verizon’s application to acquire 28, 29, 31 and 39 GHz licenses from Straight Path. Likewise in 2017, the FCC granted Verizon’s application to acquire 28 and 39 GHz licenses from XO Holdings upon recognizing the public benefit of expediting access to 5G. Also in 2018, AT&T acquired 24 and 39 GHz licenses from FiberTower, which also had to be approved by the commission. In addition, the CBA notes the 2012 FCC approval of the private sale of AWS spectrum from a consortium of cable companies called Spectrum Co—an entity 63% owned by Comcast—to Verizon. “In approving this multi-billion transaction, the Commission found no violation of anti-trafficking rules and once again emphasized that these deals would ‘result in an expeditious transfer of valuable spectrum into the hands of multiple national service providers that will put it to use in providing the latest generation mobile broadband services,’” the CBA wrote.

C-Band Alliance cites Straight Path, FiberTower deals as examples of precedent for spectrum management

BTI delivers solutions that transform the economics, performance and innovation of global networks through intelligent networking software and systems. Leading content, cloud and service providers choose BTI to drive improved operational efficiencies and profitably deliver high-value services to businesses and consumers around the globe. With more than 380 customers, BTI is headquartered in North America, and operates regional sales, marketing, and R&D centers of excellence throughout the world.

BTI Systems

FiberTower Corporation , a leading alternative provider of wireless backhaul for wireless carriers , selected BTI Systems s platform to provide the capacity to deliver high capacity backhaul over the FiberTower Corporation hybrid microwave/fiber network .

FiberTower Selects BTI Systems to expand its backhaul capacity for next generation wireless services

FiberTower Corporation

Clarus

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FiberTower Corporation is a provider of spectrum and fixed wireless services, with millimeter wave spectrum in the 24 GHz and 39 GHz bands.

Name	Work History	Title	Status
Scott J. Brady	Clarus	Founder	Current
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Name	Thomas Scott
Firm
Work History	CFO, FiberTower Corp.; CFO, irst Avenue Networks; Executive, Winstar Communications
Other Seats	FiberTower Corporation

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