By: John Shepler
Not long ago, the idea of businesses and government agencies needing 100 Gbps WAN bandwidth seemed outlandish. Providers primarily used 10 Gbps networks, occasionally upgrading to 40 Gbps to accommodate high traffic from multiple customers. Today, those same customers seek 40 Gbps and even 100 Gbps connectivity options from their providers.
The driving force behind this surge in bandwidth demand is “Big Data.” Big Data presents significant potential for enhancing business operations and data analysis, but it demands substantial processing power, storage capacity, and bandwidth. Cloud computing providers and data centers have focused on expanding storage and processing capabilities, making high bandwidth the crucial final element for a comprehensive solution.
This bandwidth demand has various destinations. Some connections link multiple business locations, while others connect to remote data centers for disaster recovery and backup. Bandwidth is also essential for communication with customers and suppliers. Content providers require large amounts of bandwidth to deliver their content to local service providers or directly to consumers. The latest development is the surge in cloud computing, which necessitates massive bandwidth increases for optimal utilization.
Cloud computing’s bandwidth requirements stem from the shift of traffic from LAN to WAN. Traditionally, enterprise data centers were located near users to control network connections, minimizing costs and enhancing security.
Cloud computing alters this dynamic by transferring processing and storage to remote data centers. While local networks remain essential, significant data processing occurs off-site in facilities equipped to handle large volumes of data. The challenge lies in efficiently transferring data to and from the cloud.
Insufficient WAN bandwidth creates a bottleneck where the cloud operates at full capacity, but data transfer slows down. Imagine a pipe: a narrow pipe restricts water flow, similar to how limited bandwidth restricts data flow. This results in unresponsive systems, unpredictable interactions, and significant delays, ultimately hindering productivity.
While fast communication between individuals and the cloud is crucial for employee productivity, machine-to-machine communication is even more critical. Machines generate data at rates unmatched by humans, making it vital that communication channels don’t impede their operation.
tw telecom is among the latest carriers to introduce 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps business Ethernet services across its 75 metro markets, complementing existing 2.5 and 10 Gbps options. Traditional fiber optics offer up to 10 Gbps on a single strand or wavelength. DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) allows multiple wavelengths to share a strand, increasing capacity to 40 or 100 Gbps with a single user connection.
Currently, only the largest corporations, financial institutions, research labs, and government agencies require 100 Gbps bandwidth. However, considering that DS3 (45 Mbps) and OC-3 (155 Mbps) were once considered high bandwidth, it’s plausible that 100 Gbps could become standard in the future.
While your organization might not need 100 Gbps bandwidth, fiber options from 10 Mbps to 1 Gbps are readily available and more affordable than you might think. Explore the fiber optic bandwidth options suitable for your business locations.
