Added to the growing need for high capacity data transfer, we are faced with new economies of scale. Today’s customers are more educated and even more aware of ROI than ever before. The demand trend in telecommunications has been high bandwidth connectivity for lowest possible cost with bundled services, such as managed connectivity, monitoring, and proactive fault-discovery.
This trend has forced the service providers (carriers, utility companies, and dark fiber providers) into considering expansion of services offered to their customers. These service providers, who traditionally used to connect their customers with one fiber link for each service, are now looking into Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) solutions as more profitable and beneficial option. Since customers are seeking for end to end solutions and not just the dark fiber, a shift is being formed from providing just glass by dark fiber providers to providing end to end managed services. PacketLight WDM products and solutions provide the perfect platform in fulfilling this trend and providing simple to install and maintain WDM managed services and leveraging the dark fiber provider’s offerings.
Benefits to the Service Providers
By utilizing WDM technology, dark fiber providers can start leasing not only fiber lines but also single wavelengths, and by doing so, they can expand their service offerings to their customers. In addition, different pricing module based on service types and speed can be designed to increase revenues. Such expansion offers multiple advantages to the dark fiber providers:
o Maximum usage - Ability to maximize the use of their existing fiber and serve multiple customers over same infrastructure
o Scalable SLA agreements – service providers can now offer various levels of connectivity services starting from GbE to 10Gb connectivity, or from a single to multiple wavelengths, thus diversifying their pricing and product portfolio
o Added value of managed services – by just ability to monitor the fiber and the connectivity links, they are able to offer the customer managed services, thus further differentiating themselves from other providers and expanding the revenue base
o Proactive action – remote monitoring enables service providers to repair link cuts/damages before the customer even knows about it, thus providing a better
service
o Gain competitive advantage in the eyes of the customers by providing fully
managed solution thus opening additional markets
o Offer differentiated services from other providers
Benefits to the Customer
Benefits to the customers of WDM technology are equally multiple:
o One-Stop-Shop - Customer has a one place to shop for all their connectivity needs: the dark fiber link and the connectivity equipment
o Flat-rate Monthly pricing - Customers are offered guaranteed bandwidth with no sharing at a monthly flat-rate pricing structure which enables them to better budget and plan for the future expansion
o Managed Services - Customer is provided with managed services with SLAs with round the clock helpline support and fault restoration guaranteed
o Transparency of Technology - Customer is not required to train its technical team in specific WDM technology, but can have support and connectivity through the service provider
o Flexibility – Customer has a choice to pay for the exact number of wavelengths/services they are using at affordable prices, priced per wavelength and service rate | 
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