More and more organisations in APAC are choosing dark fibre to meet increasingly demanding network requirements. But what exactly is dark fibre? And why are businesses in APAC choosing dark fibre over traditional lit fibre? Here are the top reasons in APAC that Xenith IG is hearing about thus far.
Network requirements are growing as digitalisation accelerates in Asia Pacific (APAC). But the increasing demand isn’t just about bandwidth. As organisations realise the consequences associated with network outages, cyber breaches, and more, business leaders are recognising the significance of network reliability, performance, security, control, scalability, and cost-efficiency to the bottom line.
But what exactly compels organisations to choose dark fibre over traditional lit fibre network infrastructure solutions?
What is Dark Fibre?
To understand this, let’s first delve into what dark fibre is. Dark fibre refers to fibre optic cables that are unused (or “unlit”) and are waiting to be leased to organisations that need a network solution. This contrasts with lit fibre which describes fibre optic cables currently in use, i.e., “lit” by a service provider to transmit data.
Unlike lit fibre network infrastructure which is typically shared across clients, dark fibre is exclusively yours when you lease it. It comes to you in a clean slate, where you get full control to design and manage your network so that it works best for your business.
Why Customers Choose Dark Fibre
Why do customers choose dark fibre? Here are the top 5 reasons we hear about in APAC thus far.
1. Mission Critical Networks
Organisations in industries where network services are mission critical are among the top candidates that look to dark fibre network infrastructure. That includes communication service providers such as telcos and hyperscalers, IT service providers, as well as banking and financial services institutions, among others. These sectors’ core business necessitates the availability and reliability of their networks. Network outages often lead to stiff financial penalties from regulators, reputational damage, lost productivity, and missed business opportunities.
Why DF: Dark fibre networks are private and provides practically limitless bandwidth. This makes it the ideal option for businesses with mission critical networks as networks based on dark fibre provides the highest performance and lowest latency. And are incredibly reliable and resilient. As private networks, you have the control to choose the shortest pathways for lower latency, or bespoke paths for network performance that meet your mission critical business needs.
2. Highly Sensitive Data
Businesses with highly sensitive data such as those in financial services, healthcare, public sector, and more are realising that dark fibre network solutions are their best bet. These organisations need to transmit sensitive data over a secure network regularly. They cannot afford cybersecurity breaches as exfiltration of their data and digital assets will lead to devastating consequences – including financial losses, reputational damage, market cap erosion, credit-rating downgrades, loss of customer trust, and downstream cybercrime as sensitive data gets sold on the dark web for further exploitation.
Why DF: Dark fibre offers the most secure network possible today. When organisations choose dark fibre, you lease it for your private and exclusive use. This means that your network is not shared with any external entities. Also, you will be the only one that has visibility into and control of your data. As dark fibre networks are private, you can also implement unique data security protocols tailored to your business. With dedicated point-to-point fibre infrastructure over a distinct physical path, dark fibre offers the most secure network infrastructure option available right now.
Unlike lit fibre network infrastructure which is typically shared across clients, dark fibre is exclusively yours when you lease it
3. Innovation
Companies that are innovating and adopting new technologies such as cloud, automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and 5G to drive continuous digital transformation are also looking at dark fibre to meet their network needs. To reap the full potential of these technologies that these businesses have already invested in, they need high-performing, low-latency networks capable of supporting massive amounts of data transference. In addition, when innovation results in business growth, these organisations to need to scale their bandwidth needs accordingly.
Why DF: Dark fibre powers seamless data transmission and offers ready scalability. With dark-fibre-based networks, its ultralow latency enables data transfers effortlessly from edge-to-cloud, edge-to-core, and edge-to-edge. Once a company has dark fibre, its near limitless capacity also means you can scale bandwidth needs as required, with simple equipment upgrades – thereby future proofing your network.
4. Growth and Profitability
Businesses that want to focus on growth and profitability with a reliable network rather than be distracted by network issues are among those choosing dark fibre. For these companies, it is a deliberate choice despite the initial higher costs as robust network connectivity is not only key, but a competitive advantage in today’s digital era. Business leaders see dark fibre as a strategic investment that empowers key business goals. Simply put, these business leaders prioritise achieving enhanced business models, sharper business processes, superior talent, and responsiveness to customer demands and market movements over firefighting day-to-day operational issues and future network scalability concerns when the business grows.
Why DF: Dark fibre networks offers the surest foundation for companies to pursue business success. With its high performance, near invulnerable security, full control, and easy scalability, business leaders are confident their networks are a strategic lever in their growth and profitability pursuits.
5. Customer Experience
Organisations in sectors where customer experience is critical to core business are also picking dark fibre. Examples include consumer industries and service businesses, which also involve B2B companies that offer subscription services like IT firms (software-as-a-service), or industrials (product-based subscriptions). To ensure their networks are capable of delivering outstanding end-user experiences that enhance customer loyalty and attract new users, these businesses have turned to dark fibre.
Why DF: Dark fibre empowers exceptional customer experiences. With network infrastructure that provides the highest bandwidth, lowest latency, maximum security, fullest control, and ready scalability, each customer touchpoint over your network does what it intends to do – whether resolving a customer issue or personalising the customer’s shopping experience with AI-based suggestions. Instead of causing frustration with lag or outages.