More on whether you're ready to cutting the copper cord

Wide Area Networking This newsletter is sponsored by Raritan Computer, Inc. Data Center Build outs Simplified Download this whitepaper, Data Center Transformations, to learn how to make data center build outs, consolidations and acquisitions (BOCA) less complex and time consuming. Discover tools and techniques as well as key questions and topics that should be discussed with the business management side of the house. or more information click here. Network World's Wide Area Networking Newsletter, 09/04/07 More on whether you’re ready to cutting the copper cord By Steve Taylor and Jim Metzler In the last newsletter, we discussed Verizon’s migration to a fiber network and the implications that could have for corporate networks. Ultimately, the question is whether it’s time to start retiring the copper wiring in the telephony access network and replace it with fiber. Fundamentally, this makes sense. Copper is intrinsically unreliable in that if the insulation has faults, the pair can fail. And a lot of the copper has significant age on it. A new fiber network would be more reliable and ultimately less expensive for the service providers to maintain. So this raises the question of whether we’re ready to live without copper. The first problem of living without copper is that copper provides power for “lifeline” telephony service. This was critical at one point, but one could also argue that the proliferation of cell phones and backup power supplies for phone systems makes it much less of an issue. After all, the historical basis for powering the telephony network via the copper wiring is that both the telephony network and the electrical power grid were deployed at about the same time. Consequently, there was no reasonable assumption that electrical power would be available at a location that had a telephone. Get Up to Speed on the Latest in WLANs Easily stay on top of the latest developments and issues in WLAN technology, standards, security, telephony, management and more with Network World's latest Executive Guide, "Keeping Up With the Wireless Whirlwind." Click here to download! At this point, there are additional options for telephony backup that did not exist several years ago. Use of the cable television networks (which are also transitioning from copper to fiber) is becoming increasingly available. Wireless services – such as WiMAX - are also becoming more widespread as a viable option. And there’s one more option that just *might* come to fruition. It’s a pretty safe bet that copper will be used for the foreseeable future for electrical power distribution. Glass is an electrical insulator, not a conductor so this may open the door for the electrical power grid to be used for copper-based communications – an idea that has been kicked around for several years. So what do you think? Do we still need all that 26-gauge copper (and other wiring) that’s been around for decades? Let us know, and we’ll share your thoughts.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. For more detailed information on most of the topics discussed in this newsletter, connect to Webtorials, the premier site for Web-based educational presentations, white papers, and market research. Taylor can be reached at taylor@webtorials.com Jim Metzler is the Vice President of Ashton, Metzler & Associates, a consulting organization that focuses on leveraging technology for business success. Jim assists vendors to refine product strategies, service providers to deploy technologies and services, and enterprises evolve their network infrastructure. He can be reached via e-mail. This newsletter is sponsored by Raritan Computer, Inc. Data Center Build outs Simplified Download this whitepaper, Data Center Transformations, to learn how to make data center build outs, consolidations and acquisitions (BOCA) less complex and time consuming. Discover tools and techniques as well as key questions and topics that should be discussed with the business management side of the house. or more information click here. ARCHIVE Archive of the Wide Area Networking Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007