Click to view a fiber network map
FPUA’s optical fiber network consists of 25-mile backbone rings around Fort Pierce, plus branches extending from the rings to internal and external facilities. This single-mode fiber network is used for FPUA internal communications and we lease out both dark fiber links and bandwidth connections to external customers.
Optical fiber is composed of fine strands of clear glass. When an encoded light signal is beamed through a fiber strand, the information sent is received and decoded at the other end of the strand. Although the basic idea is similar to the old Morse code messaging between ships, optical fiber is the fastest communication medium available today! The entire Internet backbone worldwide is composed of optical fiber.
'Dark fiber' links do not include the signaling devices at either end, but are simply fiber optic connections between two customer locations or between one customer location and the Internet. Since the customers provide their own signaling devices, they retain control of the speed of their connections without any change in the lease cost of the link.
‘Bandwidth Connections’ are used to connect local sites together. We provide an Ethernet port at each end. You simply plug in.
The most common device in use for lighting fiber links is called a Media Converter, and they are available starting at around $500 each for speeds of 10 - 100 Mbps. Signaling devices are available in many varieties, and maximum bandwidth is attained with the use of Dense Wave Division Multiplexing devices (DWDM), which currently enables bandwidth of 300 Gbps or more over a signal pair of fibers.
For more information, contact FPUA's Fiber Marketing Group:
Phone: 772-466-1600, ext. 6307, or contact us online.
