Dave’s Thoughts: From Last Mile to the Last Foot – The Broadband Connectivity Challenge has Evolved
For any infrastructure project, be it extending the electrical grid, laying or expanding the road system or even expanding emergency services, it always starts at the core. The first power line comes from a power generation facility, at the center of a populace. The first roads are always near city hall. It’s no different when it comes to communications infrastructure. When connectivity relied on POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), it began at a central office located in the middle of town. As these connections have evolved to be high speed data pipes it is the same.
The best availability is at the center.
It has always been a challenge to extend these services outward as population density decreases. The reasons are easy to understand – density means more people served for the $ spent. Yet in pursuit of a fair and equitable society, we continue pushing infrastructure outward, even into rural areas. However, the challenge arises when the cost per building connected becomes expensive. It used to be that delivering services such as high-speed Internet was the “last mile.” A reference to the challenge of paying for and connecting the lower density areas.
Today, as satellite and broadband wireless providers reduce the cost of connecting each household or building, the challenge has shifted—not to the last mile, but to the last foot. Almost always the satellite provider or BWA service provider drops the antenna or connection on the roof or side of the building. So, we have evolved to getting it that far, great. Now the challenge is the last foot – getting inside the building.
Today this is done 100% through risers or drilling. But drilling through roofs and walls can delay projects and introduce risk, as it requires breaching a watertight barrier—demanding extra caution and effort. Even in the case of laying fiber to a house, office building, strip mall or factory – you must get the fiber inside.
Again, until today, that means drill baby, drill.
There have been several attempts at clever devices to solve this last foot problem. Solutions like magnetic window couplers or placing the modem indoors with an external antenna have been tried, but none have fully solved the core issue.
Fortunately, today there are solutions available that can provide this last foot connection wirelessly at speeds of multiple gigabits per second.
With this approach no water membrane is broached, and bringing the high-speed connectivity inside can be done in an hour.
As we extend the web of connectivity to everyone, solving the last mile and now the last foot means everyone has access. Not just those at the center.