#WISP Infrastructure

[isprevolution]

Counting the Costs: Typical Expenses Required to Build a WISP

Introduction

Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) have been making waves in the world of telecommunications, offering high-speed internet access to underserved areas and niche markets. Building a WISP is an exciting venture that can be both financially rewarding and provide a valuable service to communities in need. However, like any business, starting a WISP comes with its fair share of expenses. In this blog post, we’ll break down the typical expenses required to build a WISP and help you understand the financial commitment involved.

1. Infrastructure Costs

Towers: Towers are the backbone of your WISP’s network. You may need to build or lease them, and this can be one of the most substantial expenses. The cost depends on the type of tower, location, and height. Building a new tower can cost anywhere from tens of thousands to millions of dollars. Leasing an existing tower can be more cost-effective but still requires ongoing lease payments.

Antennas and Radios: Antennas and radios are necessary for transmitting and receiving signals. The costs can vary significantly based on the technology you choose and the number of subscribers you plan to serve.

Satellite Dishes and Backhaul Equipment: If your WISP relies on satellite connections or point-to-point microwave links for backhaul, these equipment costs should be factored in. Satellite dishes and microwave radios can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands.

2. Licensed and Unlicensed Spectrum Fees

Licensed Spectrum: If you plan to operate in licensed frequency bands, you’ll need to pay licensing fees to the appropriate regulatory authority. These fees vary widely and can be annual or one-time payments. They are essential for securing the spectrum you need for your service.

Unlicensed Spectrum: Utilizing unlicensed spectrum, such as the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands, may not require licensing fees. However, you’ll need to be aware of spectrum congestion, interference, and compliance with regulations governing the use of unlicensed frequencies.

3. Network Equipment

Routers and Switches: Your WISP network will require routers and switches to manage data traffic efficiently. The costs depend on the size and complexity of your network.

Access Points: Access points are essential for providing wireless connectivity to customers. These come in various forms, from outdoor to indoor models, with differing costs.

4. Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)

Subscriber Modules: These devices are installed at the customer’s premises to receive and transmit signals. Costs can vary based on the technology and features you offer. For instance, Point-to-MultiPoint (PMP) CPEs tend to be more affordable compared to Point-to-Point (PTP) equipment.

Modems and Routers: You may provide or recommend specific modems and routers for your subscribers. These costs can be either included in your service fees or billed separately to your customers.

5. Licensing and Regulatory Fees

Permits and Licenses: To operate legally, you may need to obtain various permits and licenses, including zoning permits, tower permits, and local business licenses. The cost of these permits can vary based on your location and regulatory requirements.

Regulatory Compliance: Complying with local, state, and federal regulations can be an ongoing expense. It may involve filing reports, paying regulatory fees, and ensuring that your WISP operations meet all legal requirements.

6. Marketing and Advertising

Website Development: Building a professional website is essential for attracting customers. Costs can vary depending on the complexity and functionality of your site.

Social Media Campaigns: Running social media advertising campaigns and maintaining an active online presence is crucial for marketing your WISP. Budget for both content creation and advertising expenses.

Printed Materials: Brochures, flyers, and other printed materials are useful for local marketing efforts. Printing costs should be considered.

7. Staffing

Technical Staff: Employing technical staff for network maintenance, troubleshooting, and system optimization is essential for providing a reliable service.

Customer Support: Customer support representatives are vital for addressing subscriber issues, billing inquiries, and ensuring customer satisfaction.

8. Maintenance and Upkeep

Routine Inspections: Regular tower inspections, equipment maintenance, and software updates are necessary to keep your network running smoothly.

Upgrades: As technology advances, you may need to invest in equipment upgrades to maintain the quality and speed of your service.

9. Customer Support

Support Staff: Budget for customer support representatives, training, and resources to ensure your subscribers receive the assistance they need when issues arise.

10. Insurance and Contingency

Insurance: Insurance coverage protects your WISP from unexpected events like equipment damage, natural disasters, or legal liabilities. The cost of insurance depends on the coverage you choose.

Contingency Fund: It’s wise to set aside funds for unforeseen contingencies, such as emergency repairs or unexpected regulatory changes. Having a financial safety net is essential for the long-term stability of your WISP.

Conclusion

Building and operating a WISP is a significant financial commitment. It involves a combination of upfront infrastructure costs, ongoing operational expenses, and regulatory fees. To ensure the success of your WISP, careful planning and budgeting are essential. While the initial investment may be substantial, the potential for a profitable business and the opportunity to provide valuable internet services to underserved areas make it a worthwhile endeavor. By accounting for these expenses, you can build a successful WISP and contribute to bridging the digital divide in your community. 

[the-witchs-cafe]

Gold-Tree

The Witch of Taxidermy. Her nature is severance. A kindhearted witch; she despises nothing but the needless suffering of others, whether they're those of humans or other witches. To free the visitors of her barrier from their deep-rooted pains, she would administer anesthesia into their systems as she lulls them with memories of sweeter times; making sure they at least go out with content smiles on their faces before placing them into eternal rest and reconstructing their remains as memoirs for her labyrinth.

She had already long resigned herself to the karma that awaits her at the end of this road; awaiting whatever punishment fate has in store for her, no matter how fittingly brutal. It is a vicious cycle, and regret over her actions follows her with every step she took- so, until her time comes, she shall keep the names of her victims forever etched onto her mind, as a way of honoring them during her waking moments.

--

Barrier appearance:

Not looking too dissimilar to her area of residence in the true ending, it is a fairy tale-esque forest lit by the moon. However, upon looking at the details of the area around you, you'll start to notice that it's all fabricated; a clear representation of Aya's worldview back when she was a child, complete with various small stuffed animals. From a distance, you are able to see that there is a fire ravaging the forest; though the "main" area appears to be safe from the disaster, small specks of flame - will o' the wisps - are floating in the air, looking a little too similar to fireflies.

Eventually, you manage to find a small cottage in the middle of the forest. Upon entrance, you are presented with a hallway that is far too grand and long for such a small infrastructure; a near-exact copy of her old home's interior. Lining up the hall are a bunch of stuffed animals, humans...and even other witches. In contrast to the "dolls'" nigh-perfect conditions, the labyrinth's inner-most layers are on the verge of falling apart; symbolizing the ever-worsening context behind her memories now that Aya looks back at them as a fully-grown adult.

The labyrinth's inner-most sanctum, the witch's residence, unsurprisingly resembles Aya's clinic; now almost completely dark, with nothing but the moon's gentle light providing any form of illumination through the broken windows. If you manage to take a good look at the room, though, you'll also start noticing elements of Maria's room speckled in here and there; symbolizing that, even in witchdom, Aya's respect and kinship towards Maria persists.

--

Familiars:

Silver-Tree. Minions of the witch of taxidermy. Their task is to harvest. With a stuffed bunny doll in one hand and a chainsaw in another, these familiars make quick work of the fools who enter their idyllic forest as they encourage their young lady's valiant actions. They await the day of their witch's passing, so that they could hollow out all the curses from her once-beating heart, and leave a beautiful, impartial husk where she once stood; breaking the cycle of senseless bloodshed and misery, and finally freeing her from the suffering she had imposed upon herself.

[sonicasura]

Securing the space bridge was arguably the easiest part of the operation, once Starscream finally divulged its location. (A little bit of prompting from Null had Ratchet mentioning that presumably fellow creature Backbite—to loosen the Seeker lips.) Arcee and Jack stepped through the space bridge without much delay on their end. The Autobots temporary ally met them as they exited through safely.

…Null was a lot smaller in person.

“Glad to see you both made it here safely.” The dinosaur dragon creature greeted, sweeping his arms out to the sprawling if desolate landscape that became of Cybertron. “Welcome to what I call Scraplet Hell.” He intoned with no less than ample frustration in his voice. “They’ve been chewing on the infrastructure and remains alike for a while. ‘Been pulling extermination duty for ages, but haven’t quite put a solid dent in their population… Yet.” Null’s last word held the faintest edge of a threat as he growled lowly.

Without any preamble, Jack pulled out the key to Vector Sigma a bit unsure on how to proceed from here. Their allied creature reacted when it was brought out though stiffening up suddenly.“What? Don’t like keycards?” The human teen teased albeit without any actual humor in his voice. Optimus’ situation was serious after all.

Null didn’t move an inch for a few moments, his yellow eyes near pinpricks. He took a shuddering breath—making Jack question if the creature didn’t breath oxygen. “No.“ Null answered haltingly like he was worried about breathing wrong in front of the keycard. “That. Is some seriously powerful technology. I’ve never been around Prime, but he’d most likely feel like that. A supernova contained in a box.”

All three silently began making there way in the direction the “supernova” key led them in…

—————————

Orion narrows his optics while reviewed the information told to him and compared it to the files of the Autobot leader. This whole situation, was making his processor spin as everything contradicted itself. Megatron had told him that Ratchet was the Autobot Leader not this Optimus. Even if it was the slip of the gloss, his brother had poetic processor and rarely minced words in such a way. He investigated the files showing the enemy leader. A menacing mech.

Something in his frame told him to investigate the files deeper—so he did. Only to be met with encryptions unusual in base level historical files. Orion hadn’t been searching for the top secret information, merely clarification on the base level everyone should be able to access. His servos tapped in quick succession as he tried to crack through the encryption. What was—

The archivist startled as the small creature who kept him company somehow dived into the console screen itself. A rudimentary image of it popped up on the screen, then began “chewing” away at the encryption. Orion resumed his work finding it easier while his tagalong attacked the security program itself.

He was met to quite the shocking sight.

Himself!

How. How in the world could he be mistaken for a Prime?

…The little creature dragged itself out of the screen except it appeared to grow bigger than it had been moments ago. Whereas it had a more globular body with tiny wings. It now possessed a neck which departed into a slight torso, still no limbs outside its wings. A wisp like blue tail curled where it’s lower torso ended and it floated until it was resting against his audial fin.

“What sort of transformation could I have taken, little one, for the present to become such a confusing place?” The data clerk(?) questioned in a whisper—as if afraid of someone overhearing his growing doubts.

——————————

Back at the Agency, Hudiemon swore under their/her breath as Penumbra’s Digivice signal still registered faintly. The cyber sleuth evidently did not (at least subconsciously) want to be found at this point in time. She frankly understood the girl’s reluctance when Mirei was her “boss”. Boss, captor, personal demon. All those titles fit the frustrating individual who kickstarted this entire operation. The bio-merge called her Hackers in the hope someone gained a lead onto where Penumber possibly went.

Scraplet Hell is a fitting name for a place overrun with the pests. That's one species whose population absolutely went out of control without Cybertronians keeping their numbers in check. At least retrieving the key is a bit easier.

Thankfully Orion now has BabyDmon as he's gonna need it after this reveal. Meanwhile Hudiemon is on the case to find Penumbra. And later blow up at Mirei once she learns what exactly happened.

[pageburn]

THE FIVE GREAT HOUSES OF ADILISTAN.

an introduction to the five major houses that make up the world of my wip.

HOUSE LAHARI.

House Lahari, the first house of the Noon dynasty, held the ports. Mounted in a castle that sat atop a lone hill overlooking Sand Bay, House Lahari manned all ships and overlooked all trade that concerned their sacred land.

Descended from Karamat Lahari, a sailor who was said to have won the Goddess Phauzia’s favour by presenting her with a lithe snake that sung and danced and coiled around her arm like a bracelet, House Lahari was the first of the Fated Five upon whom befell tragedy.

HOUSE PIRZADA.

House Pirzada, the second house of the Noon dynasty, overlooked infrastructure. Great temples with open roofs were built for the Goddess Phauzia, lest her rays miss all who came seeking her counsel. The Pirzadas were a simple people, more devout than most, and quiet in a way that left one wondering indeed if they were more foe than friend.

Their descendent, Sefa Pirzada, was said to have been a close companion of Phauzia, and one of her most trusted advisors and friends. It was a bond her blood refused to forgo.

HOUSE LAAL.

House Laal, the third house, were masters of swordsmanship. From the forging of steel to its expert wielding, House Laal dominated all. They sired the greatest warriors the Sol had ever known, including Ramineh Laal the Ruthless, their descendant who ensured a name for all that would share her blood.

Many whispered that she had been the one to aid Phauzia in the carving of the throne, that it had been Laal hands that welded the seat that now housed foreign and—some would argue—unworthy inhabitants.

HOUSE JAFARI.

House Jafari, the fourth, knew more of matters of expenditure than gold itself. Calculated and sharp, they sat the council of every Noon King and Queen to come into power as the doyen of funds. They worked closely with every house to ensure funds were equally distributed, for the betterment of the realm.

Yanik Jafari had been witty enough to yield the Goddess’ interests. It was his knowledge and quick calculations that kept them there, however, and no more quickly was she impressed by him than she had him placed at the head of her own council so that all matters of outlay pass to him.

HOUSE NOON.

Lastly, House Noon, the fifth and final house of the Noon dynasty, and the house that brought about its shining glory. House Noon yielded the greatest power of them all, one that irrefutably trumped all others: the blood of Phauzia. For while the Fated Five possessed the blessing of the Goddess, her very being flowed in House Noon’s veins.

The work of Phauzia’s carving rested beneath their fingertips, their bones, and its power was conclusive. Their blood was worthy; picked by the shining Phauzia herself when she fell in love with a comely village man by the name of Mumtaz Noon. Their love was one that singers and merchants alike prattled of on the shores of Sand Bay to ensure commerce. A man with no inheritance to ensure the great Phauzia even a semblance of luxury nor comfort, Mumtaz had only a slight ring, thin as wisps and dispensable for the likes of the Goddess. But she loved him for his character, not his glory, and they lived a life of prosperous rule, during which they sired multiple children and grandchildren to inherit the kingdom after them.

It was said that when a Noon sat atop the throne it glowed with sunbeams sent from the sky lands above, a boon from the long-departed Phauzia and her consort Mumtaz as a mark of their favour.

[bluewren]

Hello, For DADWC: From the 'small details of fictional kisses' prompt list: "An accidental kiss between two exes" for Solas and Tali.

Hi Towers, I wrote a lot of whump for Taliesen and Solas. XD this is sometime after Trespasser and Tali is now married to Sera, something happens and they are now stuck exploring ruins together. Big mistakes are happening! @dadrunkwriting wc: 1817

Solas snaps his fingers, a wisp of light is brought into this world. It’s a simple spell that he’s casted numerous times, although he used to favor a fire to light his path. Fire can destroy or bring hope, light can only guide but now with this world, her world, he is no longer as steel hearted.

This wisp is a obedient creature, though its sputtering glimmer tells that the curiosity of a newborn kit can still be found within itself.

Solas’s eyes meet Taliesen’s, but that wouldn’t last a second. Taliesen pushes down her gaze, to brush the dust off her coat.

“We should search for a way out.” She uses her one arm to push herself of the rock.

“Let me help you.” Solas fast steps to Taliesen, approaching to extend his hand.

Taliesen catches it in her’s, her thumb presses on Solas’s palm. It shoots his arm frozen, he wanted to step forward, show the woman he once loved that he’s still willing to walk by her side. That would be an empty promise, he could not stay and she moved on.

“You needn’t worry about me.” Taliesen shakes her head. “I’m able stand by myself.”

She doesn’t look at Solas, though her glossy wet eyes are still prominent enough for him to see.

“If that is what you wish.” Solas nods without protest.

He turns around to examine where the eluvian explosion pushed them to. There were rose gold armored statues with pointed ears laid planted on the far corners, some of them fallen from years of neglect. The present statues were simple to surmise, they were in an old Elvhenan fortress but one signicantly smaller than Skyhold.

Although it’s difficult to determine where. He can see the night sky above them, though not the stars. Possibly, a glyph is casted deeper inside the temple to mask its location to any potential spies.

“I can’t feel my bird.” Taliesen tells.

She raises up her stubbed arm, the gem on her armlet is without a glow.

“What should we do?” Solas asks, almost absent mindedly.

“You’re asking me that?” Taliesen snots, raising a brow.

She leans on her right side, her one arm resting her hip. Clearly in a mocking way, although that is earned. Solas is a deity in one of her People’s legends and a leader of spies asking a lowly mortal for guidance.

“Aren’t you supposed to be a great leader of elves?”

“I suppose, that’s a good point.” Solas chuckles. “But I know better than to be rash with my words in front of an accomplished explorer.”

“Then we should search for the glyph.” Taliesen points up at the starless sky, it seems that she’s noticed that too. “It’ll help if we knew where we are.”

“Lead the way.” Solas splays out his hand, inviting Taliesen onward.

They travel deeper into the fortress, carefully navigating the narrow halls while testing the ground for any traps. The fortress feels similar to Skyhold and previous ones he’s visited in Arlathan. The Evanuris were an untrusting bunch, wards are likely hidden everywhere in these halls.

Solas points out the tells, Taliesen has her own extensive knowledge of Skyhold’s infrastructure. She has little trouble keeping up. Most of the wards have decayed after years being dormant, but they still examine every one and Taliesen is quick to disarm them. The mage casts his barrier to isolate the ward, his tinkerer is quick to severe the mana current. She seems to always carry that blade forged from lyrium on her.

There’s a rhythm to their movement, a two step dance, they were quick to dispel any still active wards.

“I’ve forgotten how quick you were with your hands.” Solas remarks.

“Sera said the exact same.” Taliesen jests, she reaches to break the ward but stops before seeing the barrier flicker. “Keep it steady.”

"Excuse me.” Solas snorts, he stiffs his arm to resend the barrier. “I would advise that your words are better chosen, lest we both meet our end here.”

Taliesen slices the ward’s line. “You’re the one who with the dirty thoughts.”

“In what way was that supposed to be interpreted?”[[ “How else was I supposed to interpret that?” Solas scoffs.]] Solas scoffs.

"However you want to.” Taliesen walks on, wearing a crescent smirk.

A infuriating smirk, both irreverent and tender. It made the years apart vanish, sparking back banter filled memories of their time at Skyhold. He will not be foolish, they have been years apart and the two sides of the same coin has been forever split.

Although for the moment, Solas will enjoy his respite from that truth.

“I would also advise that you don’t move far ahead.” He chimes on, taking long steps to keep up. “We’ve yet to know the horrors lurking here.”

“You’re worrying is a bit much.” Taliesen chuckles. “I’m still a match for any lesser demon.”

“That I believe, but I will feel better to have you by me.” Solas softly sighs, he hopes Taliesen does not notice but it’s unlikely.

“If that’s what you want.” Taliesen says, it’s come out muffled. She slows, keeping the same pace. “Is this fort, somewhere you’ve been to?”

“I don’t recall the layout of this specific one, no.” Solas shakes his head. “But there has been many.”

He tried as much as possible of his time as Fen’Harel, nothing feels familiar about here. It’s more than likely that this was a location, remote and insignificant enough that he never had a reason to visit. Although right now, he wishes that for any modicum of knowledge as unlikely and futile that search can be.

The two elves slowly make their way across the ruins of the elvhen fortress. Eventually finding themselves in the garden, it likely would have been a beautiful one. There are a few trees that still decorate the plot, and several statues still greet them as they walk past the gates. Now the weeds have overtake the turf and all the nutrients, the trees too weak to sprout a leaf and now intertwined with the statues beside them.

“Think someone ever rested under those trees as often as you did under the one at Skyhold.“ Solas asks, he stares with a soothed eyes and a nostalgic smile.

“There had to be one elf.” Taliesen answers, smiling while glancing the same tree and then moving onwards. “I can’t imagine someone getting too rest during your war.”

“We all find our moments of respite.” Solas chimes in, they continued onward around the grass to not disturb the garden. “People find a way to unwind, even in the worse of times.”

“True, but Skyhold has always some distant from immediate danger.” Taliesen turns her smile to Solas.

“You may have a point.” Solas chuckles. “Although I recall Suledin Keep being lively, even with that unforgiving cold.”

“We were always so hopeful about what our outcomes might be.”

They arrive at where the glyph is constructed. From his cursory glance, he can see the exposed the exposed lyrium lines that run embedded into the walls and floor. For certain, this is where all the glyphs and spell circles were casted and leading to all the other rooms. They will need caution here, besides wards and traps, this is home to every system that sustains the fortress. And in the worse outcome, they will need every resource the walls still hold.

“I’m certain that’s the glyph, we’re after.” Taliesen points to the center.

There is a large chunk of lyrium that is polished and caged in veridium arm. It sit atop a glyph, and judging from the looping mana lines it’s likely the one that’s concealing the stars.

“Give me your glove.” Taliesen holds out her hand.

She seems to already be a step ahead, so Solas follows.

He unclasped the buckles and places the glove of Talisen’s hand, holding it up and delicately fastening it. He checks the fit as he goes, assuring that the glove has a snug fit and will not distract from her schemes.

“Be careful with the glyph, we don’t know what else it will disrupt.” Solas warns, he pushes on each finger to strain down the fabric.

“I’m not trying to destroy it.” Taliesen smirks. “We don’t need to level everything to achieve our goal.”

Solas huffs, feeling a bit slighted by her. “I can’t help but feel that remark is more personally directed.”

“That one, no. I don’t think there’s much I can say to persuade you.” Taliesen chuckles, she flexes her fingers until she’s happy with the fit. “We can use the cage to power an eluvian and get back to our people.”

Solas raises his brow, somehow the other elf never ends with her surprises. “What’s your plan?”

“Same as before, but as I lift the cage you cut it free.”

Solas nods, receptive to her plan. He places himself over the glyph, casting his barrier and positioning himself as close as possible.

“My knife is in the right pocket.”

“We won’t have a second chance at this.”

“That’s why I’m trusting you to get this right.”

Taliesen begins lifting up the cage, the pads of his glove sizzled when pushed on the barrier. Solas slowly cuts free the cage away from the glyph, though he finds it difficult to have his mind split on oscillate his barrier while maneuvering the knife to sever the currents. But Taliesen has been steady as he worked, only raising when she sees her blade wayward. It slowly climbs up, until the glyph fully dims out of existence.

Taliesen smiles, cheering and snugly wrapping the cage in her arm. “I think we got it.”

Like all her other artifacts, Taliesen shows her affection for another of her finds. It’s a sight that Solas missed being privy to.

Solas walks over, embracing Taliesen in his arms. His lips meeting her’s, he breaths in her genius, her radiance, her spark, and everything that he loved about her. For a brief moment, he can feel Taliesen taking in their moment too. But she is the first to realize that this is a mirage that they both fell into.

“What are you doing?” When Taliesen glares at Solas, pushing him back. He is speechless and just as perplexed as she is. Solas has no answer for her. “We should get back to the eluvian.”

Taliesen rushes out of the room, it gives Solas time enough to replay the longest minute he ever lived. Every breath, every curl of his hand, he scrutinized it all. Was it just his foolish desires, or did she still somewhere feel the same? It does not matter, she has moved on and whatever feelings she once has are superseded by others who have stayed. He has no right to disrupt her life and no right to wallow, tears will be more hurtful to everyone.

“I’m sorry.” Solas whispers, he hopes his voice reaches no one.

[ispmate053]

ISP Cloud Billing Software: Features, Benefits & Best Tools

With internet usage becoming more prevalent, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are finding the need to better manage customers, data usage, and payments. Most ISPs operate on very fluid business models which, unfortunately, traditional billing systems do not cater to. It is for that reason that many of the providers are turning to ISP cloud billing software, a turnaround solution that increases efficiency with automation, streamlining of workflows, and cushioning customer interactions. 

What Is ISP Cloud Billing Software? 

ISP cloud billing software is a solution to ISP’s billing problems as it automates and simplifies billing using a centralized platform available via the cloud. Unlike older billing system that depends on physical servers, cloud billing software is hosted online and can be accessed from anywhere, anytime. This permits ISPs to automate customer billing, data monitoring, subscription management and collection of payments electronically. 

Key Features of ISP Cloud Billing Software 

- Real-Time Usage Monitoring: Live tracking of bandwidth and data enables accurate billing and transparency for all users. 

- Automated Invoicing & Payments: Recurring invoices as well as coupon-based payment automation can be seamlessly toggled through available gateways. 

- Cloud-Based Dashboard: If gadgets have an internet connection, access to the entire billing system is guaranteed, done away is the time-consuming installation on premises.

- Customer Self-Service Portals: Users are granted permission to view their consumption, download invoices, make payments, and escalate support tickets. 

- CRM Integration: Refresh customer databases to improve interactions and trim down communication, service adjustments, and user administration. 

- Support API: Interact seamlessly with external tools and systems to create a tailored ISP ecosystem for management with Custom ISP Management Ecosystem. 

Cloud Billing Benefits for ISPs

With ISP cloud billing software, companies gain the following benefits: 

- Scalable: Scale up easily with hundreds or thousands of users without purchasing additional infrastructure. 

- Automation: Spend less time on billing, usage alerts, payment reminders, etc., to automate tasks and reduce human error. 

- Access from Anywhere: Interconnected systems allow you to manage your billing system from any location—perfect for multi-location or distributed ISPs. 

- Security & Backup: Many cloud platforms encrypt data to store, backup regularly, and have automated recovery in case of data loss. 

- Cost-Efficient: Pay only for what you use, without physical hardware spent, software upkeep, or servers requiring upgrades. 

Top ISP Cloud Software Solutions

These are some of the most effective ISP Cloud billing software used globally: 

- Splynx: Well-known amongst WISPs and fiber operators, Splynx provides all-in-one automation, CRM, and bandwidth control.

- Powercode: Provides an integration and customer portal as well as an easy to navigate user interface for small and medium-sized ISPs.

- NetElastic: Gained recognition for its automated billing system and its virtual broadband network gateway.

- ISPmate: A preferred option for ISPs in developing regions and is rapidly gaining popularity due to its region tailored compliance and customer behavior features.

ISPs should consider their size, budget, technical requirements, and the unique features and pricing options provided by each tool.

Final Thoughts

The operational model of ISPs is being changed by the adoption of cloud technology. With ISP cloud billing software, an ISP can automate intricate billing systems, boost customer happiness and enabling efficient scaling. A dependable billing solution places providers, whether they are startup WISPs or large-scale broadband providers, well positioned for future advancements.

[iplook-networks]

Choosing the Right Core Network Solution: A Trusted Guide for Operators

The telecom industry is a fast changing landscape and adopting the right core network infrastructure is critical for an operator to service growing and varied demands while retaining their competitive advantage. A one-size-fits-all, generic solution is simply not going to work. Operators require customized, modular, and future-ready networks that listen to your corporate needs.

Here’s a framework to guide your decision-making:

Define Service Objectives: Pinpoint your operational priorities—whether it’s enabling 5G, scaling capacity, or enhancing existing services like VoLTE and SMS. Align these goals with future roadmap considerations.

Evaluate Scalability Metrics: Assess the solution's ability to handle growing user bases and traffic loads. Look for systems supporting millions of connections, high concurrency, and throughput capacities exceeding 50 Gbps.

Ensure Interoperability: Seamless integration with existing macro eNodeBs, small cells, and third-party vendor equipment is critical for streamlined network evolution.

Prioritize Network Reliability: Opt for solutions with geo-redundant architecture, pooled components (MME, SGW, PGW), and robust redundancy models to ensure uninterrupted service continuity.

Customization and Flexibility: Avoid rigid architectures. Choose a solution provider offering customized configurations to meet the unique demands of MNOs, MVNOs, WISPs, and private networks.

At IPLOOK Networks, we bring over a decade of expertise in crafting 3G/4G/5G core network solutions designed to empower operators of all sizes—whether you're an MNO, MVNO, WISP, or private network provider.

Why Operators Trust IPLOOK

Global Expertise: Over 50 successful deployments, connecting more than 50 million subscribers worldwide.

Customized Solutions: Customized for diverse needs, ensuring seamless interconnectivity with macro eNodeBs and small cells.

Scalability at Its Best: Networks supporting up to 3M subscribers, 500,000 concurrent users, and throughput as high as 50 Gbps.

Proven Resilience: Geo-redundant data centers and robust redundancy models for continuous uptime.

Reliable Performance: From Mongolia’s capital to Italy’s interconnected networks, our solutions deliver exceptional quality and reliability.

Whether it's supporting Joy Telecom’s 2G–5G services or enabling Daily Telecom to scale operations with geo-redundant infrastructure, IPLOOK’s end-to-end solutions redefine network performance and adaptability. Ready to elevate your network capabilities?  Partner with IPLOOK and transform your vision into reality.

[jcmarchi]

How Real-Time Volumetrics Are Rewriting Film Narratives

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/how-real-time-volumetrics-are-rewriting-film-narratives/

How Real-Time Volumetrics Are Rewriting Film Narratives

There was a time when volumetric effects were concealed from everyone on a film stage except the VFX supervisors huddled around grainy, low-resolution preview monitors. You could shoot a complex scene with enveloping fog swirled through ancient forests, crackling embers danced in haunted corridors, and ethereal magic wove around a sorcerer’s staff. Yet no one on set saw a single wisp until post-production.

The production crew watched inert surroundings, and actors delivered performances against blank gray walls, tasked with imagining drifting dust motes or seething smoke. All of that changed when real-time volumetrics emerged from research labs into production studios, lifting the veil on atmospheres that breathe and respond to the camera’s gaze as scenes unfold. Today’s filmmakers can sculpt and refine atmospheric depths during the shoot itself, rewriting how cinematic worlds are built and how narratives take shape in front of—and within—the lens.

In those traditional workflows, directors relied on their instincts and memory, conjuring visions of smoky haze or crackling fire in their minds as cameras rolled. Low-resolution proxies (lo-fi particle tests and simplified geometric volumes) stood in for the final effects, and only after long nights in render farms would the full volumetric textures appear. 

Actors performed against darkened LED walls or green screens, squinting at pale glows or abstract silhouettes, their illusions tethered to technical diagrams instead of the tangible atmospheres they would inhabit on film. After production wrapped, render farms labored for hours or days to produce high-resolution volumetric scans of smoke swirling around moving objects, fire embers reacting to winds, or magical flares trailing a hero’s gesture. These overnight processes introduced dangerous lags in feedback loops, locking down creative choices and leaving little room for spontaneity.

Studios like Disney pioneered LED Stagecraft for The Mandalorian, blending live LED walls with pre-recorded volumetric simulations to hint at immersive environments. Even ILMxLAB’s state-of-the-art LED volume chambers relied on approximations, causing directors to second-guess creative decisions until final composites arrived.

When real-time volumetric ray-marching demos by NVIDIA stole the spotlight at GDC, it wasn’t just a technical showcase, it was a revelation that volumetric lighting, smoke, and particles could live inside a game engine viewport rather than hidden behind render-farm walls. Unreal Engine’s built-in volumetric cloud and fog systems further proved that these effects could stream at cinematic fidelity without crunching overnight budgets. Suddenly, when an actor breathes out and watches a wisp of mist curl around their face, the performance transforms. Directors pinch the air, asking for denser fog or brighter embers, with feedback delivered instantly. Cinematographers and VFX artists, once separated by departmental walls, now work side by side on a single, living canvas, sculpting light and particle behavior like playwrights improvising on opening night.

Yet most studios still cling to offline-first infrastructures designed for a world of patient, frame-by-frame renders. Billions of data points from uncompressed volumetric captures rain down on storage arrays, inflating budgets and burning cycles. Hardware bottlenecks stall creative iteration as teams wait hours (or even days) for simulations to converge. Meanwhile, cloud invoices balloon as terabytes shuffle back and forth, costs often explored too late in a production’s lifecycle. 

In many respects, this marks the denouement for siloed hierarchies. Real-time engines have proven that the line between performance and post is no longer a wall but a gradient. You can see how this innovation in real-time rendering and simulation works during the presentation Real-Time Live at SIGGRAPH 2024. This exemplifies how real-time engines are enabling more interactive and immediate post-production processes. Teams accustomed to handing off a locked-down sequence to the next department now collaborate on the same shared canvas, akin to a stage play where fog rolls in sync with a character’s gasp, and a visual effect pulses at the actor’s heartbeat, all choreographed on the spot. 

Volumetrics are more than atmospheric decoration; they constitute a new cinematic language. A fine haze can mirror a character’s doubt, thickening in moments of crisis, while glowing motes might scatter like fading memories, pulsing in time with a haunting score. Microsoft’s experiments in live volumetric capture for VR narratives demonstrate how environments can branch and respond to user actions, suggesting that cinema too can shed its fixed nature and become a responsive experience, where the world itself participates in storytelling.

Behind every stalled volumetric shot lies a cultural inertia as formidable as any technical limitation. Teams trained on batch-rendered pipelines are often wary of change, holding onto familiar schedules and milestone-driven approvals. Yet, each day spent in locked-down workflows is a day of lost creative possibility. The next generation of storytellers expects real-time feedback loops, seamless viewport fidelity, and playgrounds for experimentation, tools they already use in gaming and interactive media. 

Studios unwilling to modernize risk more than just inefficiency; they risk losing talent. We already see the impact, as Young artists, steeped in Unity, Unreal Engine, and AI-augmented workflows, view render farms and noodle-shredding software as relics. As Disney+ blockbusters continue to showcase LED volume stages, those who refuse to adapt will find their offer letters left unopened. The conversation shifts from “Can we do this?” to “Why aren’t we doing this?”, and the studios that answer best will shape the next decade of visual storytelling.

Amid this landscape of creative longing and technical bottlenecks, a wave of emerging real-time volumetric platforms began to reshape expectations. They offered GPU-accelerated playback of volumetric caches, on-the-fly compression algorithms that reduced data footprints by orders of magnitude, and plugins that integrated seamlessly with existing digital content creation tools. They embraced AI-driven simulation guides that predicted fluid and particle behavior, sparing artists from manual keyframe labor. Crucially, they provided intuitive interfaces that treated volumetrics as an organic component of the art direction process, rather than a specialized post-production task. 

Studios can now sculpt atmospheric effects in concert with their narrative beats, adjusting parameters in real time without leaving the editing suite. In parallel, networked collaboration spaces emerged, enabling distributed teams to co-author volumetric scenes as if they were pages in a shared script. These innovations are the sign of departure from legacy constraints, blurring the line between pre-production, principal photography, and postproduction sprints.

While these platforms answered immediate pain points, they also pointed toward a broader vision of content creation where volumetrics live natively within real-time engines at cinematic fidelity. The most forward-thinking studios recognized that deploying real-time volumetrics required more than software upgrades: it demanded cultural shifts. They see that real-time volumetrics represent more than a tech breakthrough, they bring a redefinition of cinematic storytelling. 

When on-set atmospheres become dynamic partners in performance, narratives gain depth and nuance that were once unattainable. Creative teams unlock new possibilities for improvisation, collaboration, and emotional resonance, guided by the living language of volumetric elements that respond to intention and discovery. Yet realizing this potential will require studios to confront the hidden costs of their offline-first past: data burdens, workflow silos, and the risk of losing the next generation of artists. 

The path forward lies in weaving real-time volumetrics into the fabric of production practice, aligning tools, talent, and culture toward a unified vision. It is an invitation to rethink our industry, to dissolve barriers between idea and image, and to embrace an era where every frame pulses with possibilities that emerge at the moment, authored by both human creativity and real-time technology.

[kpemart]

ISP resellers in USA

ISP resellers in the USA are companies that purchase internet services from wholesale Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and resell them to their customers. These resellers often offer customized services, such as branding and packaging, to differentiate themselves from the original ISP. Here are some notable ISP resellers in the USA:

ISP Supplies: Offers wireless networking equipment and devices for Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs). They provide access to a full-time dedicated support staff and offer a range of network equipment and devices.

Candid8: As an ISP reseller based in Texas, Candid8 provides a variety of internet services tailored to meet the unique needs of its customers. Candid8 focuses on delivering reliable connectivity and exceptional customer service, making it a standout option in the ISP reseller market.

OptaNet: Allows businesses to become internet resellers and white-label their products. They provide a range of internet and VoIP services that can be resold to customers.

Virtual ISP: A wholesale internet broadband provider that allows resellers to offer broadband internet connections in most areas of the US. They offer wireless broadband service that provides data connectivity to the internet anywhere T-Mobile or AT&T cell service is available.

EarthLink: A popular wholesale internet provider that offers DSL, cable, and fiber optic service, depending on location. They require a significant upfront investment and working with larger ISPs to purchase and resell their bandwidth.

Benefits of Becoming an ISP Reseller

Becoming an ISP reseller can be an attractive option for businesses looking to offer internet services to their customers. Some benefits include:

Lower Capital Investment: ISP resellers don’t need to purchase or maintain their own infrastructure, which can save on capital expenditures.

Technical Support: Many ISP resellers offer technical support to their customers, which can be a valuable asset for businesses that don’t have in-house IT expertise.

Customization: ISP resellers can customize their services to meet the specific needs of their customers, which can help to differentiate them from competitors.

Scalability: ISP resellers can easily scale their services up or down to meet changing customer demands.

ConclusionISP resellers in the USA play an important role in the internet service market by providing customized services to their customers. By partnering with wholesale ISPs, they can offer a range of internet services without the need for significant upfront investment. If you’re interested in becoming an ISP reseller, it’s essential to research the different options available and choose a partner that aligns with your business goals and values.

[uwteam]

26 kwietnia 2024

◢ #unknownews ◣

Zapraszam do lektury najnowszego zestawienia :)

W tym tygodniu nie ma sponsora, ale za to jest promocja. Możesz kupić paczkę 4 najlepiej sprzedających się kursów online z mojego sklepu płacąc 70zł za sztukę (zamiast 87-97). Akcja trwa do 1 maja, do 23:59.

1) Zostań dostawcą internetu (ISP) - kompletny poradnik https://startyourownisp.com/ INFO: Marzyłeś kiedyś o założeniu własnej firmy dostarczającej internet? Ten serwis to praktyczny przewodnik po pierwszych etapach tworzenia Wireless ISP (WISP), od oceny wykonalności po podłączenie pierwszych klientów. Znajdziesz tu również informacje o narzędziach niezbędnych do budowy sieci oraz o kwestiach bezpieczeństwa. Całość pisana jest z perspektywy USA, ale wierzę, że większość kwestii po małych poprawkach można przenieść na nasz, polski grunt.

2) Stan 'flow' a produktywność programisty - rozproszone myśli vs. przerywanie https://blog.stackblitz.com/posts/flow-state/ INFO: Czy wiesz, że ciągłe przerywanie pracy programisty może być mniej szkodliwe niż wewnętrzne, rozpraszające myśli? Artykuł zgłębia temat stanu "flow" i jego wpływu na twoją efektywność, pokazując, że największym zagrożeniem dla produktywności może być nie to, co przerywa pracę z zewnątrz, ale jak zarządzamy naszymi wewnętrznymi procesami myślowymi. Rzuć okiem na tekst, aby zrozumieć, jak optymalizować swoje warunki pracy, aby usprawnić... myślenie.

3) Wpływ narzędzi AI na inżynierów w ANZ Bank https://newsletter.getdx.com/p/impact-of-copilot-at-anz-bank INFO: ANZ Bank (Bank Australii i Nowej Zelandii) przeprowadził eksperyment z wykorzystaniem GitHub Copilot, aby zbadać, jak to narzędzie wpłynie na efektywność ich inżynierów. Badano wpływ Copilota na czas wykonywania zadań, poziom bezpieczeństwa kodu oraz jego jakość. Wyniki były dla mnie zaskakujące, ale nie we wszystkich badanych aspektach zauważono poprawę.

4) Ostatni ZX Spectrum (film, 24m) https://youtu.be/qIrBsvYt0pw INFO: Interesują cię stare komputery, a najlepiej te 8-bitowe? ZX Spectrum to klasyka, o której trudno zapomnieć. Film przedstawia historię, budowę i możliwości tego komputera.

5) Rozwój w branży IT - refleksje po 25 latach pracy https://hybridhacker.email/p/my-25-year-engineering-career-retrospective INFO: Autor dzieli się swoimi przemyśleniami na temat swojej długiej kariery zawodowej. Przy okazji opisuje, co naprawdę było ważne, co zrobiłby inaczej i co wpłynęło na to, że jest tu, gdzie jest. Tekst zawiera zbiór interesujących, wartych przemyślenia porad, użytecznych szczególnie dla osób, które dopiero stawiają pierwsze kroki w branży IT.

6) Jak wyśledzić infrastrukturę malware? - podstawy https://censys.com/a-beginners-guide-to-tracking-malware-infrastructure/ INFO: Zastanawiasz się, jak goście od cyberbezpieczeństwa tropią infrastrukturę malware? Ten artykuł to wprowadzenie do narzędzi i technik, które pomogą Ci namierzyć maszyny powiązane z konkretnymi botnetami. Większość zabawy odbywa się tajemniczo w Censysie oraz... CyberChef.

7) Księga Kopenhaska - zalecenia bezpieczeństwa dla aplikacji https://thecopenhagenbook.com/ INFO: Wiem, że nazwa jest myląca, ale tak się ten e-book po prostu nazywa. Jeśli chcesz dowiedzieć się, jak bezpiecznie weryfikować maila, jak resetować hasła użytkowników, pracować z OAuth, generować bezpieczne wartości losowe itp., to ta publikacja zbiera w jednym miejscu wszelkie dobre praktyki związane z bezpiecznym wytwarzaniem oprogramowania.

8) Dlaczego używamy FreeBSD CURRENT w Netflixie? (film, 40m) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4TZxj-Dq7s INFO: Netflix używa FreeBSD-current na swoich CDN-ach. Dlaczego zdecydowali się na wersję stale aktualizowaną, a nie stabilną? Jakie korzyści mają z wykorzystania najnowszej, ale niestabilnej, wersji? Ta prezentacja przedstawia, jak wygląda praca z FreeBSD-current w Netflix, oraz jaki wkład w rozwój tego systemu ma wspomniana firma. Przy okazji dzielą się niektórymi osiągnięciami wydajnościowymi oraz znalezionymi błędami, które powodowały obniżenie wydajności systemu.

9) Najtrudniejszy problem webowy - wycentrowanie elementów! https://tonsky.me/blog/centering/ INFO: Powiedzmy szczerze, poprawne centrowanie elementów webowych bywa koszmarem, i to nie tylko wtedy, gdy jesteś początkującym frontendowcem. Wpadki zdarzają się nawet dużym firmom. Sprawa jest skrajnie prosta w teorii, ale zaimplementowanie niektórych rozwiązań w praktyce bywa trudne, zwłaszcza jeśli zaczniesz łączyć tekst z obrazami, albo z największym złem według autora, czyli z fontami z ikonami.

10) Spoofing telefoniczny - na przykładzie Krzysztofa Stanowskiego (film, 25m) https://youtu.be/aljbKbvZ2ac?si=n8CN6PKy0ozABgSx INFO: Może ten film jest mało technologiczny i nie przedstawia zasady działania tego rodzaju ataku, jednak przedstawia on skrajnie istotny problem, który mamy w naszym kraju. Podszywanie się pod absolutnie dowolny numer telefonu użytkowane jest obecnie nie tylko do nękania celebrytów, ale i do codziennego okradania Polaków, poprzez podszywanie się np. pod bank.

11) Człowiek, który zepsuł Google - czasami pieniądze potrafią przysłonić cel istnienia produktu https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-men-who-killed-google/ INFO: Wszystko zaczęło się w 2019 roku, kiedy to nowy szef działu pracującego nad wyszukiwarką postanowił nieco manipulować wynikami wyszukiwania, aby zwiększyć zyski firmy kosztem jakości wyników wyszukiwania. To działanie dało szansę konkurencji na tworzenie lepszych produktów i osłabiło pozycję lidera w tej branży. Czy to stanowiło gwóźdź do trumny dla Google? Tego ostatecznie nie wiemy, ale więcej szczegółów o tym, co, jak i dlaczego się stało, znajdziesz w artykule.

12) Przewodnik 37signals po komunikacji wewnętrznej w zespole https://37signals.com/how-we-communicate INFO: Artykuł zawiera zasady i filozofię, które kierują zespołem 37signals (to ci goście od Basecamp, Campfire, Hey itp.), w codziennej wewnętrznej komunikacji. Poznaj praktyczne podejście do komunikacji asynchronicznej, zasady ograniczania liczby spotkań i reguły kultury pisemnej, które mogą zainspirować cię do wprowadzenia zmian w twojej organizacji. Nie wiem, czy znasz książkę "ReWork" wydaną przez tę firmę, ale jeśli to, co przeczytasz, Ci się spodoba, to rzuć na nią okiem.

13) Tor: Od darkwebu do przyszłości prywatności (ebook, 243 strony) https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph/5761/TorFrom-the-Dark-Web-to-the-Future-of-Privacy INFO: Darmowa książka wydana przez MIT na temat sieci TOR. Trochę o powstaniu sieci, o jej ewolucji i o tym, jak ważna jest ona w kontekście prywatności, anonimowości, a nawet jaką rolę pełni z perspektywy rządowej. Książkę ściągniesz za darmo - kliknij "Book PDF" pod opisem.

14) "Przypadkiem stworzyłem wyszukiwarkę memów" - ciekawy eksperyment https://harper.blog/2024/04/12/i-accidentally-built-a-meme-search-engine/ INFO: Czy kiedykolwiek zastanawiałeś się, jak działa wyszukiwanie obrazów oparte na podobieństwie? Autor artykułu opisuje swoje próby implementacji takiego rozwiązania, które kończą się powstaniem wyszukiwarki memów. Wykorzystuje on technologie takie jak wektorowe osadzanie obrazów i wektorowe bazy danych. Temat może wydawać się zabawny, ale znając te techniki, możesz zacząć wykorzystywać je także w poważnych, biznesowych projektach.

15) Jak rozwaliłem Zaufaną Trzecią Stronę - odcinek 1 https://zaufanatrzeciastrona.pl/post/jak-rozwalilem-trzecia-zaufana-strone-odc-1-formularz/ INFO: Administrowanie WordPressem może wydawać się skrajnie proste, ale tak powie tylko ktoś, kto prowadził co najwyżej małego blogaska. Tworząc duże portale, wcześniej, czy później popadniesz w "pluginozę", a zależności między różnymi dodatkami i ich konfiguracja, mogą doprowadzić do awarii. Adam z Z3S opisuję swoją wpadkę, którą zaliczył podczas migracji portalu między dwoma serwerami. Według zapowiedzi jest to pierwszy wpis z nowej serii.

16) Kiedy przestajemy odkrywać nową muzykę? - analiza statystyk https://www.statsignificant.com/p/when-do-we-stop-finding-new-music INFO: Odkrywanie nowej muzyki to dla wielu z nas pasjonująca przygoda, a w czasach aplikacji typu Spotify, to niemal codzienność. Okazuje się jednak, że jest pewna granica wieku, po której przekroczeniu nie szukamy już nowych brzmień, a po prostu obracamy się w dobrze nam znanych klimatach. Analizy zawarte w artykule pochodzą nie tylko z ankiet, ale także ze statystyk z serwisów streamingowych. Jeśli czujesz, że twój gust muzyczny utknął gdzieś w przeszłości, to ten tekst wyjaśni ci przyczyny tego zjawiska.

17) Powstanie i upadek LAN Party - wspomnienia dawnych lat https://aftermath.site/lan-party-merritt-k-book-read-only-memory-rom INFO: Nie wiem, czy jeszcze pamiętasz czasy, w których na imprezę do kolegi zabierało się komputer stacjonarny, monitor CRT i kilka metrów kabla sieciowego, ale jeśli to brzmi znajomo, to w tym artykule autor wspomina, jak to wyglądało, jak się to zaczęło i wyjaśnia, dlaczego te czasy już bezpowrotnie minęły. Trzeba przyznać, że niegdyś "gry sieciowe" były jednak bardziej socjalne niż dziś.

18) Szyfrowanie bucketów S3 nie działa tak, jak myślisz https://blog.plerion.com/s3-bucket-encryption-doesnt-work-the-way-you-think-it-works/ INFO: Autor przygląda się różnym opcjom szyfrowania plików na Storage S3, wyjaśniając, dlaczego powinniśmy na to patrzeć bardziej, jak na kontrolę dostępu, niż na realne szyfrowanie, i dlaczego ma to znaczenie.

19) Podstawy analizy złośliwego oprogramowania - próbki i materiały https://github.com/jstrosch/learning-malware-analysis INFO: Chcesz nauczyć się analizować malware, ale obawiasz się ryzyka związanego z prawdziwym złośliwym oprogramowaniem? To repozytorium zawiera przykładowe programy symulujące zachowania typowe dla malware, które można kompilować i wykorzystywać do celów edukacyjnych. Znajdziesz tu również linki do playlist na YouTube i kursów online, które pozwolą Ci poszerzyć wiedzę na temat pracy z narzędziami do analizowania złośliwego oprogramowania.

20) Apple CarPlay - przyszłość systemów infotainment? https://www.theturnsignalblog.com/apples-risky-bet-on-carplay/ INFO: Badania pokazują, że obecnie 79% kierowców rozważa zakup nowego samochodu tylko, jeśli jest wyposażony w CarPlay. Ten artykuł analizuje fenomen systemu Apple i jego wpływ na decyzje zakupowe. Przyjrzyjmy się, jak CarPlay wpływa na rynek motoryzacyjny i jakie wyzwania niesie dla producentów samochodów w kontekście personalizacji, kontroli projektu i potencjalnych źródeł przychodów.

21) Zaawansowane praca w CyberChef - ekstrakcja konfiguracji malware https://www.embeeresearch.io/advanced-cyberchef-operations-netsupport/ INFO: CyberChef to narzędzie, które może znacznie więcej niż tylko podstawowe operacje kodowania i dekodowania danych. W artykule znajdziesz szczegółową analizę zaawansowanych funkcji tego narzędzia, które umożliwiają tworzenie ekstraktorów konfiguracji nawet dla wielokrotnie zaciemnionego kodu złośliwego oprogramowania. Nawet jeśli tematyka malware zupełnie Cię nie interesuje, CyberChef jest narzędziem, które warto poznać. Ten tekst pokazuje kilka użytecznych sztuczek z nim związanych.

22) "State of CI/CD" - raport z badania (PDF, 47 stron) https://cd.foundation/wp-content/uploads/sites/78/2024/04/State-of-CICD-Report-April-22-2024-Updated.pdf INFO: Jak wygląda zastosowanie rozwiązań CI/CD w firmach na całym świecie? Czy korzystają z rozwiązań self-hosted, czy może z platform, które oferują takie usługi? Z ilu platform korzysta dana firma - jednej czy może 4-5? Mamy tu sporo statystyk dla osób, które lubią liczby i wykresy.

23) Czy rozpoznasz utwory ulubionego artysty w 5 sekund? (rozrywka) https://musicnerd.io/ INFO: Podaj artystę, którego lubisz słuchać, a następnie rozwiąż prosty quiz sprawdzający, jak dobrze znasz jego utwory. Wrzucam to jako treść rozrywkową. Spodobała mi się prostota koncepcji tej aplikacji.

24) 10 lektur obowiązkowych dla Tech Leadów https://zaidesanton.substack.com/p/10-must-reads-for-engineering-leaders INFO: Jakie książki powinien przeczytać każdy techniczny lider, aby skutecznie zarządzać swoim zespołem? Ten artykuł przedstawia pozycje rekomendowane przez autora, które mogą odmienić twoje podejście do zarządzania zespołem czy prowadzenia projektów. Dowiesz się, jak budować samodzielne zespoły i jak usunąć z nich zbędną biurokrację.

25) Przewodnik po zarządzaniu sekretami w AWS Lambda https://aaronstuyvenberg.com/posts/ultimate-lambda-secrets-guide INFO: Jak bezpiecznie przechowywać klucze API, hasła do bazy danych czy klucze SSH w funkcjach na AWS Lambda? Ten artykuł porównuje System Manager, Secrets Manager, Key Management Service oraz zmienne środowiskowe, pomagając wybrać najlepsze rozwiązanie dostosowane do twoich potrzeb. Znajdziesz tu porównanie kosztów każdego z rozwiązań, poziomu skomplikowania oraz możliwości.

26) Lista IP powiązanych z botnetami - do blokady https://github.com/montysecurity/C2-Tracker/ INFO: To repozytorium zawiera regularnie aktualizowaną (co 24h) listę pojedynczych adresów IP, powiązanych z działalnością botnetów, serwerów C2 itp. Jeśli jesteś administratorem serwerów lub sieci, możesz zautomatyzować pobieranie tej listy i wrzucanie jej do zapory sieciowej, aby odciąć się od potencjalnie niebezpiecznych źródeł ruchu.

27) Sprawdzić bezpieczeństwo publicznych kluczy kryptograficznych https://badkeys.info/ INFO: Czy w swoich projektach korzystasz z kluczy typu X.509, SSH, czy tych w formacie PEM? Istnieje szansa, że zostały one wygenerowane za pomocą podatnego oprogramowania lub są po prostu kryptograficznie słabe. Ta aplikacja pomoże Ci to zweryfikować. Pamiętaj jednak, aby na stronę wrzucać klucz publiczny, a nie prywatny!

28) Alternatywa open source i self-hosted dla ngrok https://portr.dev/ INFO: Narzędzie umożliwia udostępnianie lokalnych serwerów http, tcp lub websocket do publicznego internetu. Jest to użyteczne, jeśli chcesz wystawić np. do testów dla klienta aplikację, która jest niedostępna spoza sieci lokalnej. Ogromną zaletą aplikacji, poza tym, że jest darmowa i hostowana lokalnie, jest możliwość tworzenia wielu użytkowników i dzielenie ich na zespoły. Usprawnia to korzystanie z narzędzia w warunkach panujących w zespołach IT.

29) Czy użyto Twoich materiałów do szkolenia AI? https://haveibeentrained.com/ INFO: W sieci istnieje mnóstwo gotowych zbiorów danych używanych do szkolenia, na przykład modeli LLM czy mechanizmów do rozpoznawania obrazów. Czy twoja prywatna lub firmowa strona zostały wykorzystane do takiego uczenia? A może twoje prace graficzne są używane do szkolenia generatorów grafik? Możesz to sprawdzić za pomocą tego narzędzia.

30) Jak sprawdzić, czy dysk twardy w Twoim serwerze się psuje? https://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-find-out-if-harddisk-failing.html INFO: Wiem, że administratorzy Linuxa świetnie znają narzędzie smartctl, jednak nie każdy wie, jak czytać i czego szukać w raporcie z tego narzędzia. To wiedza podstawowa, ale i niezbędna zarazem dla każdego, kto pracuje z serwerami Linux/Unix.

31) AltStore - jeden z pierwszych, alternatywnych sklepów dla iOS https://altstore.io/ INFO: AltStore to alternatywny sklep z aplikacjami dla iOS, który umożliwia tzw. sideloading, czyli instalację oprogramowania poza oficjalnym App Store. Z łatwością znajdziesz tam aplikacje od zaufanych deweloperów. Autorzy twierdzą, że dbają o bezpieczeństwo hostowanych tam aplikacji i o ich minimalne uprawnienia podczas instalacji. To interesujące rozwiązanie dla fanów open source i alternatywnych aplikacji.

32) Jak nie wpaść w pułapkę wiecznej nauki? https://devszczepaniak.pl/pulapki-nauki/ INFO: Brakuje ci wiedzy do rozpoczęcia projektu, więc przerabiasz kurs. Z niego dowiadujesz się, jak wiele jeszcze nie wiesz. Dlatego zaliczasz jeszcze dwa tutoriale, ale to tylko wierzchołek góry lodowej zwanej wiedzą. Znasz to? Nauka to nowoczesna wersja prokrastynacji. W praktyce nic nie robisz, ale czujesz się dobrze, bo się uczysz. Artykuł omawia mechanizmy powstawania takich pętli nauki i przedstawia metody na wyjście z nich. Autor linkuje do wielu dodatkowych artykułów, które rozszerzają poruszane w tekście tematy - warto na niektóre z nich rzucić okiem.

== LINKI TYLKO DLA PATRONÓW ==

33) Ekspresowy kurs Webflow (film, 1h 40m) https://uw7.org/un_3db3d408a0e79 INFO: Jeśli chcesz tworzyć profesjonalnie wyglądające strony internetowe i przy tym wykorzystać technologię no-code, to wcześniej czy później natkniesz się na Webflow. To narzędzie, które początkowo może przytłaczać, ale po wielu godzinach pracy wydaje się całkiem intuicyjne. Ten kurs pozwoli ci skrócić twoją ścieżkę nauki. Jedyne zastrzeżenie, jakie można mieć do nagrania, to akcent trenera, ale można się do niego przyzwyczaić. Narzędzie jest omówione może niezbyt dogłębnie, ale za to szeroko, więc samodzielne zgłębienie każdej z prezentowanych funkcji stanie się już znacznie prostsze i szybsze.

34) Zestaw ściąg do testów penetracyjnych - repozytorium https://uw7.org/un_b6a3ce80434d6 INFO: Jeśli pracujesz w branży security i wykonujesz testy penetracyjne albo dopiero uczysz się, jak je wykonywać, to w tym repozytorium znajdziesz zbiór narzędzi i porad, które mogą Ci to ułatwić.

35) Jak efektywnie wykorzystywać narzędzia AI w Canva - kurs https://uw7.org/un_85bf6d325950b INFO: Tworzenie obrazów, animacji, a nawet całych projektów w Canva staje się dziecinnie proste, jeśli zaczniesz wykorzystywać nowe opcje związane ze sztuczną inteligencją. Ten poradnik przedstawia, jak można z nimi efektywnie pracować. Raczej nastaw się na konieczność posiadania konta PRO, aby móc bez przeszkód wykorzystać każde z prezentowanych rozwiązań.

[tri-poke]

The barn passes muster. Accidents happen. Especially on the edge of settlements. But the windmill...

Zach realizes that the leisurely turn of the windmill is too slow, the rhythm is off. And then he notices the other pattern, what he's seeing is just two wings, noticeable by small details that he can just peek at as the edges pass by. Not four as is customary. The windmill is missing one of the two stock beams. Or two if its a tower big enough to use four stocks around the windshaft instead of two crossed at right angles between shaft and cap.

Windmills don't just get let go. They're too important to a settlement if they're worth building in the first year. They're either needed for grain, or more usually for pumping up well water so the settlers can drink.

Which means he and Gale are either arriving in just the right span of days that the settlers are fixing the windmill... or no one is fixing a vital piece of infrastructure.

Which draws Zach's eyes back to that burnt up barn they're passing. Giving it a second, less trusting look, that barn looks like it may have been left to rot more than just one winter. ...And the doors are hanging open, listing ready to shed off their hinges. Hanging in the way that means the barn burned with the doors open, not closed tight against the winter. Or even merely against the coming of night when no one would be needing access.

Looking back to the wisp of smoke doesn't ease Zach's mind none, either. It's about just the right size for what he'd expect to come out a chimney fire lit for making a stew for one family's lunch. But there's only one. Not a sign of any other smoke in the sky. Even Cookie's chuck wagon usually lets off a bigger plume with the score or so of Tripokes she cooks for, which is about the bare minimum for starting a settlement with any expectation of survival. Any less and there wouldn't be enough people to build a mill, let alone maintain it.

Which all gives Zach the sneaky suspicion that they aren't about to run into a thriving new settlement at all.

[isprevolution]

Bridging the Connectivity Gap: How Fixed Wireless Augments Fiber for WISPs and ISPs

In today’s digital era, reliable internet connectivity is no longer a luxury but a necessity. However, there are still many areas where traditional wired infrastructure, such as fiber-optic cables, may not be feasible due to geographical constraints or cost limitations. This is where fixed wireless technology comes to the rescue, empowering Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to bridge the connectivity gap and provide high-speed internet access in underserved regions. In this blog post, we’ll explore how fixed wireless is being used to augment fiber for WISPs and ISPs, enabling efficient and cost-effective network deployments.

Understanding Fixed Wireless Technology

Fixed wireless technology utilizes radio signals to establish a wireless connection between a transmission point (typically a tower or a base station) and a receiving antenna installed on a customer’s premises. Unlike mobile wireless networks, which serve devices in motion, fixed wireless is designed for stationary connections over longer distances.

Augmenting Fiber with Fixed Wireless

*Extending Coverage to Rural and Remote Areas

Fiber-optic cables are often limited to urban or densely populated areas due to the significant infrastructure investments required. However, rural and remote regions, which suffer from a lack of reliable connectivity, can benefit greatly from fixed wireless deployments. WISPs and ISPs can leverage fixed wireless technology to establish point-to-point or point-to-multipoint connections, enabling them to extend their network coverage beyond the reach of fiber-optic infrastructure. This approach ensures that even customers in remote locations can access high-speed internet services.

*Rapid Deployment and Cost Efficiency

Installing fiber-optic cables involves significant time, resources, and infrastructural modifications, making it impractical in certain areas. Fixed wireless, on the other hand, offers a more agile and cost-effective solution. By leveraging existing towers or infrastructure, WISPs and ISPs can quickly deploy fixed wireless networks, bypassing the need for extensive construction or rights-of-way negotiations. This enables them to serve customers in a shorter timeframe and at a fraction of the cost compared to fiber deployments.

*Last-Mile Connectivity

In many cases, the challenge lies in providing the “last mile” connectivity, which refers to the final leg of the network that connects individual premises to the ISP’s infrastructure. Fiber-optic cables may terminate at a local point of presence (POP), but delivering the service to individual homes or businesses may require additional infrastructure and costs. Fixed wireless acts as a viable solution to address this challenge, offering a wireless connection directly from the nearest tower to the customer’s premises. By utilizing fixed wireless technology for the last mile, WISPs and ISPs can overcome geographical obstacles and deliver high-speed internet services directly to end-users.

*Redundancy and Network Resilience

Fiber-optic networks are known for their reliability and high bandwidth capacity. However, they are not impervious to physical damages caused by natural disasters, construction accidents, or equipment failures. By integrating fixed wireless as a redundant connectivity option, WISPs and ISPs can ensure network resilience. In the event of fiber outages, fixed wireless connections can seamlessly take over, minimizing service disruptions and maintaining internet access for customers.

Conclusion

Fixed wireless technology is revolutionizing the way WISPs and ISPs provide internet connectivity, particularly in areas where traditional wired infrastructure falls short. By augmenting fiber-optic networks with fixed wireless solutions, these service providers can extend coverage to underserved regions, rapidly deploy networks, overcome last-mile challenges, and enhance network redundancy. As technology continues to advance, fixed wireless will play an increasingly vital role in bridging the connectivity gap and bringing reliable high-speed internet access to communities around the world.

Checkout more topics — https://isprevolution.io/blog/

[sakshamyng]

Unlocking Security: Understanding the Vitality of a Written Information Security Plan

In the contemporary virtual age, wherein facts flow seamlessly across networks and structures, safeguarding touchy facts has emerged as paramount. With the surge in cyber threats and regulations governing facts privacy, agencies must strengthen their defences through meticulous plans and strategic measures. One critical factor in a robust protection infrastructure is a written information security plan (WISP).

A Written Information Security Plan is a comprehensive report outlining an organization's technique for safeguarding touchy data. It delineates guidelines, approaches, and protocols to mitigate risks and defend information integrity. While the specifics might also vary depending on the character of the business enterprise and its industry, a properly crafted WISP generally encompasses several key elements:

Risk Assessment: Before formulating a WISP, organizations conduct an intensive risk assessment to discover capacity vulnerabilities and threats to their statistics. This includes comparing the probability and potential effect of diverse safety breaches, including data breaches, unauthorized right of entry, or gadget screw-ups.

Security Policies and Procedures: A WISP outlines precise safety rules and strategies that govern how touchy information is accessed, stored, transmitted, and disposed of inside the corporation. These rules cover several regions, including password management, statistics encryption, getting the right of entry to controls, and incident reaction protocols.

Employee Training and Awareness: Human errors remain one of the leading reasons for protection breaches. Therefore, a WISP includes provisions for employee education and consciousness packages to educate workers about their roles and responsibilities in retaining statistics protection. This may also include schooling periods, security recognition campaigns, and ordinary updates on emerging threats and first-class practices.

Incident Response Plan: Despite preventive measures, protection incidents may occur. A WISP includes an incident reaction plan outlining the steps to be taken in case of a protection breach or facts breach. This includes processes for holding the incident, assessing the impact, notifying affected parties, and restoring ordinary operations as quickly as viable.

Compliance Requirements: Compliance with regulatory requirements and enterprise-precise mandates is crucial to statistics security. A WISP guarantees that the commercial enterprise corporation stays compliant with applicable laws and rules governing facts, privateness and safety, alongside the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), or the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

The use of a Written Information Security Plan extends beyond mere regulatory compliance. It is a proactive degree to protect the organisation's reputation, instil trust amongst clients and stakeholders, and mitigate economic and legal dangers associated with safety breaches. By enforcing a WISP, groups can:

Enhance Data Protection: A WISP affords a framework for imposing strong security measures to protect touchy information from unauthorized entry, disclosure, or alteration.

Improve Risk Management: A WISP allows companies to mitigate the probability and impact of protection breaches by identifying and addressing capability protection risks, thereby safeguarding their operations and popularity.

Foster Customer Trust: In a technology of heightened information privacy issues, demonstrating a dedication to information safety through a WISP can decorate client consideration and loyalty, riding competitive advantage.

Ensure Regulatory Compliance: Compliance with statistics and safety regulations is a criminal requirement and fundamental to maintaining commercial enterprise integrity. A WISP ensures that the employer adheres to relevant regulatory requirements, warding off penalties and prison liabilities.

Bolster Business Continuity: By organising clean incident response and recovery tactics, a WISP allows agencies to decrease downtime and disruptions throughout a protection incident, ensuring enterprise continuity and resilience.

A Written Information Security Plan is necessary for contemporary agencies searching to fortify their defences against evolving cyber threats. By outlining comprehensive safety features and protocols, a WISP empowers businesses to defend their sensitive facts, observe regulatory necessities, and maintain the agreement with and self-assurance of clients and stakeholders in an increasingly interconnected global.

Verito, a leading provider of cloud-primarily based solutions, integrates contemporary safety features into its Written Information Security Plan (WISP) to ensure the utmost protection of sensitive statistics. By leveraging superior encryption technologies, robust entry to controls and complete monitoring systems, Verito's WISP meets regulatory compliance requirements and exceeds industry first-rate practices. With a steadfast commitment to data safety, Verito empowers corporations to leverage cloud services while safeguarding their critical property from evolving cyber threats.

[narwatharsh01]

Wireless Market: Size, Growth, Trends, and Outlook

The wireless market has become an indispensable facet of modern life, seamlessly connecting us to information, entertainment, and each other. This article delves into the ever-evolving landscape of this dynamic market, exploring its size, share, growth trajectory, and the key trends shaping its future.

Wireless Market Size and Share:

The wireless market is experiencing tremendous growth, reaching a staggering USD 199.3 billion in 2023. This impressive figure showcases a steady CAGR of 12.8%, highlighting the increasing reliance on wireless technologies for communication and data consumption.

The market share is dominated by mobile network operators (MNOs), which hold a significant portion by providing cellular voice and data services. Leading players like AT&T, Verizon, China Mobile, and Vodafone control a substantial share of the market.

However, the landscape is diversifying. The rise of wireless internet service providers (WISPs) offering fixed wireless access and the growing popularity of internet of things (IoT) solutions are creating new market segments with expanding opportunities.

Wireless Industry Growth and Revenue:

The future of the wireless industry appears bright, with a projected CAGR of 12.8% over the next five years. This translates to a projected market size of over USD 426.5 billion by 2028. Several factors contribute to this projected growth:

Rising smartphone penetration: The increasing affordability and accessibility of smartphones globally fuel the demand for wireless data services.

5G network rollout: The deployment of next-generation 5G networks promises significantly faster speeds, lower latency, and enhanced network capacity, enabling new applications like augmented reality and connected vehicles.

Expanding internet of things (IoT): The proliferation of internet-connected devices, from wearables to smart home appliances, drives the need for robust and reliable wireless connectivity.

Wireless Market Trends:

Several trends are shaping the future of the wireless market:

Focus on data monetization: Mobile network operators are exploring innovative data monetization strategies, such as tiered data plans and data bundling with other services, to generate revenue from the ever-increasing data consumption.

Spectrum scarcity and management: Spectrum, the radio frequencies used for wireless communication, is a finite resource. As demand rises, the efficient management and allocation of spectrum will be crucial for network performance and capacity.

Virtual network operators (MVNOs): The emergence of MVNOs who lease network infrastructure from MNOs and offer competitive pricing plans is adding to the market's dynamism.

Wireless Industry Major Players:

The wireless industry boasts a diverse range of major players:

Mobile network operators (MNOs): Leading telecommunications companies like AT&T, Verizon, China Mobile, and Vodafone remain dominant players, providing cellular network services to consumers and businesses.

Wireless infrastructure providers: Companies like Ericsson, Nokia, and Huawei develop and manufacture the network infrastructure needed to support wireless communication.

Wireless chipset manufacturers: Companies like Qualcomm and MediaTek design and manufacture the chipsets that power smartphones and other wireless devices.

Wireless Market Future Outlook:

The future outlook of wireless market appears optimistic, driven by continuous technological advancements and the ever-increasing reliance on wireless connectivity. As technologies like 5G and IoT become more pervasive, the demand for innovative and efficient wireless solutions will continue to rise.

However, challenges remain. Addressing issues such as the digital divide, ensuring network security and privacy, and managing spectrum scarcity will be crucial factors shaping the future of the industry.

In conclusion, the wireless market is the backbone of a connected world. Its continuous growth and evolution, fueled by innovation and user demand, create exciting possibilities for the future. By embracing new technologies, fostering collaboration among stakeholders, and addressing emerging challenges, the wireless industry can ensure a future where seamless connectivity empowers individuals and businesses alike.

[lightyearai]

Operating a Dark Fiber Network: Use Cases, Complexity, Cost vs. Lit Fiber

Are you afraid of the dark? There’s no need because Lightyear’s here to shine a light on dark- fiber network connectivity.

If you’re investigating high-speed fiber options and looking for greater bandwidth and lower latency to improve the performance of your applications and services, then dark fiber or lit fiber could be the silver bullet. In this post, we’ll help you think through considerations on when to go with dark fiber.

What Is Dark Fiber?

Fiber-optic cables carry pulses of light which communicate data. So, if you’re procuring a dark-fiber line, you’re basically looking to rent an unused (or “dark”) set of fiber lines, without any of the additional transmitters usually included. To use technical parlance (according to the OSI model used to describe telecoms infrastructure), dark fiber is an unlit, layer-1 service.

Lit fiber is an adjacent service to dark fiber. With a lit-fiber service, the customer rents a dedicated fiber line, along with all the transmission equipment, from the service provider (billing for lit fiber services is also slightly different, with the cost increasing depending on tiered bandwidth usage).

At this point, you might be wondering why there’s all this fiber lying around unused, anyway? Surely, it’s expensive to lay this stuff in the first place?

It’s a valid question, and there are two main reasons.

Technological improvements. When the Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs) first started laying down fiber, back in the late 80s/early 90s, a single fiber channel could transmit data at around 2.5 Gbps. Then the lab geeks figured out they could use Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) to send multiple data streams down a single channel. Multiple streams = more bandwidth. How much more? Well, you can squeeze 32 Tbs down one channel now, which is about 12,800 times more data. So, modern fiber-optic usage leaves plenty of spare fiber for everyone.

Long-term planners laid extra capacity to save on future costs. Labor and project management makes up much of the cost of a fiber install. Those crazy 20th century ILECs figured they’d save a few bucks and installed additional fiber, far more than their requirements at the time – not anticipating the huge efficiencies DWDM would bring.

So, what’s the net result of these two factors? Depending on your geographic location, there could be plenty of dark fiber going unused that your service provider would be more than happy to lease to you.

Who Uses Dark Fiber?

Lots of folk. We’ve seen dark fiber deployed in many ways by a range of businesses who tend to have the following things in common.

Multiple, well-established static locations

A qualified team of in-house transport technicians capable of lighting a fiber network

A strong need for a secure, low latency network, with scalable network connections

These are some common users of dark-fiber networks.

Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs). Cellular providers often use a dark-fiber network to connect their cell towers to the data center. They’ll install and manage their own Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) equipment, configured either as a point-to-point service or as an any-to-any topology, to best suit local requirements.

Municipalities. Critical infrastructure such as police stations, fire departments, and hospitals needs to be connected with as much security, reliability, and permanence as possible, making dark-fiber networks a great fit for public services.

Schools and colleges. Large, multi-campus institutions like to connect their locations securely, and enjoy the level of control a dark-fiber network provides.

Connecting two data centers. More of a business need than a use case or typical user – we’re often contacted by companies that, for one reason or another, want dark fiber to run between their data centers. Again, as a secure, predictable low-latency solution, it’s a useful addition to a wide area network (WAN).

Where Can I Get Dark Fiber?

The nearer your location to a major city, the greater the chance that dark-fiber services are available to you. There are fiber lines running between the major cities, too.Outside of major cities and their connective infrastructure, it becomes trickier for carriers to make a business case for fiber installations. As we mentioned previously, the CapEx and project management costs make it harder to recoup fiber network investment from major population centers.

Even if your location is close to a major fiber line, it’s by no means a given that you can tap directly into their line to build your dark-fiber network. Connections to a fiber line are made via splice points – and most carriers have no desire to create additional splices on the line.

Once you know where the splice points are, you can work out whether a service provider is able to offer you a fiber buildout to your locations. Think of splice points as highway onramps – even though your house might be underneath the flyover, you could still have several miles to drive before you can merge onto the highway.

To determine whether a service provider is able to offer you dark fiber, you’d work with the same set of culprits you’d deal with for lit fiber service (Zayo, Crown Castle, Lumen, and the like) and go through similar bidding processes (sounds fun, right?).

What Kind of Contracts Are Available for Dark Fiber?

If you find a carrier that owns fiber between the locations you’re looking to connect, the most common kind of dark-fiber agreement is an Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU) lease. These are usually long-term leases – typically between 20 and 30 years.

If that’s more of a bind than you’re looking for, it’s worth investigating whether potential vendors would be willing to offer an International Private Leased Circuit (IPLC). As the name suggests, IPLCs are designed for international networks, and offer shorter terms – some IPLCs even offer monthly rolling contracts. 

One disadvantage of IPLCs, however, is the prohibition of subletting – you can’t rent the dark fiber out as if it was your own, which removes the possibility of offsetting the costs of your network.

If you’re looking for a lit-fiber deal, with leased fiber transmitters providing DWDM services, a term length of between three and five years is more commonplace. The costs involved for the provider are subject to change over time, so it makes more financial sense for them to ensure they can adjust equipment rental costs at more regular intervals.

Which Should I Choose – Dark Fiber or Lit Fiber?

When it comes to performance metrics, there’s little difference between these two dedicated internet services. The factors to be considered are scalability, security, and cost.

Scalability. Dark fiber isn’t infinitely scalable, due to the physics involved and the mounting cost of equipment, but it's not that far off! Also, any upgrades you carry out on your existing bandwidth capabilities are entirely your own business – no need to contact the carrier, and there are no additional monthly costs.

Lit fiber upgrades will require some negotiation with the service provider, who is likely to charge you a tiered rate according to your bandwidth requirements.

Security. Neither dark fiber nor lit fiber services provide any visibility into traffic through that part of the network – any security provision must take place after the fiber hands off to the customer premises equipment (CPE).

Cost. When comparing like-for-like network locations and provision, lit-fiber services are generally more expensive. The provider is obviously going to charge more for their leased equipment and technicians than you’d pay if you were procuring these things in-house.

However, the relatively lower cost of dark fiber is only available for customers with considerable connectivity needs – you’ll need to have fairly hefty throughput requirements to justify the outlay, although there’s often wildly unpredictable regional variations in how much providers charge for dark fiber. To run a dark fiber network, you'll need to invest in hardware as well as smart hands to run your network and deal with issues, so there is a breakeven bandwidth point where this makes sense.

Subletting fibers on your dark-fiber network can be a handy way to offset the expense of this long-term investment – although this comes with its own set of legal and contractual hassles and responsibilities with which not every business is prepared to engage.

There are several other variables to consider when gauging dark-fiber costs. These include distance from the fiber splice point, and the links used to reach the fiber line, as well as the distance between your connected locations.

This last cost can quickly mount up, depending on the range of your transmitters – should your transmitter only be effective for up to 500 miles, and your locations are several thousand miles apart, then you’ll need to install and maintain repeaters every 500 miles, increasing your project management and labor costs.

While this list of pros and cons will help you get a sense of what both these services can offer, it might not be so simple to apply this knowledge to the complexities of your business and connectivity procurement needs.

The Lightyear telecom operating system is designed to solve problems like these. With ease, you can configure a dark fiber or lit fiber network and compare options digitally, or arrange a real-time meeting to discuss your options with an experienced industry professional.

[ablinkntime]

To any normal individual, Peter's apartment would probably be a pretty depressing sight, what with the failing infrastructure and the sort of dumpster-chic feeling to the place -- but Clarice had seen, lived in, significantly worse. And besides, it wasn't her place to judge how he lived; maybe he was happy with it, maybe he wasn't, it wasn't for her to say. She was just happy to be invited into his space without him feeling shame about it.

She looked down at the knife with a frown, reached for the hip pocket of her jeans; her hand flicked almost absently, unfolding a thin but sharp little straight-edged knife, setting it on the table in case he wanted something with finer control. "Hm..." She could feel an itch, a long-forgotten memory scratching at the edges of her mind. But she dismissed that feeling with a little shake of her head, shifting to fold her legs under her to both watch what he was doing and listen to the explanation.

"Ah, okay... I think Mr. Cassidy told us about will-o'-the-wisps once. He used to tell stories when it was too cold to sleep."

"Gosh... bleak much?" He said, running a toothbrush and modest toothpaste and water foam through his mouth. The landlord was working on contracting someone for Peter's lavatory pipeline to the sink -- as was Peter a week away from filing a suit for such negligence. Rinsing with bottled water and a paper cup felt too tacky, even for a science major out of work related to that field.

This had to be a vibe Clarice had gotten used to by now. Maybe he should ask her if she's seen old Jansport bags lying around the city rooftops. "Been a minute since I caught up with the Canadian Avengers, basically. I was the resident pop culture freak of my A-team. Too much of a rotating roster to nail down holiday parties often, though we always carved one pumpkin for the bar, or the meeting table."

He joined her atop the bed, sitting next to her, his rolling laptop desk in a stationary position with the gourd resting on it. Peter took the carving kit and chucked it in the trash. Then he grabbed a long bladed, serrated pocket knife from his bedside table drawer. "I don't have kitchen cutlery." There was a work glove on his windowsill. God, he's such a slob. He puts it on his non-cutting hand. "This one's a little smaller than last year's, but I can still work with that for my hideous Jack-O-Lantern."

There was the part he left out. About, of course, explaining this pumpkin thing to her.

"So, for the uninitiated sitting before me: Jack-O-Lanterns are an old--" he clicked his tongue; history wasn't his strong suit. "-Irish I think?-- tradition for Halloween that carried over to the States in the early 1900s. They started out putting small tea light candles in turnips that they carved miniature faces in. Believed to be a good omen to ward off unsettling spirits. Of course in America for the last hundred or so years, they're a porch or sidewalk decoration for the spooky holiday. People traditionally carve menacing faces in them, but any sorts of art have been achieved via 'gourd butchering' in recent years that it's nowadays a social internet trend to share Jack-O-Lantern arts in the fall season."