Sustainable Land Development Today - May 2008 - (Page 36)

SITE AMENITY A Necessary Amenity: Fiber Optics More than a good thing to have, fiber-optic technology is fast becoming a critical need for today’s new homebuyer. By Susan Knowles Would you build a house without a finished roof? Is it really necessary to add doors and windows? Naturally, buyers expect these things to be a part of the home they purchase. But what happens when you offer something more than expected…say, a whirlpool bath, a community pool, fitness center or even a fiber-optic network? These added amenities attract more buyers to your property. You may not know it yet, but the technology network offered in a community has become a more important consideration to buyers than the community pool. They want to know that their home connects to a network that provides high bandwidth access to new and exciting services with easy integration. They want to buy a home that will stand the test of time in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world. The solution to attract this future-focused buyer is a fiber to the home (FTTH) network. Many developers are jumping on board to install their own fiber-optic network. According to the Fiber to the Home Council, the rate of FTTH implementation in the U.S. doubled last year to 2.3 percent of all homes. However, the U.S. remains behind many other countries when it comes to fiber. Taiwan, Denmark, and South Korea all have significantly higher rates of fiber penetration. If we want to keep up with the rest of the world in terms of technology, FTTH implementation is critical. What’s driving the need for fiber? Internet traffic increases dramatically each year, and more online movie, music, and gaming options promise to drive demand for bandwidth ever-higher for some time to come. Internet traffic in the U.S. today is typically measured in “exabytes.” An exabyte contains approximately 50,000 times the amount of all the information contained in the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world, with more than 120 million items on approximately 530 miles of bookshelves. In 2001 U.S. Internet traffic totaled 8.4 exabytes. Analysts at Nermetes Research expect traffic to reach more than 600 exabytes by the year 2012. From YouTube, IPTV, and high-definition images, to 3D games and virtual worlds, a new wave of technology is swelling into a flood of Internet traffic. Unfortunately, the cable and DSL options available to most U.S. homes simply will not be able to handle these demands. No matter how hard they try, traditional Internet solutions cannot support future bandwidth demand the way fiber optics can. Changes in television viewing habits add to the strain on the bandwidth of networks connected to our homes. The demand for high-definition channels and more Video On Demand content will only increase. Many in the industry expect that most television entertainment will soon be transmitted over Internet Protocol, or IP. IP television (IPTV) will greatly increase the entertainment options available, and FTTH networks are the fastest, most reliable way to accommodate this new technology. Turn Your Detention Areas Into Water Features! L a ke a nd Str e a m C onstr uction B ack ed B y 30 Ye ars o f Ge o s y n t h et i c E x p er t i s e. W W W. C L I C L E A R W A T E R . C O M 800.524.8672 Circle 135 • or www.SLDTonline.com/webcard 36 May 2008 Sustainable Land Development Today Is fiber the best solution? Unlike copper wiring, which has many limitations, fiber offers virtually unlimited bandwidth within fine strands of glass. Optical electronics transmit data through each strand at the speed of light, and advances in this technology continue to push more information through the same glass fibers. This means that as future applications drive more and more bandwidth demands, the capacity of fiber-optic networks is readily available to accommodate them. http://www.cliclearwater.com http://www.cliclearwater.com http://www.SLDTonline.com/webcard

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Land Development Today - May 2008

Sustainable Land Development Today - May 2008 Contents Our Voice Editorial Board SLDT Resources Addressing a Crisis with Wastewater Recycling Visionary Award Finalists The Jonquil City - How a City Revitalized its Downtown Industry Spotlight: Enviroquip Solar Power System Design and Installation Stormwater: The Return of the Cistern Site Amenity: Fiber Optics Surveying and Mapping Wastewater: Low-Pressure System Special Feature: The Urban Canopy as Infrastructure Industry News Advertiser Index Products/Services Showcase Classifieds The Last Word: Nature Bats Last…

Sustainable Land Development Today - May 2008

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