I recently attended a BICSI regional event at which I made new contacts and demo’d Clearfield’s products. Part of the event was a presentation on the “Internet of Things and the Intelligent Building”. As I soaked in the information about designing a zoned Ethernet layout to connect all of this intelligent stuff, the thought kept bubbling up in my head, “Why would you build an Intelligent Building with a dumb network?” (that being a copper twisted pair Ethernet LAN network). Copper twisted pair cabling has no business in a new building’s backbone or horizontal distribution; it’s outdated (ie: the HVAC guy isn’t still recommending coal fired furnaces). 

The presenter mentioned reduced op/ex by integrating multi-function sensors throughout the work areas to constantly monitor the building activities. While that op/ex savings is valid, the archaic, inefficient distance is limited, and the op/ex stealing copper-based network will blow through that savings — and then some.

I strongly suggest you Google: “POLAN advantages versus Ethernet LAN”. The list that comes up is endless and the myths of POLAN not supporting Ethernet LAN functions are just that… MYTHS!  I have firsthand experience dealing with the largest producers of Ethernet switches, so I know the example presented required roughly 1,200 edge devices per floor (large enterprise complex) in a seven floor building (8,400!), plus aggregation points (175!), then core shelves (2), and all that stuff needs Software and Maintenance (S&M), a term I grew to hate in my previous life. The op/ex sucking S&M!  Even with a world class negotiation team, you might achieve some reduction in S&M but the annually recurring expense of supporting your Ethernet network will be ugly.  POLAN equipment vendors tend to have no or limited S&M, divergent from the traditional model of punishing the end users incrementally. Today, installing fiber for an enterprise POLAN has never been easier, fiber cables have never been so robust and fiber pathways are no longer cumbersome and labor intensive. 

Please don’t be dumb with your network! Be smarter than your Intelligent Building by future-proofing it with a POLAN supporting single mode fiber network via Clearfield’s FieldShield Pushable Optical Fiber Cable with Pushable Connectors, managed with our family of distribution panels, wall boxes and cabinets. Be an intelligent ICT (information and communications technology) designer with the scalability, flexibility, security and easy implementation Clearfield products provide.

By: Marty Adkins