Dark
Fiber

• What is Dark Fiber?

  Dark Fiber is a pre-existing underground infrastructure that doesn’t yet have the hardware or software that enables it to run services. Fiber-optic cables that are actively sending data via light pulses and wavelengths are considered lit. The unused fibers are unlit — or dark.

  40 years ago, more fiber was laid than what was needed to prepare for growth and demand.

  The surplus of infrastructure left is today’s dark fiber, which can be bought or leased by other businesses. In some cases, new dark fiber is built for businesses.

• Benefits of Switching to the Dark Side with Horizon

  There are many advantages to switching to the dark side.

  Here is how Horizon’s dark fiber can help your business:

  • Horizon is a proven dark fiber partner.
    • We have one of the newest, most state-of-the-art fiber networks
    • Our local team has been trusted for 125 years to supply quality customer care to all partners
  • Designed for high capacity and high performance.
    • Our dark fiber provides the fastest, most direct, and efficient path from end to end.
    • Dark fiber is an excellent option for video applications.
  • Predictable costs.
    • Lease costs remain constant even when upgrading bandwidth and equipment.
    • Our dark fiber lease agreements are competitive and fixed.
  • Flexible and scalable for your business operations.
    • Dark fiber can also easily accommodate the rapidly scaling needs of your business with virtually unlimited room to grow.
  • Private, secure, and customized network.
    • Horizon will maintain the physical fiber; you have complete control over the rest.
    • We offer customized solutions to fit your needs.
    • Physically private networks like dark fiber are a great option for companies looking to improve data security.
    • A strand of unlit fiber-optic cable is separate from the main network, which means the customer is the only one with visibility into the data traveling through the network.
  • Reliable network.
    • Our network is resilient and built with ringed technology, which enables redundancy for ultimate reliability.
      
  • Enhanced disaster recovery.
    • Dark fiber is safeguarded against common types of outages resulting from third parties.
    • Our Network Operations Center (NOC) can dispatch repair crews quickly to restore fiber in the rare event of a fiber impairment — because our NOC is local.
    • Businesses can identify and remedy issues without waiting for ISPs to fix them.
    • When businesses depend on utilizing two different providers as part of their disaster recovery plan, their infrastructure may overlap and reduce redundancy. However, with dark fiber, there is no risk.
• Horizon - ICS Technology Group Case Study

  ICS Technology Group, a full-service technology company and wireless service provider, is committed to delivering the most robust, reliable solutions for customers — all while building strong relationships.

  In order to grow its footprint rapidly and extend its dedicated service style and technology to a growing number of customers in the region, ICS needed faster, more secure and reliable connections alongside enhanced bandwidth efficiency.

  “Working with Horizon to provide enhanced fiber networking and wireless service has been a great experience all around … Horizon is one of those companies where, from the top down, they own it and make it happen – and that makes us ideally positioned to deliver on our promise of technological empowerment to our current and future customers.” – Curtis Davis, CEO and Managing Member, ICS Technology Group

  Read our case study to learn how Horizon helped ICS offer an even more extensive regional network in southern and eastern Ohio.

Features and Specifications

• Available throughout much of the Horizon network.
• We offer customized solutions to fit your business needs.
• Our network is resilient and built with ringed technology, which enables redundancy for ultimate reliability.
• Secure, dedicated, and private dark fiber network.
• Our dark fiber lease agreements are competitive and fixed.
• You control your bandwidth, QoS and resiliency options.