May/June 2019 I 5
From the President, Jeff Beavers, RCDD, OSP, CFHP
THINK TWICE BEFORE
SNIPPING A CORD
Central Offices Re-purposing
as Data Centers on the Rise
Anyone who has a pair of snips (i.e., electrician’s scissors)
has examples of them being used in ways other than their
intended purpose of cutting or snipping conductors. In fact,
they cannot be held like scissors to effectively snip conductors.
Snips can be used to lengthen a conductor to complete
a splice and establish continuity. The conductor can be
stretched by using the snips in a back and forth motion.
They also can be used for sheath removal, as substitutes for
common tools (e.g., wrenches, bottle openers), and even for
precision work like removing small screws on a pair of glasses.
Additional uses for snips include opening:
• A pedestal or terminal.
• A meal ready to eat (MRE) or other canned foods.
• A can of paint — I’ve done this recently with a home
remodeling project.
• A gift — Along with opening gift boxes, I’ve cut wrapping
paper to wrap a Christmas gift. It is worth noting that snips
become scissors when held as such but, when held in manner
to cut through conductors of various thickness or the
metallic shield of a cable, are ineffective for cutting paper.
Much like duct tape, the uses for snips are innumerable.
I keep a pair in my truck, tackle box, and even our kitchen
junk drawer.
NOTE: While I’ve observed and performed these alternate
applications, using a pair of snips for anything other than
their intended purpose is not recommended.
On a much larger scale, we’re experiencing another
repurposing in our industry—the repurposing of central offices
(COs) as data centers. Major service providers like AT&T,
Verizon, SK Telecom (Korea), and NTT Communications
(Japan) are early supporters of central office re-architected
as a data center (CORD).
As reported in Fierce Telecom, a recent “IHS Markit survey
found that 7 out of 10 respondents plan to deploy CORD
in smart COs. Furthermore, service providers expect that
44% of their COs will have mini data centers (or smart COs)
by 2023, and they plan to deploy CORD in half of those COs.”1
This activity opens up opportunities for BICSI credentialed
Data Center Design Consultants (DCDCs); Registered
Communications Distribution Designers (RCDDs);
Registered Telecommunications Project Managers
(RTPMs); OSP Designers (OSPs) and our many BICSI
member installation companies and consultant firms.
“The emergence of edge data centers (EDCs) is forecasted
to serve a huge increase in network traffic from mobile devices,
IoT, and streaming media. Content and applications that are
frequently accessed are cached on servers located closer to end
users. This improves the quality of high-bandwidth applications
and reduces the amount of backbone traffic, leaving them free
for other valued services. EDCs also support low-latency
next-generation services, and can provide network bypass
terminating mobile internet traffic. 5G will drive numerous
use cases and business models, since MEC (multi-access
edge computing) is an essential enabler for more intelligent
applications delivered with lower latency. Locating data centers
closer to users improves the customer experience; it can also
save significant amounts of money in transport bandwidth
costs and enable new latency-sensitive revenue services.”2
The new IHS Markit study, created through conversations
with Tier 1 service providers, also revealed that “in 2018,
85% of respondents said they plan to create or will have already
deployed smart COs. A smart CO consists of a service provider
installing servers, storage and switching to create mini data
centers in selected existing COs. The smart CO is the new
location of the IP edge.”
It makes sense. In the U.S. alone there are hundreds
(if not thousands) of COs that already exist. They include
mission-critical features like route diversity, dc power, batteries
and generators. Hearken back to the days when your telephone
worked even when your power was out.
Large footprint space vacated from the removal of analog
switches and associated cabling, wire wrap protector terminals,
frames and, in some cases, where migration to optical fiber
has occurred, reclaimed even more space.
There are countless non-traditional uses for a pair of snips,
but this repurposing of COs is worthy of endorsement
and is a CORD that you should think twice about snipping.
Be safe; someone is counting on you.
REFERENCES:
1. https://www.fiercetelecom.com/telecom/smart-central-offices
to-be-85-provider-networks-year-says-analyst
2. https://www.commscope.com/SiteSearch/?q=How CORD
will impact your central office&sayt=1
/?q=How