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did you choose this method At the moment, only one building
in the complex has been converted into living units.
But due to the large demand for apartments in the area, the
owner may convert additional buildings over time. If that
happens, a single fiber would be extended to the next building
to feed additional ONTs, micronodes, and VoIP channel
bank equipment. Additional fiber-connected Ethernet
equipment would also be supplied as required.
At the top of the rack is a 1:8 optical splitter. Below it is the DuraComm 48
VDC UPS along with a 20 amp circuit breaker. All the Amphenol cables run
back to the Zhone Channel Bank at the bottom.
they’re being used. That keeps noise from the property at
a minimum, and off our DOCSIS network, something we
always want to do.
How did you deal with wiring and plug access This was an old
warehouse. The building was gutted and new walls were
built in the interior. Cable was already running to each unit
when we started our installation. That was nice, because we
didn’t have to terminate any of the runs – the owner did all
that, and laced them up for us, too.
That said, when we first got there, it was still pretty
challenging. When we first came into the building we had
258 RJ-6 connections, 258 RJ-45 connections and 258 RJ-
11 Cat 3 connections (for the phones). It was a little overwhelming
at first glance.
Also, because the building was still under construction
when we got in there, there weren’t any 110-volt power outlets
in the communications closets. We had to use extension
cords to get power in there to test our equipment.
How much square footage did you have to dedicate to the network
inside the building Could closets be shared with other utilities,
or did you need to create a dedicated maintenance space The
original design of the MDU provided the four closets for
the building’s demarc point and cable termination. Three of
the closets are 6 by 10 feet, but a larger closet, where other
systems are housed, is probably 10 by 15 feet. We used a
small area on the wall to mount the Alloptic Micronode
and ONT. The VoIP channel bank was mounted in a rack
with the property owner’s gateway switch. All we needed
was a good piece of plywood to mount our gear on, and
some space in the rack.
If your property has multiple buildings, is the network distributed
between them via aerial or underground means, or both Why
Services
Does the building have triple-play services Yes, today the units
have DOCSIS cable TV service with a standard, 75-channel
programming package, using the RFOG elements of
the system. Voice and data are provided via Alloptic’s Ge-
PON solution. All services are included in the rent.
Can residents subscribe to IPTV IPTV is not offered today. But
because there’s fiber to the premises, it could be provided
relatively easily in the future by adding a larger gateway
switch and appropriate set-top boxes. The Alloptic 100
Mbps ONT could be replaced with a 1 or 10 Gigabit ONT
to provide the bandwidth for IPTV for the MDU.
Are there amenities beyond triple play, or IP systems for managing
the property The property owner, who maintains the Ethernet
LAN equipment in the MDU, offers free WiFi services
in the building’s common areas. There are 15 wireless access
points, one at each end of each floor of the atrium. ValuePoint
Networks, which has designed commercial WiFi
solutions for hotels and commercial properties, supplied
the WiFi system. All of the access points feed into network
controllers that allow bandwidth throttling, captive portals,
and so forth.
The building’s management and security systems also
make use of the network through video surveillance and
remote access control to the apartments. In the future, a
dedicated television channel may be deployed to provide
residents with community information.
Do residents have a choice of service providers No. All services
are provided to all residents, and are included in the rent.
There is no way to “opt out” of services, though residents
theoretically could choose additional providers if they desired.
At this point, however, NPG is the only provider that
has deployed service to the property.
Who provides support If residents have an issue or technical challenge,
whom do they call Mitchell Park Plaza employs a
dedicated IT department, and provides technical support
for all internal issues. If there is a loss of signal from the
NPG headend, or if multiple users are experiencing a similar
problem, NPG’s 24-by-7 support is available to dispatch
a technician to the property.
Business
Who owns the network Does the property owner have “skin in
the game” Who paid for what NPG owns the network up
to the demarc point, and receives a monthly bulk payment
26 | BROADBAND PROPERTIES | www.broadbandproperties.com | January/February 2009