Dark Fiber
Dedicated fiber strands for organizations that want to control the optical layer, capacity roadmap, security model, and pace of upgrades.
Know what you control and what we own.
Final responsibilities are defined in the executed agreement and route design. These are the operating principles DRDI uses to frame the first technical conversation.
- What exactly is provided?
- DRDI provides a tested physical fiber path between qualified endpoints, documentation of the agreed route and handoffs, and ongoing maintenance of the outside plant under the contract.
- Who owns the optics?
- The customer owns, configures, and operates the optical equipment. DRDI is responsible for the contracted passive fiber infrastructure, not customer electronics.
- Lease versus IRU options
- Available through a recurring lease or a long-term indefeasible right of use (IRU), subject to route, term, fiber availability, and credit approval.
- Fiber-pair and conduit options
- Fiber-pair quantity is engineered around current requirements, protection strategy, and future growth. Additional pairs may be reserved when inventory and commercial terms allow.
- Diversity and entrance options
- Diverse entrances or physically diverse paths are evaluated by endpoint. DRDI will identify shared-path constraints rather than imply diversity from provider count alone.
- Construction responsibilities
- DRDI coordinates outside-plant engineering, permitting, construction, restoration, splicing, and testing for the contracted path. The customer coordinates its rooms, racks, power, and optics.
- Maintenance responsibilities
- DRDI monitors and maintains the passive route and coordinates restoration. The customer monitors and maintains its optical equipment and services running over the fiber.
One accountable path from feasibility to operations.
Qualified on-net projects target a 30-day delivery following technical and commercial approval. Construction-dependent projects follow a project-specific schedule.
Route review
Confirm endpoints, proximity, facility access, and shared-risk constraints.
Technical design
Define fiber or conduit quantity, entrances, handoffs, testing, and responsibilities.
Commercial structure
Select lease, IRU, construction funding, term, and acceptance milestones.
Delivery
Complete make-ready, construction, splicing, testing, documentation, and turn-up.
Operate
Monitor the route, maintain agreed assets, and use the named escalation path.
Where Dark Fiber makes the most sense.
- Data-center interconnection
- AI and high-performance computing
- Carrier and cloud transport
- Research and healthcare networks
- Government and public-sector infrastructure
No generic rate card for a physical route.
Pricing begins with verified endpoints and a defined operating model. The following inputs shape the final proposal.
- Route distance and endpoint complexity
- Fiber-pair count
- Lease versus IRU structure and term
- Entrance, lateral, and cross-connect work
- Diversity and protection requirements
- Construction schedule and restoration obligations
Put dark fiber against a real route.
Start with the locations and operating requirements. DRDI will identify the workable physical path, responsibilities, delivery assumptions, and commercial structure.